The Official Blog of Team Emerge

Belated show update

2011-10-05T08:39:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the delay in posting recent Team Emerge results, I have so many things on the go right now it slipped my mind! Anyway, lets go back a few weeks to the 17th of September when new Team Emerge member Ania competed for the first time. She competed in the Fitness STAR Model Search World Championships in both the Athletic Fitness Model category and the Bikini category.

As many of you know I am the Head Judge for Fitness STAR International but I do not actually score competitors competing, I write comments down so when competitors ask for feed back I have it. Therefor there is no conflict of interest if I have a competitor competing in the show. Anyway, back to Ania... I told Ania that she looked great the week of the show and knew she would do very well in the Athletic Fitness Model round, the Bikini class in Fitness STAR is a smaller softer look than in other organizations and I felt Ania was too lean and muscular for that category but let her enter for more stage time.

It was clear when Ania's fitness model class came on stage that she was the standout, she looked great (despite a less than perfect spray tan). I decided to have her compete without doing a prep, no depletion what so ever, she walked on stage like it was a normal day. Her stage presence was very good for her first time (we have a few things to work on) and she showed herself very well.

When she came on stage for the Bikini category I knew she was too conditioned and muscular but she still represented on stage bringing a Bikini body more suited for the OPA stage.

When the awards were presented Ania came in 1st in the Athletic Fitness Model category and won best female abs too. She didn’t place in the Bikini category but we knew that wouldn’t be the case going in. All in all a great day and first show for Ania, already the photographers have been setting up photo shoot dates with her. Ania has more shows coming up this fall, stay tuned!

On September 24th Team Emerge members Pam and Simone both competed in the 2011 Natural Ontario Championships. I wasn’t able to attend this show so all I can mention is their placings but before I do I would like to mention Pam's dilemma pre show. Pam and I met up a week before the show, she wasn’t planning on doing the show and had not been dieting for a competition but thought maybe she would try it to place top 5 and qualify for the National Naturals in the spring.

Pam came to see me too access how she looked, she was not even close to her best but I told her to follow our depletion prep for a week and come see me the day before the show and we would decide at that point if it was worth stepping on stage. I do not like putting clients on stage if they are not at their best or damn near. When I saw her the day before the show she had improved but not where I would have liked her to be, we were sitting on the fence about having her compete but decided why not, it was worth the chance.

Pam competed in Figure short class and masters. Pam came in 1st in the short class and 4th in masters qualifying for the Nationals in the spring, mission accomplished!!

Simone was competing in Bikini and since she was the main athlete featured in the poster for this show she had to represent big time. Simone not only won her height class but also the overall again! Needless to say both girls represented very well and I cant wait to see what happens in the spring!!

D
(Pictures to follow)

Announcing a new Team Emerge member

2011-08-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce new Team Emerge member Shannon Lynch! Shannon is another top level addition to the team, she is a National Level Bikini Competitor, former WBFF Pro and a sought after fitness model. Shannon has joined to team (like others) to follow a better and healthier approach to getting contest or photo shoot ready.

Shannon flew from Halifax to Toronto to meet me in Oakville to train and get her nutrition on line. This type of dedication excites me about our future working together. I am looking forward to seeing her new Team Emerge body in the near future. Expect even bigger things from Shannon in late 2011 and beyond!

Welcome aboard Shannon!

D

The 2011 CBBF National Figure & Bikini Championships

2011-07-24T09:03:00.001-07:00

This weekend was the 2011 CBBF National Figure & Bikini Championships in Saskatoon. Team Emerge members Simone (bikini) and Emily (figure) were there representing the team. Emily was looking to defend her national title from last year and to compete for an IFBB Pro card in Figure. Simone was there for the first time looking to win her class and compete for an IFBB Pro card in Bikini.

I spoke with both of them prior to the competition and there were both feeling pumped and ready to compete. Emily looked better than she did last year with significant improvements to an already very complete physique. Simone was bringing the same package that she brought a couple weeks ago to the OPA Henderson Thorne Natural Classic where she won the overall. On the morning of the show both girls expressed that they were physically and mentally ready for the stage.

During prejudging both girls were in the first call out for their classes and very confident about how they did. Simone and Emily both felt they had a very good chance of winning their class (although you never know what can happen) and were very eager to get back on stage to find out how they did.

I wasn't able to attend the show in person so I was anxiously waiting for updates once the evening show started. I got a phone call from Simone as soon as she stepped off stage, “I won my class! Gotta get back on stage for the overall!” A short and sweet phone call that left me happy for her that she won her first National title but nervous now that she was competing for the overall and a pro card. I didnt have to wait long for the second phone call, “I didnt win the overall” is what I heard and I was disappointed for Simone. She however was very upbeat about the experience and was already focused on competing at the North American Championships in Cleveland. “That's originally where you said you wanted me to win my pro card remember?” She was right, from the start everything we have done with her look was based on what the US judges are looking for.

After talking to Simone she went back to the competition to watch Emily's class and report back to me. Shortly after a text came through from Simone informing me that Emily came in 2nd place. In most circles 2nd place at a National show would be received with cheers as its a great achievement but I knew that wasn't going to be the case for Emily. Going into a competition that you won the year before and bringing an even better physique you expect to repeat. We expected Emily to come first and take the overall this year(like she should have last year) not to come in 2nd place.

My phone rang again and it was Emily on the other end. Without getting into the nitty gritty details I can say that Emily was quite upset by her placing. She has come in 2nd place at competitions in the past and been proud of the placing but this was not one of those times. Emily is the most laid back competitor that I have ever worked with and has always rolled with the punches but this show was different. After talking for a while she was slowly getting back to the Emily I enjoy working with.

I want Emily to refocus on joining Simone at the North Americans where she has done very well in the past. She is going to take some time to think about the next step before confirming one way or another which I totally agree with.

So, all in all it was technically a great show for Team Emerge, two competitors entered the competition and we came back with a 2nd place and a 1st place National Title. Honestly I thought we would be coming back with trophies but also two pro cards. Simone and Emily both looked amazing and represented for the team very well. I am proud to be associated with two top notch competitors and people. Great job ladies!

D

Henderson Thorne Natural Classic 2011

2011-07-12T13:11:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the OPA Henderson Thorne Natural Classic 2011, and the only Team Emerge competitor competing was bikini competitor Simone. Like mentioned in a previous blog entry one of Simone's goals was to compete completely natural, walking on stage as healthy as could be. Competing in a “Natural” tested show was the best way to showcase this desire and achieve this goal.

Last show we tried a different look for Simone with bangs, we weren’t happy with the way that style looked on stage and decided to go with a more “natural” look. We also changed up the suit, as a matter of fact Karen from KHP literally made the suit last minute that day! When Simone put on her suit and entered the back stage area Karen commented on how amazing her body looked compared to last year. I had to agree, she looked tight but full and she looked healthy. She had a lean face but full not sunken, her arms and legs were shapely and tone without being ripped, and her torso was lean and tight without showing too much abdominal definition. In other words, she looked just like the standard!

When Simone's class walked on stage Simone (as usual) stood out because of her wow factor. Her walk, the way she strikes a pose and her transitions were all professional grade. We had spoke about a slightly different stage presence than last show and she pulled it off perfectly. I knew that Simone would take this class and it was going to be a matter of facing the other winners in the other classes.

After Simone came off stage her husband and I met up with her to tell her how great she looked and performed. At that point we had approximately 5 hours until the evening show so we went our separate ways, I lived 20 minutes away and went home. Unfortunately I ended up with a killer headache and called Simone to inform her, she let me know that she was ready for the evening show with or without me :( kidding. I told her what I thought she needed to do on stage to stand out from who I thought would be the winners of the other classes when she made it to the overall (which I was confident she would be competing in) and asked her to keep me posted.

A few hours later Simone informed me that she won her class and then the overall!! I was soooo happy for her as was she, that night we proved to many that you can follow a natural healthy approach and not only be competitive but be the best!

Congrats Simone! Next step Nationals, look out Canadian Bikini Competitors!

D

OPA Provincial Championships

2011-06-19T16:11:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the 2011 OPA Provincial Championships and for Team Emerge and it twas the debut of the NEW Simone Sinclaire as a Team Emerge member.

