| Tons of pictures and commentary about my trip to the 2001 Fitness America. |
Day One:
I arrive at the Boise airport three hours early on my way to "Sin-City" Las
Vegas! Feeling responsible because I arrived so early, I begin to grade
papers. However, I fall prey to temptation; cell phones are a definite sin
of today's world! Let me explain...
I've carefully packed two large, duffle-sized bags, checked into the airport
without any hassle and anxiously await departure at my gate, which is the
flight connection to Salt Lake City. While busily talking on the phone to
Madison Chase, I never bother to find out the time. Gate call! I stand with
the rest of the crowd and keep chatting. As I hand my boarding pass and
driver's license to the gentleman at the gate, I finally end my
conversation. I proceed outside with the remaining passengers, aimlessly
walking to the aircraft. I board the plane and to my dismay, low and behold,
someone is sitting in my seat! (Did I feel like Goldilocks and the Three
Bears here?) The airplane is packed and I have a backpack on, so I cannot
turn around easily. I carefully back up, hand the flight attendant my
boarding pass just in time to hear a baggage assistant yell, "She's on the
wrong flight!" Did I want to hide at this point? Of course!
My flight suit got stuck at the bottom during my routine!
To turn this embarrassing moment into a suave move and alleviate the
situation, I comment, "Oh no! You caught me. I was trying to catch an
earlier flight to have dinner with my family." The baggage assistance's
rebuttal was, "YOU CAN'T SNEAK ON PLANES!" Of course we are using a teasing
demeanor, because in reality I am a complete ditz! He takes my old boarding
pass and states I need a new one. I think to myself, "I have to face these
people again?" I was thinking of ways in which I could ease my pain, so when
I go up to the counter to get my SECOND boarding pass I comment, "Uh . .
yeah, I was the felon who just tried to sneak on the last plane." They look
at me without any shock in their eyes and just laugh! Fortunately they
didn't take me seriously. An hour later the guy from baggage announces gate
call. He also includes in his announcement, "We would also like to inform
Tiffany Ripple that this is her correct flight, if she would like to board
AT THIS TIME." Thank you very much; mortification at its finest.
Allison Ethier and Andi Martin. All three of us are teachers!
Once arriving in Vegas, my friend and fellow fitness competitor, Danielle
Wesley, picks me up at the airport and we travel to her father's home to
talk about our enthusiasm and of course to rest.
Day Two:
The next morning is a gourmet egg white breakfast and water. We visit the
grocery store for additional diet food (because I will not survive on egg
whites alone!) and check into the Flamingo hotel. While there we can spot
other fitness competitors, because they're the slender, casually dressed,
Pro-Tanned ladies heading somewhere with a determined look. I introduce
myself to Sylvia Tremblay, the Canadian Fitness Champion, and Ocean Bloom in
the spa. They are busily doing cardio. Next I meet Cindy and Sue and the
list goes on. I ask a plethora of questions since this is my first national
competition and I have no idea what to expect. I get a break down of the
day's events. Wednesday is the busy meeting day. Don't plan a lot here,
because if you're registering for the ESPN series and nationals, it will
take several hours to register and then attend the meeting. Besides, it is a
good time to meet other competitors and visit.
Backstage with some of the competitors.
Day Three:
Get up early at about 5:30 a.m. or 6:00 a.m., because preliminary
competition begins early and finishes late. Talk about intimidating! The
first sight I witness is a crowded stage with fit, beautiful women, all of
whom are hurriedly warming up. There are women in the hallways stretching,
on the stairs, scrambling in the dressing room, and each competitor searches
for room to get focused and physically prepared. Nearly one hundred girls
will compete in both their routine and bathing suits! How exhausting and
exhilarating for both judges and competitors (not to mention husbands and
boyfriends who took naps in the aisle ways).
The extravagant shoes of a fitness competition!
Later that evening is a three-hour rehearsal (or more) for the opening
number. Somewhere in between you were supposed to eat and drink. (Did I
happen to mention the Starbucks that was so conveniently located on the
route between the Flamingo and the Cashman Center? This was a helpful piece
of information). By midnight, all of us feel the same way, beat! I think a
few commented sarcastically how a few hungry, tired, and anxious fitness
competitors could be trained and sent to fight Osama bin Laden.
Day Four:
Up and early again! Keep all your competition gear in your gym bag and make
a checklist, because once again plan on scurrying quickly out of the hotel!
