2007 IFBB Atlantic City Women's Pro Preview

Atlantic City, NJ: Apologies to entertainers Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony who must settle for a later September date to kickoff their United States tour because the head honcho Mr. Donald Trump really meant to say that women's bodybuilding must come first and foremost. Trump's Taj Mahal will welcome the entertainers later in the month but on the weekend of the 14-15th some of the IFBB's best women bb's will be grazing the stage. The Women's finals will be on Saturday night the 15th and the storyline will be can Maryland's very own Lisa Aukland repeat her 2006 performance and take the title or will a surprise contender emerge from the field of 30 superlative female physiques. Unlike the '06 version of the show there will be two weight classes (lightweight/heavyweight) and as of this writing it is projected that 16 will be HW's and 14 will be LW's. Here is your line up starting with the lights.


Lightweights


Nicole Ball

Fast Fact: Ball grew up in Viking, Alberta, which had a population of about 500 people and is now living in a much bigger city where she is a Chief Human Resource Officer for an oilfield company.
Career Highlights- 2003 Canadian Championships - CBBF, MiddleWeight, 1st
2004- Canadian Championships - CBBF, MiddleWeight, 1st
2006- Canadian Championships - CBBF, MiddleWeight, 1st, overall winner


Debbie Bramwell

Fast Fact: Bramwell is a Jersey girl before moving out West as an adult and is coming off a 2nd place finish in her very first show as a Pro which was the Europa.
Career Highlights- 1997 Los Angeles Championships - NPC, MiddleWeight, 1st
2003 USA Championships - NPC, MiddleWeight, 4th
2004 USA Championships - NPC, Light-HeavyWeight, 3rd
2005 North American Championships - IFBB, Light-HeavyWeight, 6th
2006 Masters Nationals - NPC, Light-HeavyWeight, 1st
North American Championships - IFBB, Light-HeavyWeight, 3rd
2007 Masters Nationals - NPC, Light-HeavyWeight, 1st, overall winner
Europa Supershow - IFBB, LightWeight, 2nd


Giusy Caputo

Fast Fact: Caputo, who resides in Sicily, is a former Italy national women's bb champion.
Career Highlights- 2005 New York Pro Championships - IFBB, LightWeight, 5th
2007 Europa Supershow - IFBB, LightWeight, 7th


Angela Debatin

Fast Fact: Debatin, who was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, now resides in Central Florida where she is an avid hunter and participates in sporting clays competitions.
Career Highlights- 1998 World Amateur Championships - IFBB, MiddleWeight, 13th
1999 World Pro Championships - IFBB, 9th
2000 Ms International - IFBB, LightWeight, 7th
2001 Ms International - IFBB, LightWeight, 3rd
Olympia - IFBB, LightWeight, 9th
2002 Ms International - IFBB, LightWeight, 5th
Olympia - IFBB, LightWeight, 5th
Southwest USA Pro Cup - IFBB, MiddleWeight, 1st
2003 Jan Tana Pro Classic - IFBB, LightWeight, 1st
Olympia - IFBB, LightWeight, 5th
2004 Ms International - IFBB, LightWeight, 5th
2005 Europa Supershow - IFBB, LightWeight, 4th
2006 Atlantic City Pro - IFBB, 10th
Europa Supershow - IFBB, 10th
2007 Europa Supershow - IFBB, LightWeight, 5th


Melanie DeRosa

Fast Fact: In 2005, DeRosa became Bermuda's very first women's Pro bodybuilder, she is in her early 40's and is a part gym owner in her native country.
Career Highlights- 2005 Central America and Caribbean Championships- IFBB, Middleweight, 1st, overall winner


Mary Ellen Jerumbo

Fast Fact: Jerumbo, a veteran of 35 Pro shows, competed in the ignaugaral Ms. International in 1986 and the first ever Jan Tana Pro show in in '91.
Career Highlights- 1983 USA Championships - NPC, MiddleWeight, 3rd
1985 Nationals - NPC, MiddleWeight, 1st
1986 USA Championships - NPC, MiddleWeight, 3rd
1990 Olympia - IFBB, 18th
1991 Jan Tana Pro Classic - IFBB, 13th
2000 Jan Tana Pro Classic - IFBB, LightWeight, 6th
2001 Pro Extravaganza - IFBB, LightWeight, 2nd
2003 Jan Tana Pro Classic - IFBB, LightWeight, 5th
2006 Atlantic City Pro - IFBB, Did not place
2007 Europa Supershow - IFBB, LightWeight, 10th