The goal with Simone was to get her on stage 100% natural, to step on stage with only training and diet not with any other aids. Mission accomplished, she stepped on stage eating like a normal day, no special prep and no supplements just like I did with Justine Munro and Silvana Simoni before their IFBB pro wins. Simone felt the best she ever felt the day of a show and if you ask me, looked the best. Her body was lean and at her muscles and face were full. With any bikini competition the judging can be subjective and Simone came out with a 2nd place trophy at the end of the day. Saying that we spoke to one of the OPA judges that stated that he and others had her in first place and he was shocked to find she came in second. This show was the biggest OPA show in history and the judges were given very little time to judge each class so mistakes might have been made. Not that it matters as at the end of the day as this show was just a stepping stone to the actual goal, the Nationals or North American Championships.

I'm not the type of trainer to say my client got robbed but in this case it was pretty clear that she stood out from the others. Saying that its not me judging, it's other people. We will go with the fact that she came in top 3 which means she qualifies for the Nationals and the North Americans, which is the way I have designed her look and what I was shooting for anyway. All in all I am happy that she moves on to bigger and better things and that the main goal was accomplished.

Regardless of the second place, I'm very happy with the way Simone represented on stage and I see BIG things for her in the immediate future! She looked the most polished of any other competitor on stage and brought an IFBB pro presentation. I, as well as several OPA judges, cant wait to see what she does at Nationals and/or The North Americans.

Rose Rayfield who recently came back to Team Emerge (realizing that she looked the best with Team Emerge) also competed in the Oxygen Fitness Model search competition. This competition was held at the Toronto Pro Show Fitness Expo at the same time as the provincial championships. At 42 she looked amazing, at any age she looks amazing, she didn’t win yet she looked awesome against tough competition which is all we can hope for.

Rose and Simone represented very well for the Team Emerge brand, as always I am very happy how my team did and hope that this inspires others to compete without resorting to extreme measures.

Team Emerge rocks!

Thanks to Willie Lam for supplying the photos

D

Introducing New Team Emerge Member

2011-03-28T10:37:00.000-07:00

I would like to welcome bikini competitor, fitness/glamour model and TV personality Simone Sinclaire to Team Emerge. She has come to Emerge to get away from they typical deprivation diets and over training approach that usually leads competitors to weight rebounds after competitions. With the Emerge approach I ensure clients like Simone easily maintain a photo shoot body composition year round in a natural healthy way.

With Simone’s existing base and the Emerge approach I am very excited about what the future holds for Simone, I know we will be seeing a lot of her. I can’t wait to see the new and improved Simone on stage, what stage and when? Stay tuned.

D

2011 IFBB Arnold Amateur

2011-03-06T11:30:00.000-08:00

This week Team Emerge member Emily came from London to the Emerge Oakville studio to work on her presentation before hitting the stage at the2011 IFBB Arnold Amateur. Usually I can find something to critique about the way one on my competitors walk or pose but as much as I tried Emily was flawless. Its crazy how polished and professional she presents now compared to a year ago. Of course Emily has her training and nutrition down and looked great considering she was water and sodium loading!

We talked about the level of competition she would be facing against 27 of the top figure competitors in her class on the planet. Emily was shooting for a top 5 placing against this calibre of competition. I told her (not that I had to) that she is one of the best and would be bringing home hardware not just place top 5. Unfortunately I couldn’t attend the show so Emily assured me she would let me know how the prejudging went as soon as she got of stage.
Thursday evening 10:22pm Emily informs me that she made the first call out of 8 and that her placing was looking very positive. I was pumped and so was she, at that point it was just a waiting game until Saturday morning. Saturday morning came with a 3rd place trophy! Great start to what I expect to be a great year for Emily on stage.

Congratulations Emily and enjoy your well earned Caribbean vacation (jealous)!

Nov 6th 2010 FItness STAR and IDFA

2010-11-09T07:05:00.000-08:00

November 6th 2010 was a busy day for Team Emerge. That day marked my debut as the new Head Judge for Fitness STAR where we had two competitors competing for the first time ever and we also had one of the original Team Emerge members Cindy competing at the IDFA show.

Lets cover Fitness STAR first. We had Tanya and Dave competing in Athletic Fitness Model categories, female and male. Both had never stepped on stage before but wanted to give it a try. I am not one to throw people on stage just because so I told them day one if they didn’t look the part the week of the show they will not be stepping on stage. Luckily they did look the part.

Tanya came out in the first swimwear category and when she walked on stage in her bikini I was pleasantly surprised at how good she looked! The body looked great but the stage presence could have used a little more tweaking, we knew that was going to be the main issue going in. She stood out as one of the girls to beat on stage despite the less than perfect stage presence (very few people feel comfortable on stage first time out). Saying that she was in a class of 14 and there was some tough competition in that class.

When Dave came out in his swimwear category he looked pretty comfortable, sure the stage presence could have been a bit more polished but it wasn’t bad at all. Dave was competing against some guys that won the genetic lottery to say the least. At the end of the day Dave definitely looked the part and belonged up there with the best of them.

During the break I filled both Dave and Tanya in on what they needed to do for the next round and that all centered around improving stage presence. Being head judge I didn’t want to seem like I was favoring my clients (which I wasn’t, I was giving them the same info I would have regardless of my position that day), so I also spoke to many other competitors on how to improve their game for the next round.

One thing I would like to mention, I have never been at a fitness event before with the positive vibe I felt backstage at the Fitness STAR event. Seeing competitors helping one another regardless of what team they are from or who they are competing against was amazing. Fitness STAR is so different from any other competition I have been too and I am very proud to be part of it going forward.

Anyway, back to the action. In the sportswear round Tanya came out and showed an improvement in her stage presence. Dave came out in the same fashion, he looked very comfortable in this round and the crowd responded.

All in all both Tanya and Dave did very well, at this point I am not 100% sure of placing as I was so busy with other responsibilities I didn’t have time to check but I believe they both just missed placing and came in 4th. Either way, great first time out against great competition.

Meanwhile over at the IDFA Cindy was representing Team Emerge solo. From what I have seen in pics Cindy looked amazing. I told her leading up to the competition that she was going to bring the best package to the stage she has to date. Sure enough she did, everything fell into place and she looked the best ever.

Cindy ended up winning her class in the Masters division and ended up winning the overall for Masters. Then she won her class in the open division and ended up winning the overall in the open to become the new IDFA Figure Pro!!! Cindy has had some undeserved 2nd placings over the years and its nice to finally see her achieve a pro card in an organization which is all she ever aspired to do. My only regret is not being able to be there to celebrate with her and her husband Glen.

It looks like it was another good competition weekend for Team Emerge, another pro card win and two new competitors on stage. My debut as the Fitness STAR head judge was a success and I learned a lot about what I will be required to do for future shows and that has made me realize what I can add to those duties to make future Fitness STAR events even more fun for competitors and the audience alike.

D

2010 IFBB North American Bodybuilding, Figure, Fitness and Bikini Championships Results

2010-09-07T09:20:00.001-07:00

This was the first year in a while that I didnt make it down to the North American Championships in Cleveland. I usually enjoy this trip due to the great restaurants in the area, oh and the show is pretty good too;) With wedding planning at the early yet important stages I had to stay home to visit halls etc.

Anyway, Team Emerge's Emily made her way down to Cleveland this weekend to compete against the best competitors in the continent. After hearing from her after the morning show we knew she was in the first call out therefore the top 5 competitors in her category. She felt she looked right and her stage presence was right on.

At the end of the Evening show she contacted me to inform me that she had come in 2nd place! Great work Emily!! Last year 9th and this year 2nd is a huge improvement. I feel 2011 is going to be Emily's year, this was just a taste.

Congrats again Emily on a hell of a season!

D

2010 IFBB North American Bodybuilding, Figure, Fitness and Bikini Championships

2010-09-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

Team Emerge member Emily will be heading to Cleveland today to compete this weekend in the IFBB North American Championships. I am hoping that after last weekends successful win and her 2nd place at the Arnold armatures earlier in the year that she walks away with another win and hopefully an IFBB Pro card. Team Emerge member Silvana cleaned house last year winning an unprecedented 4 catagories to earn her pro card. Is there a repeat for Team Emerge??? Time will tell, good luck Emily!!

