Team Pitcher has the pleasure of welcoming Lily to our athlete roster! Lily will compete at the Empire Classic in Spokane in April. This will be her first figure competition, but she has a competitive background and a broad base to work from. I hope you enjoy getting to know this bright young lady and watching her journey to the stage!KP: Tell me a little bit about how you were influenced by fitness growing up.
LH: To me, fitness is the physical action conducted by an individual in order to attain a healthy lifestyle. Throughout my childhood there have been many experiences that shaped my thirst for fitness. I remember being in gymnastics when I was 5 yrs old and wanting to be the best. As competitive as this sounds, I think I have always aimed to hit higher limits and to push myself to be a better athlete. I was involved in multiple school sports including volleyball, track and field, dancing and gymnastics. Always being involved in sports and fitness enabled my motivation. It honed my ability to focus and apply myself in school, friendships and with my personal development. Fitness has most definitely been and is a primary function with my ideological beliefs.
KP: Where did you go to school and were you involved in organized athletics?
LH: I am currently enrolled in a business program online through Brigham Young University Idaho. Yet previously, I was on campus at BYU Provo in Utah studying Nutrition. This was a very good time for me and the role fitness played in my life. I completely changed as an individual during my time there as did my interests for fitness. I started running as a therapeutic release during my first year of college. It helped me focus and discover the joy of learning. And I'm sure you can predict what developed with my running, I started signing up for races and marathons. As always I wanted to push the limit and see myself develop after taking on that responsibility. It was during this time I first became interested in becoming a personal trainer. I attained two certifications within my second year of college and started training at a local gym.
KP: From marathon runner to power lifter, I can sense you're good at whatever you set your mind on. Where does that drive come from?
LH: Really good question. My drive comes simply from being happy with who I am and reflecting on what brings me alive. I notice the effect fitness has on my life and I would never drop it or take it for granted. My drive originates from my heart and because I trust that source I find no limits to what I can achieve.
KP: How did you become interested in figure competitions?
LH: Another thing you must know about me, the discovery of my interests/motivation is similar to a light switch. I see something and a switch turns on. I research the subject, I converse with educated professionals and try to understand why it initially turned on. This enables me to visualize myself committing to that goal. But to answer your question, I committed to doing a figure competition because I want that challenge. I want the growth that will come personally and professionally once I meet that bar. I know life comes in stages and between those stages there are growth spurts with trials and challenges. With the end result being change and growth. I am simply ready for growth and want to enable my future and succeed as much as possible in the fitness industry.
KP: What is your favorite body part to train? What are you working on most for your upcoming competition?
LH: This question makes me laugh. I love training my legs! More specifically my quadriceps. It's a large muscle group and it is always challenging to hit the full range of motion while keeping my body aligned and balanced. For the second part, I am focusing on gaining more muscle on my back and thighs. But, I find I am reflecting more on the specific mechanics of the diet plan. I have never had to cut this much body fat before in any sport or competition. I want to make sure I understand fully what my body is going through so I can benefit greatly from this experience.
KP: What have you learned about yourself so far as you've started training for competition?
LH: I love committing myself to a goal that is challenging and rewarding to my physical/psychological well-being. I have already felt the results of committing to this goal. My passion for fitness has been renewed. I take more joy in working out, and I like seeing the results of that dedication. More than anything, I have learned that if you do not strive to do what you love every day your light and vivacity for life dims.
KP: What do you think will challenge you the most through the process (training/dieting/balancing work/life/family/energy/other)?
LH: My priorities will stay the same through prep and competition, but I believe the diet will be most challenging especially towards the end. I expect I will have to do lots of meditation to find my center and renew my commitment when I am 2-3 weeks out.
KP: It's early on, but assuming you have a great contest experience, what's next for you once you check this off your list?
LH: I plan to build up some experience competing in the next 12-24 months, attaining a greater understanding of the industry and how I can grow within it. Hopefully I will be able to do more shows this year?
KP: Readers want to know, so I have to ask...what's your relationship status?
LH: I am single gentlemen.
KP: It's a pleasure to welcome you to Team Pitcher, is there anything else you'd like to share with readers?
LH: If you're interested in my story please follow me on my social networking sites:
No comments:
Post a Comment