Debi Laszewski

Fast Fact: Wisconsin native Laszewski, who now resides in West Palm Beach, FL went three for three in winning local shows in her native State between the years of '94-'96.
Career Highlights- 1996 Nationals - NPC, MiddleWeight, 7th
1998 USA Championships - NPC, HeavyWeight, 3rd
2000 USA Championships - NPC, HeavyWeight, 7th
2005 Nationals - NPC, Light-HeavyWeight, 2nd
2006 Nationals - NPC, Light-HeavyWeight, 1st
2007 Europa Supershow - IFBB, LightWeight, 3rd


Emery Miller

Fast Fact: Once tipping the scales at 188 lbs and 38% body fat, along with her husband Patrick Miller has overcome compulsive eating habits to became a fitness model, firefighter, and emergency medical technician in the San Diego area.
Career Highlights- 2002 Border States Classic - NPC, LightWeight, 1st, overall winner
2003 California Championships - NPC, MiddleWeight, 1st
USA Championships - NPC, LightWeight, 1st
2004 Nationals - NPC, MiddleWeight, 1st
2006 Atlantic City Pro - IFBB, 11th
2007 Europa Supershow - IFBB, LightWeight, 9th

Nadia Nardi

Fast Fact: Nadia, born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is working on finishing a pre-med degree with a double major in microbiology and biochemistry.
Career Highlights- 2003 Canadian Championships - CBBF, MiddleWeight, 9th
2004 Canadian Championships - CBBF, MiddleWeight, 2nd
2006 Canadian Championships - CBBF, MiddleWeight, 4th
2007 Canadian Championships - CBBF, MiddleWeight, 1st, overall winner


Claudia Partenza

Fast Fact: In 2006, Partenza became the first athlete to win the overall title at both the European Amateur and World Amateur championships in the same year.
Career Highlights- 2004 European Amateur Championships - IFBB, LightWeight, 3rd
2006 European Amateur Championships - IFBB, LightWeight, 1st, overall winner
World Amateur Championships - IFBB, LightWeight, 1st, overall winner
2007 Europa Supershow - IFBB, LightWeight, 6th


Brenda Raganot

Fast Fact: Raganot has competed in 18 NPC National level and IFBB Pro shows, she has placed 3rd or higher in her class in 12 of those shows.
Career Highlights- 1994 North American Championships - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 1st
1998 Nationals - NPC, MiddleWeight, 1st, overall winner
1999 Pro Extravaganza - IFBB, 2nd
Olympia - IFBB, 9th
2000 Ms International - IFBB, LightWeight, 1st
Olympia - IFBB, LightWeight, 2nd
2001 Olympia - IFBB, LightWeight, 4th
2003 Ms International - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 3rd
2005 Ms International - IFBB, LightWeight, 1st
Olympia - IFBB, Physique, 5th
2007 Sacramento Pro Championships - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 3rd


Carla Salotti

Fast Fact: Salotti, also known as the Mighty Lightweight, lives in Springfield, MA, where she works with troubled teens.
Career Highlights- 2000 Team Universe Championships - NPC, LightWeight, 3rd
2001 Team Universe Championships - NPC, LightWeight, 1st
2004 Masters Nationals - NPC, LightWeight, 1st, overall winner
North American Championships - IFBB, LightWeight, 1st
2005 Nationals - NPC, LightWeight, 1st
2006 Atlantic City Pro - IFBB, 15th
2007 Sacramento Pro Championships - IFBB, LightWeight, 6th


Joanna Thomas

Fast Fact: At age 21, Thomas became the youngest BB to win the British Championships and had a sister named Nicole who won the title a few years earlier.
Career Highlights- 2001 Jan Tana Pro Classic - IFBB, LightWeight, 1st
Olympia - IFBB, LightWeight, 10th
2003 Jan Tana Pro Classic - IFBB, LightWeight, 2nd
2004 Olympia - IFBB, LightWeight, 7th


Irina Vesalova

Fast Fact: With both parents being accomplished athletes, father a boxer and motherr a gymnast, the St. Petersburg, Russia, native Vesalova is making her Peo debut in women's bb.
Career Highlights- Former winner of the Russiona National BB championships and is making her US Pro debut.