D

2010 CBBF National Figure, Fitness and Bikini Championships Results

2010-08-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

Wow what a day I had at the CNE this past Saturday. I didn’t step foot on any rides but it was a roller coaster of a day! On a side note Team Emerge trainer Brandon did step on a ride after our lunch of curried goat and almost lost his lunch, anyway back to the real reason we were there, the CBBF National Figure, Fitness and Bikini Championships!

This year we had three girls competing at Nationals, Emily in Figure Tall, Adrianna in Bikini Short and Justine in Bikini Tall. As usual the Team Emerge competitors were more than ready to compete, they all looked incredible! I had high hopes going into the competition this year as we have been on a roll and there was a lot of talk about Emily and Justine from industry insiders leading up to the show.

First I would like to talk about Adrianna. Its funny when I think about how she wanted to compete in Figure at the beginning of the season and I said I wanted her to do Bikini instead. I love when clients listen to me because I USUALLY know what I am talking about. Thankfully she did listen because she is a natural in that class, if you read previous posts you will find she placed first at her first show qualifying for Provincials and then placed first at Provincials qualifying for Nationals. At prejudging Adrianna stepped on stage and looked stunning in her gold bikini. She came out looking very confident and had great stage presence. Like all classes at Nationals there were a lot of great looking competitors in her class. They ranged from quit thin to more muscular, Adrianna being one of the more muscular girls.

Typically the first call out for competitors contains the top 5 competitors; unfortunately Adrianna was in the second call out. The first call out was made up of the thinner competitors not the more athletic ones. Despite the call out you never know where someone is going to place until the evening show. After prejudging Adrianna was in good spirits and said she enjoyed herself regardless of the outcome. I told her she looked great and did a great job on stage (except for looking a bit too relaxed at the back of the stage where I feel you should still be “on”) and we will see what the judges think later. Unfortunately the call outs for the morning dictated the evening results. Adrianna didn’t make the top five but definitely placed in the top 10 first time at Nationals which is awesome.

Emily had quite the ordeal getting to the show to begin with, we were texting back and forth and I was informing her of the Figure Short Class being on stage and she was still trying to get into the CNE. This was one issue that I had with the show, it was a pain in the ass trying to get to the event. The roads were jammed going to the CNE and it was a maze once you got there to find the venue. Anyway luckily Emily did get to the venue on time, BARELY. When she arrived her class was already lined up to go on stage, so no pump up or touch ups for her she had to take off her track suit and line up immediately.

When Emily walked on stage I was pumped, everything we had been working on fell into place. Her walk was amazing, I know that sounds strange for those that aren’t that deep into the competition world but stage presence is HUGE and she walked with a swagger and confidence. Those hips were moving like they never did before, she wasn’t the tom boy I usually see walk into the studio she was a sexy beast;) The first round of prejudging for Figure is in a black bikini so everyone is judged equally. She looked great from her hair and make up to her over all balance. Every pose was perfect as were her transitions. I recall Brandon mentioning that she really stands out over everyone else on presentation, she looked so much more polished than everyone else on stage.

She was called out in the first call out and stood in the middle the whole time as they moved others around her (typically a good sign that she is the one to be compared too). I couldn’t see anyone with a better overall package on stage and I knew this was her competition. Brad (Emily’s husband) came over to ask me what I thought. I basically told him for me it wasn’t a case of hoping she wins the class it was a case of hoping she takes the overall and gets her pro card. Needless to say he agreed;) The second round in the one piece suit was no different than the first round, in the center of the first call out.

When she came off stage she came over with Brad and she was all smiles. After a big hug we all talked about the new walk and how others had commented to her about it as she came off stage. She brought sexy back;) I told her she has the class beat and I hadn’t seen any other competitor in Figure that day that could beat her for the overall. We all went our separate ways to eat and minutes later I received a pic text from Emily with a glass of wine, well earned!

At the evening show Emily came out with her class and looked great (the wine didn’t hurt at all) after the whole class did their turns they left the stage and the three top competitors were called back, Emily being one. As the trophies were given out my heart was in my mouth, as were the hearts of the other Emerge peeps, Brandon, Paul and Liz. When Emily got first place everyone cheered for her and I waited for the overall. At this point my heart rate was probably 150+. Looking at the other class winners I said to my crew “she has this”. Unfortunately she didn’t have it.

For those of you that don’t understand the politics at Nationals let me fill you in. Its not always the best competitor on stage that day that gets a pro card its often the one that paid her dues the most. The winner of the pro card this year was in line for some time and has competed and won at Nationals many times. I HONESTLY feel that Emily had the best package on stage that day (as do the judges I spoke to) but she hasn’t paid enough dues yet I guess…. Oh well, either way I am super proud of how she did and from the comments I got from insiders she made me look like the man;) She will be off to the North American Championships next week to see if she can get that pro card down south. She is definitely in the hunt!!

Finally we come to Justine (why do I always end my blogs with Justine??), I guess I like to save the best news until last… SPOILER! I saw Justine as she was getting her make up done when I first arrived at the venue. As usual she was the consummate pro, calm as could be and ready to claim what we have been talking about since day one. Mentally this was her show to lose, the IFBB pro card is what we have been working for and Justine wasn’t going to let anyone take it from her.

When she came out on stage for the prejudging there was disproportionately more screams and cheers from the audience for her than any other person in her class. She came out in typical Justine fashion with her confident and deliberate stride. Needless to say this was the toughest competition she had faced to date and a lot of the girls looked great. Saying that, Justine still stood out with that blonde mane of hair and an amazing white Swarovski crystal bikini made by KHP designs (again, great job Karen). As the girls went through their turns you could see the ones that were pulling out all the stops to show the judges everything they had. In Justine fashion once again she got into a pose and held it, no need to show 20 different poses, she dosent need too.

The first call out came and Justine was dead center, they moved everyone around her to compare and it was clear she was the one to beat. Once again the girls were fidgeting all over the place but Justine stood there in her pose looking at the judges and smiling. After a few turns, spins of the crystal tassel and a few cutesy shoulder shrugs she left the stage to wait until the evening show. When she came off stage I told her that she has this class and she will be in the overall and it’s a no brainer, she is bringing home another IFBB pro card for Team Emerge!

During the intermission between both shows Justine was approached by a few people that had little negative comments about her presentation. These comments didn’t bother her but they bother me! I tell my competitors to listen to one person, ME. I am known for giving the bad not the good more often than not. If I think there is a problem I will say there is and here is how we will fix it. Justine is perfect on stage and anyone that says otherwise is doing so to mess with her head and nothing more. Being the “pro” that she is she doesn’t let these comments effect her on stage but that is clearly the goal when people say these things. Everyone but Team Emerge has an agenda and it isn’t getting Team Emerge competitors ahead it’s the opposite. I guess these other “trainers” and insiders are lucky that I don’t play dirty and try to get into other peoples heads, I focus on my team and making them as good as I can so they can beat others on stage not mentally. Anyway, enough ranting.

So, off we all went to eat lunch at the CNE food building. Justine being focused on the prize had her cooler packed with enough chicken, yams, tuna, pasta, etc. to last a week! She was set for food but the rest of us slackers had to mow down some dirty fair;) After a long, slow, sweaty break between shows filled with burns aimed at grossly overweight people eating garbage and Justine and Liz shaking their heads at Brandon and I for saying the stuff we did (all very funny if you ask me) we headed back for the Evening show.

When the Justine’s class came on stage once again Justine got the biggest roar, at that point Brandon pretty well lost his voice. The girls all went through their turns and left the stage for the top to be called back. Justine’s mom came over to me and asked what I think, I said she won for sure. Justine was of course in the top three, hearts in our mouths again they started handing out the trophies and Justine came first! I new there was no way the winner of the short class could touch Justine for the overall.

As I predicted the overall came and went leaving Justine the overall winner and the new Canadian IFBB pro card winner! I was so happy for her, she has worked so hard and done everything right to get to this stage. I instantly thought back to the day we met and I told her I wanted her in the OPA and she would get her pro card in bikini this year. When she came off stage she was ecstatic as we all were, as she jumped up and down her parents convinced me to jump at least once, which I did;) I explained how big of a win this was to her family as they didn’t grasp the magnitude of winning an IFBB Pro status. For us its like being at the Oscars and coming home with best picture.

