Maria and I

 

Here we are in our beautiful matching suits! It's OK that they are the same fabric and rhinestone pattern because we are different height classes, so we will not stand next to each other on stage. We have the same suit maker and she does a great job.

Maria and I met in May of this year. I was on the stair stepper about two weeks prior to a competition and one of the trainers came up to me and asked if I could help train a gal who was going to enter her first competition in July.

I explained to him that I was only two weeks out from my own and just didn't have time to spend on anyone other than myself at the present time, I was trying to fit in my two a day sessions and hold down a full time job and take care of my family. He said maybe I could just give her some pointers, mentor her, after all "you look fantastic and can really help her"...well of course that did the trick. I gave him my card and told him to give it to her and have her contact me.

Maria emailed me about a week later. We agreed to meet and I would give her some NPC magazines to look at to see what the judges wanted, and we could do some practice posing.

We became fast friends after that. What's so interesting is our age difference, we are 28 years apart! I am 49 and Maria is 21, but we have a common interest, a passion that we share and that is what creates the bond that holds us together.

Over the last few months we have met for posing, a bit of lifting, diet talk, suit adjustments, make up comparisons, and she invited me to her University graduation party where I met all of her family and friends.

Having someone to plan and hang out with at a competition makes it all so much more fun. I feel that I have helped her quite a bit with my knowledge of what to expect and how things work, I have been in several so it is all very familiar to me. I introduced her to lots of other competitors and made sure she was calm and collected the whole time.

Maria has helped me too, I was ready to quit, tired of the politics, the preparation, the waiting, the drama, the disappointment and she gave me something to look forward to and I saw it all through new lenses. Maria gave me a new sense of purpose and enthusiasm. I had more fun at this competition than any of the others, and it was because of Maria.

We had a great time together, and are planning to enter the San Francisco show in October. The break will give us time to gain some weight, add some lean muscle mass, relax and recharge.

I am very proud of her accomplishments, Maria has worked harder than most people you will ever meet in your life. On January 1, 2010 she was 165 pounds, and with a strict diet, dedication to cardio and weightlifting, she has become a stunningly beautiful and successful figure competitor.

We discuss "clean eating" and drool over goofy things like peanut butter, jelly, honey and quinoa. We are getting together soon so I can give her some clean eating cooking lessons before she heads off to medical school in August, I will sure miss her.

Maria entered the MaxMuscle 2010 Transformation and is now one of the top 20 finalists out of over 7,000 entries! You can see her gallery of her personal transformation.

Here is a short movie of our day, turn up your speakers and experience the fun!

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