Heavyweights


Irene Andersen

Fast Fact: Andersen hails from Sweden where she is a former gymnast and a mother of three.
Career Highlights- 2006 Atlantic City Pro - IFBB, Did not place
2007 Jan Tana Pro Classic - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 4th
Sacramento Pro Championships - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 7th


Lisa Aukland

Fast Fact: Auckland, who holds a Doctorate degree in Pharmacy from the University of Maryland, won the IFBB Most Imporved Athlete award in 2006.
Career Highlights- 1999 Team Universe Championships - NPC, HeavyWeight, 1st, overall winner
World Amateur Championships - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 2nd
2000 Team Universe Championships - NPC, HeavyWeight, 1st, overall winner
2001 Team Universe Championships - NPC, HeavyWeight, 1st, overall winner
North American Championships - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 1st
2002 Ms International - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 6th
2004 Olympia - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 6th
2005 Ms International - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 4th
2006 Atlantic City Pro - IFBB, Winner
Ms International - IFBB, 8th
Olympia - IFBB, Physique, 5th
2007 Ms International - IFBB, 4th


Mercedes Bazemore

Fast Fact: Bazemore, from Virginia Beach, VA, won her Pro card at the 2003 Team Universe contest her fourth consecutive year competing in that show.
Career Highlights- 1999 US Armed Forces Championships - NPC, HeavyWeight, 1st
2000 Team Universe Championships - NPC, HeavyWeight, 2nd
2001 Team Universe Championships - NPC, HeavyWeight, 2nd
2002 Team Universe Championships - NPC, HeavyWeight, 4th
2003 Team Universe Championships - NPC, HeavyWeight, 1st, overall winner
2006 Atlantic City Pro - IFBB, Did not place


Helen Bouchard

Fast Fact: Born in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Bouchard spent 16 years in the Canadian Militry as a Nursing Officer and serving in such war torn places as Bosnia and Rwanda, Africa.
Career Highlights- 1999 Canadian Championships - CBBF, HeavyWeight, 4th
2001 Canadian Championships - CBBF, HeavyWeight, 2nd
2003 Canadian Championships - CBBF, HeavyWeight, 1st, overall winner
2006 Atlantic City Pro - IFBB, 2nd
Olympia - IFBB, Physique, 8th
2007 Sacramento Pro Championships - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 5th


Maria Calo

Fast Fact: Calo was the first bb'er from Argentina to turn Pro, she holds a Masters degree in sports physiology.
Career Highlights- 1996 Jan Tana Pro Classic - IFBB, 16th
2000 Jan Tana Pro Classic - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 9th
2003 Jan Tana Pro Classic - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 3rd
2005 New York Pro Championships - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 3rd
2006 Atlantic City Pro - IFBB, 12th
2007 Europa Supershow - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 8th


Carmella Cureton

Fast Fact: Cureton is an Atlnata, GA, resident who holds a black belt in the martial arts discipline of Shotokan Karate.
Career Highlights- 1994 Nationals - NPC, MiddleWeight, 1st
1996 Jan Tana Pro Classic - IFBB, 5th
2005 New York Pro Championships - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 6th


Heather Foster

Fast Fact: Foster who grew up in NYC was born in Kingsport, Jamaica, and was a basketball and track star at the City College of New York where she obtained a Physical Therapist degree.
Career Highlights- 1995 USA Championships - NPC, MiddleWeight, 4th
1996 USA Championships - NPC, HeavyWeight, 1st
2000 Nationals - NPC, HeavyWeight, 1st, overall winner
2001 Pro Extravaganza - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 1st
Olympia - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 7th
2003 Ms International - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 5th
2006 Europa Supershow - IFBB, Winner
Olympia - IFBB, Physique, 12th
2007 Sacramento Pro Championships - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 6th