We had to end the night right there as we all had commitments for later that evening. For me it was a great drive home, beautiful night for the top dropped down. I thought of how successful of a show it was, all three girls represented for Team Emerge and regardless of placing I was very happy. The wins and the pro card were the icing on a very dense, rich and tasty cake. Two IFBB pro cards in less than a year for Team Emerge and another shot at one next week, crazy. Congrats to all three girls job well done. Cant wait to see Justine on her first pro stage, its gonna be a trip!

D

2010 CBBF National Figure, Fitness and Bikini Championships

2010-08-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow Team Emerge will be representing Ontario on the National Stage. We have Emily competing in the Figure Tall class, Justine in Bikini Tall and Adrianna in Bikini Short. Everyone is ready to go and bring a great total package to the stage.

Less than a year ago today Silvana made Team Emerge proud bringing home an IFBB Pro card in Figure at the IFBB North American Championships, will we see another IFBB Pro card in Figure or Bikini this year??? I feel we will but I wont know for sure for about 36 hours....Stay tuned!!

Good Luck ladies, not that you need it!!

D

2010 OPA Provincial Championships update

2010-06-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

Last night was the OPA Provincial Championships and Team Emerge had 7 girls competing (some placings I know and others I am still waiting for). We had three girls in Bikini Short, Saira, Adrianna, and Gorretti. Three competing in the Bikini Tall class, Melissa, Justine and Nikki. We also had Pam competing in Figure Short. Before getting to the break down I would like to say that every team member was ready to compete and looked the part. We had different goals for each girl, some goals were to take home hardware and others were to make top 5 to move on to nationals.

There was some wonky judging last night, at least in the categories I was watching. This isn’t a sour grapes comment, there were more than a few competitors less than happy with their placings. I even heard a judge told one of the Bikini competitors (not a Team Emerge girl) that the judges were told that the way they judge bikini is to” imagine they are on a beach and pick the competitor you would be more likely to approach”. What kind of description is this, this is nothing more than a personal preference and not a standard!? This explains some of results I guess, anyway back to the results.

Half the team was dialled in 100% and were focused on bringing back hardware this would include, Adrianna, Justine, Saira and Pam. The other half Gorretti, Nikki and Melissa were not quite at 100% physique wise but still ready to step on stage (and look competitive, if Emerge girls won’t look right on stage they don’t go on stage) and show the judges they have what it takes to make top 5 and represent Ontario at Nationals.

First person I want to talk about is Pam. Pam competed in a very tough Figure class, I’ll give credit where it is due and some of the girls looked terrific in this class. Pam looked the best she has ever looked on stage, her body has never looked as good as it did at this show. She presented very well and brought the best Pam she could to the stage. Despite looking the best she ever has she just missed out on the top 5 placing coming in 6th. We heard from OPA reps later that night that they thought she should have been in the top 5 and that she looked great. I have been training competitors for shows long enough to know anything can happen on the judges’ score cards especially in Figure and Bikini. Regardless, Pam did very well and I know she is going to do very well going forward.

Next up is Melissa, she was competing in a very tough Bikini Tall class. I was hoping to get Melissa in the top 5 so we would have a few more weeks to improve her condition for Nationals. She looked great, especially when I think back to the struggles we faced over the year. Melissa never ceases to amaze me with her never say never take no prisoners attitude. I hadn’t seen Melissa in a bikini in a few weeks and I was very happy with how her body had changed in that time. Her stage presence was great and considering she was at about 75% ready I would still put her middle of the pack physique wise. I’m not sure where she placed yet but sadly it wasn’t in the top 5. Needless to say we weren’t over joyed with this placing and aren’t sure if it was conditioning or the edgy look Melissa is known for, who knows. I hope to find out what needs to improve or change so we can get back to the drawing board. Regardless of her placing I was very happy with how Melissa looked and performed, she is a fighter in more ways than one and I happy to have her as a part of the team.

Saira competed in a very tough Bikini Short class (obviously every class was very tough) she looked amazing and brought a better overall package to the stage this time. I was expecting Saira to bring home a trophy for sure after her second place trophy at her first show. Her new suit (thanks KHP) looked great and so did her stage presence. For her second show she did extremely well against the best in the province. I thought that Saira had the one of if not the best physique on the stage and the way the call outs were done I would have bet she would have a top 3 placing. Unfortunately she ended up in 6th place to the shock of many. I know what we need to work on going forward and Saira is ready to do whatever it takes to get to the next level. Once she gets more comfortable on stage she will be a top contender every time she steps on stage. Despite her placing she enjoyed the experience and is probably enjoying some dirty food as I type ;)

Nikki was competing hoping to place but aiming for a top 5 finish. Nikki has a great stage presence and is a real stand out on stage. Nikki wasn’t at 100% physique wise as she was unable to start training for the competition in time to get dialled in like she typically would. This was due to commitments that had her out of the country for some time. Despite not being dialled in as usual Nikki still looked great and had that wow factor when she came out on stage. One thing I will mention is Nikki did have a knack for ruining her spray tan. I have never touched anyone up as many times in one day in my life, I think I did more touch ups on her than the entire team combined;)

Gorretti was ideally shooting for a top 3 finish but realistically we were aiming for a top 5. Gorretti has had a challenging 6 months to say the least. There were many distractions that slowed down her contest prep. Like the competitor she is she pulled out all the stops to get into the best shape possible with the little time we had. When I saw her at the show in her bikini (again great job KHP) I thought she can place top 3! She looked great (not as great as I know she can and will but wow), very few girls can show themselves like Gorretti can. She knows how to show the good and hide the not so good like no other. When she came out on stage she looked glamorous and showed herself amazingly. I thought she had placed by the way the call outs were done but when the trophies her handed out Gorretti came in 4th. I can piss and moan about how she should have been at least 3rd but bottom line is she has qualified for Nationals and I plan on having the best Gorretti EVER on that National stage.

Adrianna was competing in the Bikini Short class and is coming off her win in Stratford. Adrianna brought a better overall package to the stage this time. Her conditioning was spot on for the category and her stage presence was the best and most comfortable I have seen her. Her suit was amazing looking especially considering it came off the shelf at Victoria Secret!! Due to the call outs in the morning show I had thought that Adrianna was also in the top 3 (but what do I know). When the evening show came and they called out the top 5 in her class she was one of them. As the trophies were handed out one by one I was getting pumped to see her still waiting for hers. It came down to Adrianna and a very seasoned and well conditioned Ashley Harrison. Ashley came in second and Adrianna got 1st, I was so happy for her and couldn’t wait to see who she would be facing in the overall!!

Finally we get to Justine. Obviously I had high hopes for Justine after her overall win in Mississauga, there was a huge response to her in Mississauga when she came out on stage first in her category. She was on stage first again this time and once again there was a huge response. She wore a new KHP suit and looked stunning. During prejudging she was on stage for quite a long time during comparisons against some great bodies. In the evening show when the top 5 were called she was included in the group. You never know what’s going to happen and after hearing the description for Bikini judging criteria I was hoping the judges liked blondes more than brunettes;) Like in the short class as the trophies were being handed out I was getting more nervous than pumped. I honestly expected Justine to win this class before the show even started so anything other than a win would have been unacceptable for me. Luckily a win is what we got!! I was very happy for Justine and her mom who was texting me every few seconds for updates;)

When the bikini overall came I felt a sense of relief and pride as both my girls were standing on stage together going for the overall. It was a win win for Team Emerge regardless of the outcome but I was also great to see two team mates up there that would be extremely happy for the other person if they won. I have to say before I go on that we had a hell of a team at the show, everyone was very supportive of each other. From helping each other with their suits, colour, food and posing. It really felt like a team environment, great job girls! Anyway, the overall winner is.....Justine Munro! Once again she takes the overall and once again no one could argue with that result. Unfortunately I didn’t get to see Justine after her win as she had to rush home and I was occupied at the other end of the building. We spoke on the phone and reminded each other about how good of a team we are.

All in all an event filled with ups and downs and everything in between. I am obviously happy with the domination of the bikini class (which I called in November and ensured it became a reality) but I expected more of the team to be standing on the national stage this year. I guess we have a little more work to do but at the end of the day the team made me proud to stand with them back stage. We showed every other competitor what it’s like to be a real team, hell Justine even asked me to touch up the colour on a girl competing against her. If us helping the competition don’t speak volumes about the type of people I work with I don’t know what does. Great job guys!!!!!

