Birthday of the Day 07/14/09

Jillian Reville


Reville, from New York City, won the Figure overall at the 2008 Connecticut Grand Prix show will be competing at the NPC USA's next week in Vegas. Her goal is to win a Pro card and join Fitness Pro Lisa Reed as the the only bodybuilding industry pros to come out of my alma mater Radford University.

2009 Master's Nationals Women's BB Intros....

Michelle Brent
pics courtesy of Reg Bradford

In 1988, the Iran-Contra Affair was all over the news, Seoul, South Korea was hosting the Summer Olympics, and Kirk Gibson barely able to make it around the bases because of a bum knee hit one of the most dramatic World Series homeruns ever to help the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the highly favored Oakland A's. L. A. was also the setting for the bodybuilding debut of Michelle Ivers. twenty-one years later she is going by the surname of Brent and she is making her fifth consecutive appearance here in Pitt. Each of the past four years she has placed second or third in the light-heavyweight class so could a move up to the heavyweights be the answer? We will soon find out.

2009 Master's Nationals Women's BB Intros....

Lisa Boushard

St. Louis is hosting the annual Major League Baseball All-Star game this coming week but not all all stars wear jock straps, carry around Louisville sluggers, or have a last name that brings back memories of a childhood favorite like Winnie the Pooh (Albert Pujols). Boushard who runs a gym in the St. Louis area is aiming to improve on a sixth place showing here in Pittsbourgh last year. Here is an interview with Lisa that was done via the FBB Fan site back in January. http://www.fbbfan.com/profiles/blogs/january-2009-interview-of-the-1

Birthday of the Day: 07/09/09

Helle Nielsen
pic taken by Tre Scott circa 2003

Nielsen has been missing from the stage since her win at the 2003 IFBB Jan Tana but she has not shunned the industry in any fashion in fact she occassionally guest poses at shows throughout Europe. The Danish dynamite is very active on Sioux's forum as a regular contributor and has her very own column as you can see here: http://www.siouxcountry.com/forumdisplay.php?f=94 Helle also has a new personal training website that can be viewed with this link: http://www.evolutionhotel.com/

Jennifer Gutierrez launches website...

Check it out here... http://www.jennifergutierrez.net/

Birthday of the Day: 07/08/09

Stacy Wright

Wright dual roles as a RN and a fitness competitor. She was the winner of the '08 NPC Collegiate Fitness Nationals contest. Visit Stacy's site at http://www.stacywright.net/index.htm

2009 Master's Nationals Women's BB Intros....

Stacey Keller


Philly native Keller is hoping for some brotherly love from the judges as she makes her national level debut. She recently won the NPC Rochester as a warmup and is prepped by IFBB Pro George Farrah whose clientele includes IFBB Pros Peter and Jessica Putnam among others.

2009 Master's Nationals Figure Intros....

Catherine Zidell



Zidell, who retired from being a Southwest Airlines flight attendant for twenty plus years, has become one of the top figure competitors at the ripe young age of 54. The Dallas area personal trainer won her Class in the 45 + division and placed second Class F in the bigger 35 + division here in Pitt last year. To visit Cat's personal training website here is the link. http://www.nshapeonline.com/

Birthday of the Day: 07/04/09

Andrea Swanson

Chicagoan Swanson is one of the most photogenic people competitor or not that you will ever meet. In 2008, she competed in both figure and bodybuilding coming in sixth in the Class D at the Arnold Amateur plus winning her class in bb at a local Windy City area NPC show later on in the year.

Christy Donat's website....

She is preparing the USA's in three weeks. In the mean time check out her place on the web.
http://www.christydonat.com/

Birthday of the Day: 07/01/09

Monica Nakatsuka

Nakatsuka is an up and coming UCF buff and bodybuilder from Indianapolis, IN. She grew up playing volleyball among other sports and was a Criminal Justice major in college. The above pic was taken over the '09 Arnold weekend with Gene X.

2009 Master's Nationals Women's BB Intros....

Tracy Mason

pic property of Cal Isselhardt of CSI Photography

The pride of Marquette, MI, Mason is returning to defend her overall title in the 45 + division plus she will compete in the 35 + as well. The NPC is rewarding a second IFBB Pro card in this show for the first time so if she wins she will indeed be a Pro after narrowly missing out in the middleweight class last year at Nationals. Tracy who is a personal trainer by trade has an overall win at the '06 Jr. Nationals and a class win at the '07 North Americans on her resume.

Flex in the Blog...Kassandre Harper-Cotton

pic property of Weiford Watts

Cotton is an up and comer Figure competitor from the San Francisco Bay area. She is trained by Bay area trainer Billy Washington and getting ready for her third show the NPC San Jose on July 11th. Kassandre was recently featured on http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/kassandre_harper_cotton.htm has having the transformation of the week.