Aurelia Grazajova

Fast Fact: Grozajova is a three time Slovak Republic bb champion.
Career Highlights- 2001 European Amateur Championships - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 3rd
2003 World Amateur Championships - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 2nd
2004 European Amateur Championships - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 1st
2005 World Games - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 2nd
2006 Atlantic City Pro - IFBB, Did not place
2007 Europa Supershow - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 10th
Sacramento Pro Championships - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 8th


Marika Johansson

Fast Fact: Before making the move to California, Johansson lived in Helsingborg, Sweden, and was active in Equesrian events before turning to weightlifting.
Career Highlights- 2000 Jan Tana Amateur - NPC, HeavyWeight, 1st
2005 Europa Supershow - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 4th
2006 Atlantic City Pro - IFBB, Did not place
Europa Supershow - IFBB, 14th
2007 Europa Supershow - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 5th


Klaudia Larson

Fast Fact: Larson, who grew up near Stockholm, Sweden, can boast that she was the 1999 Nordic BB champions along with being the 2001 Sweden champ.
Career Highlights- 2006 Atlantic City Pro - IFBB, 13th
Europa Supershow - IFBB, 16th



Wendy MCready

Fast Fact: McCready was very active in sports growing up in Sunderland, England, among her favorites were karate and soccer.
Career Highlights- 2004 British Championships - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 1st, overall winner
2005 Europa Supershow - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 9th


Lora Ottenad

Fast Fact: Ottenad, a Seattle based trainer, placed an impressive 11th in her Pro debut at the Ms. International earlier this year.
Career Highlights- 1997 Emerald Cup - NPC, HeavyWeight, 1st
2000 Nationals - NPC, HeavyWeight, 2nd
USA Championships - NPC, HeavyWeight, 1st
2003 Nationals - NPC, HeavyWeight, 3rd
2004 Nationals - NPC, HeavyWeight, 2nd
2005 Nationals - NPC, HeavyWeight, 5th
2006 Nationals - NPC, HeavyWeight, 1st, overall winner
North American Championships - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 2nd
2007 Ms International - IFBB, 11th


Nicole Pfuetzenreuter

Fast Fact: Pfuentzenreuter hails from Bochum, Germany and list Rocky as being her favorite movie.
Career Highlights- 2004 German Championships - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 1st
2005 World Amateur Championships - IFBB, Masters, 3rd
2006 Atlantic City Pro - IFBB, Did not place


Beth Roberts

Fast Fact: Born in Shanksville, PA which is known for the wrong reasons as it was where Flight 93 crashed back on that certain day in 2001, Roberts graduated from Lock Haven University and is currently a physical therapy assistant.
Current Highlights-
2000 Junior USA - NPC, HeavyWeight, 1st
Nationals - NPC, MiddleWeight, 4th
2001 Nationals - NPC, HeavyWeight, 1st
2002 Jan Tana Pro Classic - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 1st
Olympia - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 8th
2003 Jan Tana Pro Classic - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 2nd
2007 Europa Supershow - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 3rd



Jana Linke-Sippl

Fast Fact: The Graz, Austria, resident, Sippl was a compeitive speed roller skater while growing up in East Germany.
Career Highlights- 2003 German Championships - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 2nd
World Championships - NAC, Winner
2005 World Amateur Championships - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 5th
2006 Atlantic City Pro - IFBB, Did not place
2007 Europa Supershow - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 9th
Jan Tana Pro Classic - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 5th


Betty Viana

Fast Fact: Viana hails from Caracas, Venezuela, and is a computer analyst/business adminstrator by profession.
Career Highlights- 2002 Southwest USA Pro Cup - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 1st, overall winner
Olympia - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 7th
2003 Night of Champions - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 1st
Olympia - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 4th
2004 Ms International - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 7th
Olympia - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 5th
2005 Ms International - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 2nd
Olympia - IFBB, Physique, 7th


Editor's note: Although she is not listed on the official competitors list there are rumors that reigning Ms. Olympia Iris Kyle will also be doing this show.

photo credits: Roland Balik, Bill Comstock, Bill Dobbins, George Legeros, JC Lopez, Rick Oliver, Lori Smith