As far as Nationals goes we now have the following girls competing: In Figure, Emily (who had a nice write up in Muscle Mag this month picking her as a front runner to win at nationals) and Lauren (will be working with the team to ensure her stage presence is the best it can be). In Bikini we have Gorretti, Adrianna and of course Justine. The rest of the girls will not be resting on their laurels so you will see them on other stages over the course of the summer. Stay tuned.

Northern Cup Challenge results

2010-06-07T06:34:00.000-07:00

It was another successful showing for Team Emerge at the Northern Cup Challenge
in Sault Ste Marie, ON this weekend. Team member Melissa Traynor stepped on stage in Bikini tall for the first time in the OPA. This also marked a major tuning point for Melissa as she has had a significant battle with her health and her body over the last year.

I have worked closely with Melissa on her nutrition over the last year, for the record I have never come across a body as stubborn as hers was. We tried everything from high cals to low, high carb no carb, I even agreed to hours of cardio a day. Nothing worked and her weight and body comp wouldn’t budge. The medical field was the next logical step. Thankfully after seeing many doctors Melissa got the answers we were looking for. Finally now the old Melissa is almost back to 100%. I am very happy and proud that Melissa was able to compete this weekend and take another big step in her recovery.

So how did she do? If all she did was step on stage I would have called it a success but the plan was to place top 5 to qualify for provincials and giving us another 2 weeks to improve. Not only did Melissa make the top 5 but came back with a third place trophy!!! Great job Mel, you’re back;)

OPA Mississauga Championships Update

2010-05-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

Last November when Team Emerge member Nikki took the Bikini overall trophy for the first time in the OPA I said that we would dominate Bikini going forward. So far it looks like I am quite the fortune teller.

Last month (April) Team Emerge member Adrianna competed in the OPA show in Stratford in the bikini short class. She was originally planning on competing in Figure but I felt that Figure was going back to the harder more muscular look of a few years back. She had the muscle to do figure but in the time we had she wouldn’t be lean and hard enough to be competitive. Despite never competing in bikini before I told her she should compete in bikini instead and we adjusted our focus to bikini. This was obviously a good decision as not only did Adrianna look the part but she placed first in the short class (Sadly only 2 people in her class but she looked the part regardless). She didn’t win the overall mainly due to presentation in my opinion. Adrianna didn’t have the stage presence of the tall class winner as we didn’t have a lot of time to work on posing prior to the show. Despite that Adrianna did very well for her first time out and I know she will look and present even better at the Provincials Championships next month.

Last night at the OPA show in Mississauga Team Emerge members Saira, Pam and Justine competed in bikini. Saira and Pam were in the short class and Justine in the tall class. This was the first competition for Saira ever, Pam has competed in the past in Figure but never Bikini and Justine has competed in Fitness model competitions but never in the OPA or Bikini. We were all excited about the show and this time the girls were ready to step on stage weeks before the show. We did no prep or anything special for the show, the girls walked on stage eating and drinking like a regular day. They felt great and it showed, no drawn tired faces back stage.

Even though you never know what will happen on the judge’s score cards I had a feeling (as usual) the girls were going to do well. All it took to confirm my feeling was the reaction of many other competitors in the pump up room as our girls got into their suits and started strutting. Justine took off her track suit to reveal her red bikini (nice work KHP) and her new and improved Emerge physique. She started walking back and there was an instant change for the worse in the mood of many bikini competitors and trainers watching. I looked around and soaked it all in, ahhhhhh.

The short class had 8 girls in competing and they were all shapes and sizes, Saira and Pam both came in with lean feminine athletic physiques. They both did extremely well despite not being as comfortable with presentation as some of the other girls. The goal was to place top 5 so they qualified for the Provincial Championships which would give us a few more weeks to work on stage presence. Pam ended up in 4th place, this placing came down to presentation as the description given that night by the OPA for a bikini competitor was as follows. A bikini competitor should look like a Victoria Secret model but with a more athletic body, they still should have some muscle shape and tone. The third place girl was very thin and didn’t have an athletic side at all. She was a pretty girl with good stage presence and that edged her past Pam. Pam still did great for her first time in bikini against some quality girls. Mission accomplished, she now qualifies in both Bikini and Figure Short at the Provincial Championships. We will decide which to compete in this week.

Saira looked amazing and had her routine down, for her first time on stage she did very well. I knew after prejudging she was going to be 1st or 2nd, depending on how important stage presentation was to the judges. Like Pam, Saira needs just a little more time to get more comfortable with bikini stage presence. I felt Saira had the best physique on stage but was edged out by a girl that also had a good physique (not as good, especially from the back pose) and was very comfortable on the stage. I am sure if Saira could have smiled bigger and looked a little more confident she would have won, but earning second place against some of those girls was terrific . She did an awesome job for her first time on stage and I expect to see big improvements in both Saira and Pam for the Provincials; they will look like they were born on stage by then.

When it was time for the tall class in bikini Justine was the first one to come out on stage. When she walked out it reminded me of the reaction Team Emerge member and IFBB Pro Silvana Simioni had walking out for the first time. There was a reaction from the crowd, the judges and the photographers that was different from other competitors. Everyone that came on stage after her couldn’t hold a candle even though there was some decent competition.

Despite some of the competitor’s best efforts to steal the spot light (by going overboard with posing or trying to block Justine from the judges) Justine remained composed and stuck to her game plan. After being crowded with her front pose and transitioning into her back pose she gave her bikini bottom’s crystal tassel a spin with her hand getting a huge pop from the crowd. Every pose she hit was a great photo op for anyone with a camera, Justine moves around the stage as comfortably as she walks around her house! No surprise to anyone in the auditorium Justine was awarded the first place trophy for the tall class.

Then it was time for the overall. The winner of the short class had great stage presence as I mentioned earlier but Justine had amazing stage presence and a physique that matches the standard to the tee. As the two girls we put through the comparisons there was no question in my mind (and the minds of many) that Justine was the complete package. The short class winner looked and presented very well and depending on if the judges liked a thinner or curvier toned look it could have went either way. The girls left the stage and I was hoping that the direction I went with Justine’s physique was the right one. “And the overall Bikini champion is, Justine Munro!” She came out to a huge response from the crowd and took that big trophy off the stage.

As usual I was approached by photographers and industry peers congratulating me on bringing another group of top notch physiques to the stage. Out in the lobby I hugged Saira and Pam and told them how well they did, Justine’s hug left Jan Tanna all over my kick ass white shirt. The overall win was totally worth the orange stains!! Another great show for the team and the Team Emerge domination continues.

The following Team Emerge members (so far) are qualified for Provincials in bikini: Justine(Tall bikini), Pam(Short bikini and/or short figure), Saira(Short bikini), Adrianna(Short bikini), Gorretti(Short bikini) and Nikki(Tall bikini). I expect to see the majority if not all of the girls stepping on the National stage right after Provincials. They will be joining Team Emerge member and Figure Tall National level competitor Emily Zelinka. Emily is coming off her successful appearance at the 2010 Arnold’s where she placed second in the Figure tall class and is aiming for her IFBB pro card at Nationals or the North Americans.

Great job team we are setting the bar again.

D

Updates

2010-05-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I have updated the Team Emerge Blog. There have been more changes and additions to the team in recent months. I will post a complete update after the May 22nd OPA show as we will have 4 girls competing in that show and I am expecting good results.

So stay tuned as there is lots of new stuff coming!

Darrin

OPA London Show

2009-11-23T16:21:00.000-08:00

So, the last OPA show of the season and it was one of the best shows of the season for the OPA. Great competitors on stage and a pretty good turn out in the seats too. This was one of the best lit OPA shows I have been to enabling me to get better shots of the Team Emerge girls on stage. Lets find out how Team Emerge did.

Prejudging:

First Team Emerge girls on stage were Ashley and Janet, both competing in the Bikini Short category. Ashley came out and as usual rocked the stage, she looked a little tighter than the UFE show last week and I was very happy with how she looked and presented. Janet was the last girl in the class to come out and Janet also showed a great presentation, especially since this is her first bikini competition. After watching all the girls on stage I had Ashley or Goretti in 1st and Janet 3rd or 4th, by my eye anyway.