Friday is the ESPN series, a separate competition from nationals. There are
only fifty competitors for this series. Entry is done by sending in a video
and waiting patiently (or impatiently) for a phone call. The competition is
focused around television, made for television and must follow the
television schedule. Five girls at a time compete in a show. There is a
winner for each of the ten shows. (I have no idea how the series groups are
selected).
  
On stage next to Madison Chase who placed 10th.
At the Cashman Theatre many of the fifty competitors don't have the same
vigor and fervor as the day before. We run through a series and my group is
second to go. I am digging for energy, but my body isn't listening. I keep
telling myself the adrenaline will kick in, but it doesn't. My routine feels
hampered with flaws and I finish disappointedly. However, I decide to enjoy
the swimsuit round for a change and sing a little Bee Gees "Staying Alive"
while trying to mimic a John Travolta strut! Swimsuit definitely tests the
confidence. (However, after viewing myself, I believe I could still improve
my posture. There is always something to critique.) At the end of our series
they announce the winner. Keri Bourg, a petite and gorgeous girl for
Louisiana, wins! Keri has an extensive background in dance and teaches at a
university. We hug and congratulate her, which I find to be comfortable for
me, because I competed against her previously at a regional qualifier in New
Orleans and recognize her awesome talent!
Sleeping in my Bodybuilding.com shirt.
Losing the series however puts me in a mental state of doubt and worry. I
contemplate that I will not make the top twenty now. I am also paranoid
about standing out in the cold in front of the Flamingo Hotel and Casino to
model in a bathing suit on national television! To make matters worse, some
transient off the street with a brown bag and a bottle in a drunken stupor
whips out a disposable camera and snaps a few shots replying, "Fo sho,
momma, fo sho!" Is this memory making or what? Again I find my pillow after
midnight, all the while wishing and hoping for just one aspect, sleep!
Day Five:
The final day of competition, a day filled with hopeful anticipation. All 96
competitors meet at the Cashman Theatre for an early morning rehearsal.
Hats, swollen tired eyes, and comfortable clothes are the look as we put it
together one last time. Fortunately we have a chance to eat a relaxing meal
and take a nap before reporting back. What a relief. My nap is cut short
because I am one of the ten girls selected for the random drug test. I
arrive at 4:00 p.m. and leave again for a small dinner, only to report back
at 5:00 p.m. A casino is nearby and chicken wings and celery seem to be a
quick meal, besides by now I eat what I want to eat!
The top 20 lined up on stage. I am on the far right.
I begin to assume I just have the opening number to perform and then I am
finished, little did I know I would be one of the top twenty! (Competitors
don't know who the top twenty are until right after the opening number.)
When they called my number first, I was surprised because Keri, who beat me
in the series was number seven. I had thought that perhaps in losing the
series, I wasn't competition for the finals. Boy was I elated! Oh yes, and
panicked too because I am the first to compete! I must run upstairs,
abruptly change, and stretch again. Rebecca Lee and Danielle Wesley are
there for support and help me quickly get into my costume.
Backstage with Danielle Wesley who I roomed with. She lives in Las Vegas.
I finally catch my breath before going on stage and just enjoy the
experience. Afterwards, I feel calm and confident with my performance. I
really have no idea where I rank, because of the subjectivity. (When I was
watching preliminaries I was very impressed with the diversity and beauty of
so many contestants. It would have been a tough competition to judge). After
the show I look at the print out for results and I am anxious to go
celebrate and dance!
I thought I was 10th place. I tell friends when I arrive home that is where
I placed, little did I know I actually placed 6th out of 96 competitors which is definitely
gratifying! I am still in awe, but also motivated to make additional goals
and strive for more!
My turn during the swimsuit round.
My high school coach used to say, "Attitude is everything." and with each
and every competition I am convinced of that more and more. Competing offers
a learning experience and opportunity for personal growth. Sometimes
competitors take what others may judge and say with too much intensity and
they define themselves by those terms, rather than judging and evaluating
internally. I know sometimes I struggled with the critique and feedback I
had gotten at regional shows, but more importantly I learned. I learned
about my potential, and myself I learned about other eclectic and
goal-oriented women, I learned about exposure (which some of that was a bit
awkward at times) and I learned discipline.
 Click Here For 24 More Pictures!
Full 2001 Fitness America Results!
Even More Pics From The Show
tiffany@tiffanyrae.net
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