2009 Master's Nationals Women's BB Intros....

Catarina Wyatt



Although not new to bodybuilding having competed in local shows in the Sunshine State off and on since the early 90's, Wyatt will be making here first appearance here in Pitt. If Different Strokes actor Gary Coleman were to find out that she is 51 years young his response would no doubt be like many others 'Whatcha talkin bout Catarina." Catarina will be doing the NPC Southern States contest the week prior to Master's, you can learn a little more about her here at her BodySpace profile at: http://www.bodybuilding.com/ look for the handle 'yumyumcat'

2009 Master's Nationals Figure Intros....

Elissa Schlichter

pic borrowed from her Facebook page

Schlichter, who is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, is back to defend her overall title from last year in the 45+ division of Figure except this year she will be rewarded with a coveted IFBB Pro card if she wins. The California girl's resume includes top five class finishes at both the '07 Figure Nationals and '08 North Americans.

Photographer Spotlight: Chris Zimmerman

While namesake Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals has been perfecting the art of hitting a little round ball by the use of wooden bat Chris has been perfecting the capturing of the fit physique by the use of his single lens reflex camera. The fore mentioned Zim has had a pretty good Summer so far as evident by his 30 game hitting streak earlier this year. The latter is having a pretty good one as well here is just a few samples of his work. Chris's website is on the way so stay tuned. http://www.reflexionimagery.com/

2009 Master's Nationals Figure Intros....

MarieAnn Newman

photo courtesy of Jeff Binnis

Back in 1986 Duke University started a string of making the NCAA Basketball Championships Final Four four out of five years in Men's hoops but they always came up short the likes of Louisville and UNLV were just a little bit better. Then in the sixth year (1991) the tide turned and Duke knocked off Kansas for the coveted title. Over the past 14 months Newman has competed in six national level shows and finishing in the final four of her figure class in five of those shows. Will the tide turn for the Greenville, SC, resident like it did in '01 for the Dookies? We will will see in two in a half weeks. In the meantime check out MarieAnn's website: http://www.marieannnewman.com/

2009 Master's Nationals Women's BB Intros....

Kris Clark

From Central Florida, Clark reemerged on the national level scene last year competing at the NPC Nationals after a eleven year hiatus between her last Nats appearance. This is her first crack at the show here in Pitt where in all likelihood she will be reunited with Michelle Brent in the same class just like back at the '97 Nats. There may even be a third competitor from that famed show competing as well but I will save that for another day. Back in February Kris launched her own website so please check it out at http://www.clarkflex.com/

2009 Master's Nationals Figure Intros....

Kathryn Stewart



Stewart, from Indianapolis, IN, wears enough hats to make Michelle Obama aww in admiration. Along with being a mom, trainer, competitor; she runs her own clothing line called Fisico Moda. She took last year off to start up her business and to improve her physique after not placing here in Pitt back in 2007. If you in the market for Brazilian jeans among other apparel items please check out Kate's website at http://www.fisicomoda.com/

2009 Master's Nationals Women's BB Intros....

Kate Baird

pics borrowed from her Facebook page.

Baird. an accomplished powerlifter, is gunning to improve on her seventh place heavyweight finish in this contest back in 2007. The Delaware native is also a Realtor and you can learn more about her at http://www.katebaird.com/

2009 Master's Nationals Women's BB Intros....

Amy Sibcy
pic was taken myself 11/22/08
A Real Estate investor from Ohio, Sibcy is making her third trip to Pittsburgh to compete in this show. Her last outing in 2007 she placed second in the middleweight class. Amy has a website you can check out and learn more about her at http://www.amysibcy.com/

Birthday of the Day 06/27/09

Beverly DiRenzo
pic borrowed from Bev's Facebook page.

DiRenzo runs a gymnastics and fitness training center in Cape Coral, FL. Back in May she placed 11th among the women bodybuilders in the IFBB New York Pro show. Within the last week Beverly went sky diving, check out her site at http://www.beverlydirenzo.net

2009 Master's Nationals Figure Intros....

Alexandra Johnston

pics taken by Walt Ostarly

It is true that Vero Beach, FL may not have their beloved Los Angeles Dodgers to cheer for in the Spring time any longer but they still have their Figure competitors and Johnston is one of them. The former NPC All South Figure Masters winner is coming off a strong showing at last year's Nationals placing seventh in her Class E.

Birthday of the Day 06/26/09

Kim Ferrell
pic courtesy of WPW
Ferrell, who resides in Indianapolis, IN, finished second among the middleweights in last year's North American show. She is prepping for NPC Nationals in November and will be one of the favorites in the ever so tough MW class.

2009 NPC Junior Nationals competitor intros...Andrea Giacomi

Giacomi is a graphics designer from the New York City area making her national level debut in bodybuilding. She recently won the heavyweight class at the NPC Atlantic States contest.

Flex in the Blog...Cheryl Rosenberger

Perhaps following the likes of Beni Lopez and Diana Stanback, Rosenberger earlier this month won the women's heavyweight bodybuilding class at the ABBA Northern Alberta Championships after competing as a figure competitor at this same time last year. She is trained by fellow Canadian IFBB Fitness Pro Jamie Senuk. Here are two shots of Cheryl from her June 6th show.