Next in Bikini Tall we had Niki, she was the last to enter the stage but when she did she out classed the other girls with her presentation. Bikini is new and many girls still don’t understand the presentation, fortunately I got to watch the best in North America compete for IFBB pro cards and took this presentation style back to Team Emerge. I told Niki back stage that she has 1st, if the judges wanted to see a more ripped look then I thought she had 2nd but I would be shocked if she didn’t get first. I told her to play safe with her food between the prejudging and evening show as I thought she would be competing for the overall against Ashely!

In Figure we had Kristine compete in the Grand Masters class, sadly she was the only one in the class but still looked great and deserved her win. In the Figure Short class we had Cara and Kristine. Cara was the smallest girl in the class and not the hardest either, however she is balanced and that is a big requirement for the judges. I told Cara that I saw her in the top 3 due to her balance but thought the biggest leanest girl would be 1st and Kristine might be 2nd if the judges are looking at muscle mass as a priority.

Evening show:

Ashley and Janet were the first Team Emerge girls out in the evening. Again they looked and showed great, then left the stage to wait for the top 3 to be called out. Ashley made it to the top 3. When 3rd place was called it was Goretti, I was shocked as I had her and Ashley fighting for first, I knew Ashley had first at this point. Ashley was called for second place, the half dozen people around me (who don’t know I am working with her) exploded! They thought, as I did, that Ashley had this category hands down….

I don’t want to take anything away from the girl that won but I don’t know how she scored over Ashley. They had similar bodies, conditioning and musculature wise but Ashley’s stage presence was leaps and bounds ahead of the winner. Back stage Ashley had a great attitude and wasn’t over the moon with her placing but she wasn’t complaining either.

Despite Janet not placing she did very well and I know that next season she is going to be one of the top girls in Bikini Short for sure! We have some work to do with presentation and getting the right suit for Janet before the next show, watch out cause next time will be a new and improved Janet.

Let’s put Bikini on hold for a minute and go to Figure. Kristine came out and collected her win for Grand Masters to a round of applause. She looks great for any age let alone 47!! Kristine and Cara came back on stage for the Level 2 Figure Short class. After performing their turns they left the stage to wait for the top 3 to be called. Cara made the top three but to my surprise Kristine did not. At the end of it all Cara came out with a second place trophy against much bigger girls, again her balance must have been the key. I joked with her back stage about not coming first (she is very competitive and always wants to win), she laughed and said she was happy with her placing and so she should be!! This is probably the last time the stage will see Cara as a figure competitor as she will be moving to Bikini which is a better class for her body type. Next season should be interesting to see how she does in Bikini.

So, back to Bikini Tall. Niki was nervous back stage due to some things she had heard about the judging of her category. I told her not worry about anything and to go out there and be ready to compete for the overall. Again she was the last girl on stage and came out with a confident attitude! People around me said “She won hands down!! Unless the same thing happens in this class as the short class”. Her class left the stage and we waited for the top 3, Niki was one of them! The one girl I was concerned about in her class was also called, she was more conditioned than Niki but lacked the presentation. At the end of it all Niki came out with 1st place!! She was glowing when she left the stage.

Niki had to come back out to compete for the over all against the short class winner, the girl that “beat” Ashley. After a few turns and a few striking poses the judges made their decision and the overall winner was Niki!!!! I feel she avenged Ashley’s second place and Team Emerge came out with the overall and set the new standard for Bikini in the OPA!! Back stage Niki was shocked, dazed is more like it, as she posed for pics and was congratulated by many. I told her never to doubt me again;) This was the confidence booster of all confidence boosters.

All in all a great day for Team Emerge, a couple shockers and a couple high lights. I have a funny feeling that Team Emerge is going to be a Bikini power house next season. I am already hearing from many girls that have been on the circuit for some time looking to join the ranks so keep your eyes on Team Emerge. We had our first IFBB Figure pro this year, could our first IFBB Bikini pro be next year???

UFE National Championship update:

2009-11-17T12:20:00.000-08:00

Once again, great UFE show. Their production quality and entertainment factor is spot on. To be honest I am not a big fan of competitions and never go to one unless I have clients competing in it. This is one organization that I would go to watch regardless of having someone in it or not. Great job Sean!
Ashley Harrison stepped on stage for the first time as a member of Team Emerge competing in the Elite Fitness Model class. We had only been working together a few short weeks and Ashely's conditioning isn’t where we would like it yet, saying that she rocked the stage. This was my first time seeing her in action and I have to say she has wow factor big time!! It was a class of almost 30 top knotch competitors and unfortunately she did not place this time out. The top 3 girls were very conditioned and I feel totally deserved their placing. Ashley’s stage presence stood out and she had the crowd cheering for her, it was great to watch.

Ashley will be bringing a similar package to the OPA London show this weekend for the Bikini division. After this show it will be construction time as we come up with the off season game plan to take Ashley to new levels next year!! I am very excited about her future with Team Emerge!!

The OPA show in Ottawa , Team Emerge results.

2009-11-17T12:18:00.001-08:00

Janet competed in the level 2 figure catagory and as it turned out not many level 2 girls were at the show so the promoter combined all classes into one. This created some confusion initially until it was explained later to me. Since there weren’t many girls competing technically every girl qualified for level 3. The top 3 girls at level 2 were given trophies but the rest were not given trophies for their height class but were awarded the pass to level 3. Janet and others were not thrilled about moving ahead by default, some were also upset about not getting a trophy even though they 'technically" placed within their class.
Since the OPA seems to be leaning towards a harder more developed look for figure (probably due to the bikini class) I think Janet is best suited for bikini and fitness model going forward.Janet and Niki both competed in the SAF figure model category. Janet had a great showing first time out but did not place top 8 out of 17 girls. After seeing the pics I took I know what we can work on presentation wise for next time.

Nikki on the other hand walked out and had that wow factor I always preach about to my competitors. Apparently it was a close call between Niki and the winner of the class. Nicole came in 2nd but it could have gone either way.

Congrats to both girls on a great performance I can’t wait to see what the future holds for both girls.

Team Emerge made their first appearance at a UFE event this past weekend.

2009-10-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

Team Emerge made their first appearance at a UFE event this past weekend. Team Emerge member Nicole Goodman competed in the Bikini Model class (the bikini class is something that I am very excited about as it is a body image that is less extreme than figure and something more women can compete in genetically). It was a large class with over 30 competitors, some very seasoned competitors. Nicole had never competed in Bikini before as a matter of fact she had only competed one time in the past at a SAF show's Figure Model class (which she will be doing again in a couple weeks in Ottawa), she didnt place at that show as she needed more balance in her physique as well as more confidence on stage.

Before telling you how Nicole did I would like to say that the UFE event was top notch and had a great turn out both on and off stage. There were great competitors from what I saw on stage when I wasnt back stage with Nicole. Ok, back to Nicole. Nicole has been working with Team Emerge since August 09 and in that short time has improved the balance in her physique and improved her presentation tremendously! I was confident that she would look the best she has looked to date and it was up to the judges from here.

Nicole showed herself very well despite having to change her posing routine on the fly as what we had practiced had to be tweaked for the UFE stage. In her group she was the last to come on stage and blew everyone else away when she did, she showed real wow factor! I knew she had taken that group but wasn't sure how she would fare against the other groups. It seems like the judges agreed that she had wow factor because she came away with second place her first time out!!

Nicole will be competing in the SAF show in Figure Model Nov 7th in Ottawa and I can smell the trophy this time. This was the show we were actaully aiming to peak for, the UFE show was a last minute entry (and Im glad she did enter). She will also be competing in Bikini at the OPA Level one show in London where I expect her to qualify for her level 2.

Congrats Nicole and congrats Team Emerge, I can barely remember the last time we left a show without any hardware at this point;)

Woodstock Level One OPA

2009-10-06T15:30:00.001-07:00

How did the team do at the Woodstock Level One OPA show do? Good of course, with a twist.

Kristine entered both the short class and the grand masters class. She competed against 5 girls in the short class and came in 2nd (could have gone either way depending on the look you were judging) and came in first in the grand masters class. Unfortunately she was the only one competing in the grand masters class, regardless she looked great and would have beaten every woman I have ever seen in grand masters anyway!

The other team member competing this weekend was Janet Chan, this was her first show. She looked great (although she did smooth out a little due to a breakfast choice with too much sodium) and presented very well her first time on stage. She was in the medium class, unfortunately the only one in the medium class!! Needless to say she won, but she didnt want to win that way nor did I. Janet was in the hunt for the overall and thats what I told her she was COMPETING in today. It looked like it was between her and the winner of the tall class. The tall class winner took the overall, Im guessing for being tighter and having a more capped shoulder. Janet was far more balanced looking than the tall class winner. Thats ok, at the level 2 show in Ottawa Janet will be tighter and more pumped up to bring out her best. Again, another successful show for Team Emerge!

CBBF Ont Naturals

2009-09-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

This weekends results for Team Emerge at the CBBF Ont Naturals. We had only one girl competing, newest Team Emerge member Kristine Ridler and she placed 1st in the Short class and Grand Masters! Congrats to her and yet another well earned trophy for Team Emerge!

OPA Naturals

2009-09-20T15:25:00.000-07:00

Just came back from the OPA Naturals. We had the following outcome:

Vanessa competed in the new bikini division, she placed 4th out of 4 in her class. It seems that tonight the judges were leaning towards a curvier fuller physique so back to the drawing board for us. we are going to take some time off the stage and focus on building some more muscle in a long off season.

Cindy came in 2nd in the Med Class for figure, I always admit when a client doesnt win that we have something to work on but not this time. Cindy should have won that class no question, she is happy with the second place but I am not even close to happy. She was the most balanced girl on stage and had perfect conditioning for the show. Sour grapes, no just sketch judging in this case.

IN the masters class Cindy placed 3rd, it could have went either way in this class. Any of the top three could have come in any place and I could see why, different looks but all good in their own way.

2009 IFBB North American Championships

2009-08-31T10:13:00.000-07:00

Wow, where to start and what to say about this weekend in Cleveland at the IFBB North American Championships? I'm gonna start by saying that all of Team Emerge at the show made me proud! Everyone came in ready to compete and had a great attitude. This was a HUGE show with over 100 figure competitors and over 30 bikini competitors. Even Dave Palumbo said that there was amazing competition with the girls this year compared to some other years.

Vanessa competed in the first Bikini Model category and strut her stuff in a beautiful bikini made by Karen at KHP (all Team Emerge suits are from KHP). She competed in the toughest class with girls that had competed in bikini many times in the US. The pro card was given to the winner of her class. Vanessa had great stage presence but unfortunately her muscles were a little flat on the day and she couldn’t show her best package. She ended coming in 6th just missing out on the top 5 finish which was the goal. We both learned a lot about bikini this weekend and we know we will bring a better package the next time she steps on stage in both physique and presentation. On a side note Vanessa, Gina and I had a great time together off stage which took a lot of the pressure of competing off.

Cindy competed in Figure Masters class and also competed in a very tough class (to be honest there were very few poor competitors in any class). She had 22 women in her class and finished 14th. She brought a great physique to the stage as usual (maybe the best physique to date) but was out shined by girls that have been very active in the circuit and had a great presentation. There may have been a little ring rust and we know what we have to work on for the next show and its only tightening up that stage presence so she owns the stage next time she steps on it. I cant wait to see what happened at the next show!

Finally we come to Silvana, if you have any interest in Figure you more than likely know what I’m going to say. Silvana had a hell of a month to put it mildly, having to compete at Nationals with 2 weeks notice in order to (RE) qualify for the North American’s. The National stage did not get to see Silvana at her best, not even close but the goal wasn’t to win Nationals it was to make top 5 in order to qualify for North American’s. Silvana ended up with a 4th place finish in the tall class and a 3rd place finish in the masters class (mission accomplished!). After all the drama that we went through the last month I told Silvana “I think we are going to have a story book ending in Cleveland”, little did I know!

The North American stage got to see the REAL Silvana, dialed in perfectly for this event. Silvana always has a beauty and stage presence that blows people away and is rare on the figure stage. I was in the press row (Shhhhh) when she came out on stage and there was a reaction with all the people around me that didn’t exist when other women walked on stage. She wore a beautiful pink KHP suit for the F Class (tall) and owned the stage, it was obvious she had a top 2 placing. I ran back stage to inform her about the reaction. At that time Kim Tilden showed up all excited for Silvana and she offered a couple posing tips for the next round. The night before Silvana and I decided to switch to her silver two piece for the Masters class.

When Silvana walked out in the silver suit the reaction earlier was dwarfed by the reaction this time. She looked stunning in the silver suit (Karen, for the record all suits from now on are to be cut EXACTLY like her silver one) and the minor tweak to her posing clearly put her in first place for this class. Running back stage again I filled Silvana in on the new reaction and how that suit is the suit for the evening because I KNEW she would be compared to other amazing looking competitors for the overall. I ran into Kim in the lobby and she said the silver suit was amazing and made a huge difference, I told her we already decided to stick with the silver suit for the evening but her advice sealed the deal!

At the evening show Silvana won her class in Masters, and then she had to battle against the other masters winners. Silvana clearly won the Masters overall and EMERGED the new IFBB Figure Pro, my eyes welled up (didn’t spill any tears so don’t chirp!) and I ran back stage to greet her as she came down the stairs. Silvana yelled out “you called it a week ago, story book!” after all the drama she made it and got her pro card in the process!! We were met by CBBF Ontario rep and judge Julia Schatz and she jumped up and down with excitement for Silvana (she has quite a vertical leap for a tiny woman in stilettos). Then Julia proceeded to tell me I can’t complain about figure judging any more and she is aware of how much I do ;) For the record, I’ll still complain about flip flopping on the standard but not tonight!! We took pics with Julia and IFBB President Jim Manion before Silvana had to rush back on stage. There was still the Open F Class to go.

Silvana back on stage and me back in my seat camera in hand. Silvana comes out this time as a pro competing against armatures…technically ;), and looked like a pro as she won the open class!! In the Open Overall she blew away the other girls and took the overall, I couldn’t believe it I thought for sure someone else would get it since she already won her pro card. She beat (or as many writers are putting it “dominated”) every woman on stage that day and every woman that competed that year in North America if you want to get technical, which I do!

Silvana stepped on stage for the first time in Woodstock 10 months earlier and won the overall. Its hard to believe in that short period of time and 5 shows later she ends up winning 4 categories and her pro card against the best armatures in North America (and lets face it, the world) this night!! Talk about story book, I told her after her very first competition that within a year everyone in the industry would know her name…. I gotta start predicting more stuff!! Back stage was a buzz with top people in the industry clamoring for her attention as cameras and microphones were stuck in her face and business cards placed in my hands it was surreal. IFBB reps grabbed me and Silvana and requested that she get on the pro stage ASAP!! I cant get into the specifics that were discussed but my head was spinning, we will be talking about the future this week as this night was too over whelming to think straight. Im sure this is night she will never forget, I know I wont!!

I am very proud of Sivana for what she has faced in this journey and the level of class and will to over come that she has shown. She is a true Champion on stage and life and deserves the title. She has a bright future on the pro stage and I look forward to working with my first (hopefully not last) IFBB Pro!!

I would like to thank Kim Tilden once again, she is all class and a true Champion too. I appreciate all your help bringing the best out in Silvana this night.

I would also like to thank my girl friend Gina for making my weekend in Cleveland feel like more of a holiday than a business trip!! Your help with lugging my equipment around and video taping the event made my life a lot easier. This was the first show where I felt I had more fun then work. These shows are often stressful for me as well as the Team Emerge women but this time was stress free, thanks babe!!

As for me personally, (warning, self props) I think I kick more ass now than I thought before, and it was a lot before!! If people haven’t realized by now that Team Emerge is a power house team at competitions they should know now. We create story book endings, I doubt anyone has taken a 36 year old mother of two that had never competed before and created an IFBB Figure pro in 10 short months but THIS GUY did!! Don’t worry, my head will be back to its normally inflated size soon enough… who am I kidding, Im gonna have to install an overhead door at the Emerge studio to get inside!

Congrats to Team EMERGE!!!

2009-06-28T15:02:00.000-07:00

Emerge once again had a great showing at the Ontario's and the SAF model show June 20th, 2009.

Silvana placed 3rd in figure tall in the OPA Ontario's level 3 show. She now qualifies for both Canada's and the North American's shows where she can compete for the IFBB Pro status.

Silvana also came in 1st place in the new Elite division of SAF model search.
We will definitely see Silvana going places in this industry. Congrats Silvana!
Rose also looked amazing in figure short at the OPA Ontario's level 3. She had great stage presence and we will definitely see her strutting her stuff again!
Rose also competed in the SAF model search and placed in her category. She also had the best costume.

And we also had Cara who looked amazing at the SAF model search. It was her first time doing a model search, but she looked amazing out there. Can't wait to see her compete again!

Team Emerge is off to a great start for the year!

2009-05-27T11:17:00.000-07:00

Team Emerge had 3 competitors this weekend at the OPA Mississauga South Central Show.

Cara took home the 1st place trophy in level 1 figure medium height class.

Nathalie took home 2 trophies. She placed 2nd in both level 2 figure tall and masters.

Ron placed 3rd in light heavyweight level 1 men's bodybuilding.

We look forward to bringing a great show and team at the Ontario show June 20th with many more Team Emerge competitors.

Flash Results

2009-04-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

Cara -4th in open Figure Medium

Nathalie-2nd in open Figure Tall & 5th in Figure Masters
Gina-waiting for results

All 3 girls did an amazing job on stage yesterday! Pictures to follow....stay tuned!

2009-04-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

.........AND
THE COMPETITION SEASON BEGINS WITH THE LEGENDARY STRATFORD OPA COMPETITION THIS SATURDAY APRIL 25TH!

TEAM EMERGE IS VERY PROUD TO WELCOME OUR NEWEST TEAM MATES AND WISH ALL THE GIRLS THE VERY BEST OF LUCK AS THEY COMPETE IN STRATFORD THIS SATURDAY! Nathalie is a former National Level Figure athlete and is returning to the stage this weekend! Look for her in Figure Masters and either tall or medium tall! Cara will be competing in Figure Short as she makes her stage debut. Gina will be competing in Figure Tall as she makes her stage debut.

Team Emerge will be in attendance at the stratford show in full force to cheer these girls on to victories!

INVITATION ONLY

2009-02-21T09:21:00.000-08:00

CONGRATULATIONS TO

SILVANA
ON HER INVITATION TO COMPETE AT THE
2009
PRESTIGIOUS SAF
ELITE CHAMPIONSHIPS!

Silvana will be competing against the most beautiful and well known
fitness models in the industry!The 2009 SAF Elite Championship is open to current SAF Elite-qualified competitors and is by invitation only.
(top-3 finishers in the Open division of SAF Model Search events become SAF Elite qualified)

The 14 selected to compete in this year's event are:

- Rosa Valente
- Aleisha Hart
- Madelaine Fraser-Kealey
- Anita Kus-Roberts
- Gorretti Francisco
- Angela DeFrancesco
- Sarah DiLuccio
- Ashley Gollogly
- Lynette Williams
- Silvana Salvati
- Erin Bailey
- Elissa Molino
- Vanda Hadarean
- Christy Wolfe

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.safmodelsearch.com

JANUARY 25, 2009

2009-01-26T07:55:00.000-08:00

Team Emerge would like to wish
Vanessa Rose....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

2009-01-12T11:19:00.000-08:00

Check out the newly revamped Emerge Inc website!

www.timetoemerge.com

2009-01-11T15:13:00.000-08:00

The 2009
OPA Western Ontario Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Championships
were held on November 15, 2008 in London Ontario.

Team Emerge shone brightly once again! Lisa competed in Level 2 open figure med-tall and emerged the Champion!

And Dana competed in Level 2 open figure tall placing top 3 and emerged 4th in a tough combined masters class.

Both girls performed beautifully on stage
and now are provincially qualified figure athletes!

It was a fantastic way to the end the season!

The celebration continued afterwards with some yummy food and drinks!

Hmmmm...we don't think Don is going to have much luck trying to get his fingers on those delicious yam fries..he's proceeding with caution and hopes to sneak a fry when she's not looking..haha-watchout Don! Don't try to come between a hungry figure gal and her food! After weeks of maintaining her competition physique, we think the smile says it all....She's accomplished all her goals and now she can eat!

CONGRATULATIONS GIRLS!

2009-01-06T14:33:00.001-08:00

pics from the Eastern Ontario Championships and the SAF model search

2008-11-19T10:47:00.001-08:00

2 piece suits designed by
KHP custom suit designs.
For more info
click here

Silvana and Vanessa proved that being prepared is the most important aspect of competing.

Both girls entered the prestigious
SAF Model Search
that was held in conjunction with
the OPA event.

This model search always showcases Canada's hottest fitness models!

Silvana received the best over 35 competitor award as well as 2nd place
in the fitness model catagory

...and once again the girls of Team Emerge finish on top!Gold, Silver and the overall....
all brought home to Emerge.
Congratulations on a fantastic season!

2008-11-19T07:44:00.001-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANA!!
The emerge family wishes you happiest of birthday's today and a wonderful year to follow!

2008-11-03T16:03:00.000-08:00

Results from The OPA Eastern Ontario Figure Championships:
Level 2 Overall Figure Champion-Silvana
Level 2 open Figure Tall Champion-Silvana
Level 2 Open Figure Tall 2nd place-Vanessa
combined masters figure class level 1 and 2- 2nd place Silvana

Results from the SAF Model Search

Best Competitor over 35 years old-Silvana
Fitness model runner up-Silvana

Pictures to follow.....

2008-10-28T11:41:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Vanessa!
Way to go on your top 3 finish at the UFE Hallowe'en mayhem contest held this past Saturday in Hamilton Ontario.

Special Thanks to Glen Grant for these pictures!
To see more pictures from the show, please visit Glen's website by clicking the link below:
Glen Grant's photo album

Vanessa had to change costumes 4 times! Each time she took the stage she came out with confidence and style. With this type of unsanctioned physique contest, the criteria for the judging is usually determined in the eye of the judges on that particular day. Vanessa knew this ahead of time and competed just to have some fun.

She made Team Emerge proud!

Vanessa will be competing again this Saturday November 1st in Ottawa. She's competing in the prestigious SAF model search and going after her level 2 qualification at the Eastern Ontario OPA Figure Championships.

2008-10-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

TEAM EMERGE WANTS TO WISH
KELLY KUUS
A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODAY!

2008-10-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the official blog of Team Emerge!

This blog is still under construction; please keep checking back for more pictures, info and exciting news in the days to come!

OPA Level 1 Woodstock championships

2008-10-09T16:50:00.001-07:00

Team Emerge dominated the 2008 OPA Woodstock Figure Championships in
Woodstock Ontario on October 4, 2008.
Here are a few pics and the placings from the show

The stunning and striking Silvana Simioni broke the ground for the new figure standard in Ontario. She captured the open Figure Tall Championship, she emerged the Masters (over 35) Champion and she took home the Overall Figure title! Congratulations Silvana!

Congratulations Lisa!
The elegant and reserved Lisa Faria emerged the open figure Med-tall class champion! Lisa was just featured in the November issue of Oxygen Magazine. She was chosen as a future of fitness model...the OPA judges saw what the editors of Oxygen did!
Congratulations Dana!
The natural beauty and sleek physique of Dana Deelen captured her the runner up position in open Figure-Tall and a 3rd place finish in masters Figure (over 35).
Congratulations Vanessa!
The vibrant and elegant Vanessa Rose rounded off the top 3 in open Figure Tall obtaining
her level one qualification and sealing Team Emerge's first clean sweep of the top 3 placings
in a figure competition class.
Clean Sweep in the Open Figure Tall!
SPECIAL MENTION:
All three ladies are wearing suits
designed and created by
KHP Custom suit designs.
For more information please click here
Congratulations Silvana and Dana
Figure Masters over 35 1st & 3rdA very Proud Team Leader with his beauties!
A proud coach with her girls! Those pink T's mean business!
Watch for more candid shots of our team and get to know the team as the fall season begins! Stay tuned!A special thank you is extended
to Nina Luchka for doing the team's makeup!
All of the girls looked stunning and their makeup was flawless.