No matter how hard it all was. No matter what I had and hadn't done to prepare. No matter how confident, scared, enthusiastic or terrified I was, comp day was going to arrive regardless. And it did.
4.45am the magical inner-body clock alarm went off and I lay there, desperately trying not to think about the day ahead. That's what I do in scary situations. Force myself to think of something else instead. So I picked up a Womens Weekly mag and starting reading boring and dreary interviews about 'celebrities' and the ornaments they have in their houses. God I tire of reading shit about people who are just not that special! However, it got my mind off the job at hand and I managed to squeeze out another hour in bed.
Approx 6am it was all systems go!! Chicken and sweet potato for breakfast. Funny how that doesn't even sound strange anymore. From there I didn't have a shower. Needed to leave last base coast of tan on. At 6.30am, Rob started applying the all-important Dream Tan. Think vegemite in a jar and that's the consistency. It is smeared everywhere!!!! As much as it doesn't feel that great, it's better than white patches showing under outfits - as many of the spectators will attest to later in the day!
That took about 1hr and from there my hair angel, Julie C, arrived to start curling and combing. From there it was over to makeup at 9.30am and back to the hotel for a final hair touch-up at 11am. Make up crisis narrowly averted by Jules who organised the local chemist lady to do a quick fix-up! And then to the show.
On arrival I found a backstage area alive with chaos. Bronzed, beautiful and very bare bodies lined the halls and eventually we found a ladies dressing room. Fortunately for us, everyone else seemed to be travelling in big teams so we kept our own dressing room for the whole day.
From there I started the slow process of warming up, starting to use some weights and resistance band to begin the blood pumping process. Throughout this time I was able to snack on my favourite lollies - chocolate fantails!!!!! How ridiculous it seemed - going from lettuce & chicken to fantails! But, being the good girl I am, I followed orders to the T!! In the dressing rooms we had big bowls full of potato chips and lollies which plenty were digging into. Again, it's about re-feeding those muscles from their ultra lean state. On that, when I woke up on Friday morning and sent through pics to Sammy, I actually looked like someone who had been in a severe famine. Muscles flat as, bones sticking through and veins everywhere. Through the re-feeding process, those muscles plump up and look very different - it's quite amazing.
I forgot to say that I was water depleting from Thursday also. Some competitors would have been quite dehydrated by the comp day however Sammy, who is seriously balanced, does not subscribe to that philosophy and she had me sipping water right up to stage time. I felt awesome because of this and will thank her forever for her balanced and experienced attitude toward nutrition and competition planning.
So the bikini went on next. Tiny piece of material. Good hunk of glue and it was all go. At this point I threw my ipod in and starting focusing on posing. My ipod was absolutely invaluable and was the key to being able to drown out the chaos going on around me. Favourite music blaring, posing practise in front of the mirror, and a mouth full of fantails - life felt good.
It didn't stay that way. For some strange reason I entered the Figure division and that was first up. I stood on the edge of the stage with 8 other ladies. I felt a little nervous but not too much so. I was told I was first up and that got the heart pumping, but still I felt sort of calm. That's why I was so totally and utterly unprepared for the stage fright that hit me in the guts the minute I walked out!!!! Holy Shit!!! My legs started shaking and my feet absolutely tottered in those heels. Heels that I had practised in a multitude of times with no problems! I got to the centre stage and tried to pull what is called the 'Relaxed Pose' (far from relaxing!!). It was truly awful! I then completed the T-walk down that stage and honestly couldn't believe how unstable I felt. At one point I went to complete a side chest pose and had to abort due to wobbly feet. I felt humiliated, embarrassed and ready to run home. No one, but no one, would understand just how awful those few minutes were. When I was back in the line with the other competitors, I couldn't even hold my relaxed pose because every time I lifted my ankle off the floor my foot shook so badly I had to plant it down again. My smile was terribly forced and, at times, my lips even quivered.
Needless to say that I wasn't called out in the final line up. I've heard since that it might have looked like I was surprised by that. I wasn't. I had no qualms whatsoever that I wasn't going to get anywhere in this division. My reasoning was because I had put on the least impressive T-walk in the world and looked anything BUT graceful and confident. On top of that I later realised that the criteria for this division included "no visible muscle striation". I have a little of that so I wasn't really suited at all for Figure.
Off I went and almost collapsed on Rob. I dreaded the thought of going out again and seriously didn't know how I would conquer those nerves. Rob and Vania (Ultimate Gym & Fitness) did a fantastic job of reassuring me that it would all be ok and just to breath, relax and prepare for the next division, Physique. It was confirmed that the physique division required a line up but no T-walk and I felt much better about that. Muscularity poses are my most comfortable so again I thought I could just muster up enough courage to face that stage again. First up was the Physique Novice category - open only to those who have never competed before. There was 9 of us.
This time I did a bit more big breathing, a bit more confident self-talk and a few stiff upper-cuts to my chin. I was 3rd in line and, before I knew it, being called out. This time I gave it everything I had, and the harder I went, the more comfortable it felt. As time went on I grew in confidence and starting actually enjoying myself. This time I was called out in the final line up and we completed a 'Pose Off' against each other, then back to the line for the winners to be called out. They went from 5th place to 2nd and my number wasn't called. The blood was roaring through my ears and I felt like I was going to suffocate.
And then they called me. Number 22. I won!!!!!!!! I actually won!!!! I've never won anything like this before in my whole life!!! I could hear the Katherine crowd going nuts and I wished I could bolt off the stage, leap over the chairs and hug them all!! I felt so proud for our little town!!!! I'm sure there were 500 of 'us' in those seats! Probably more like 30 but it felt huge and I felt so humble and proud of us all. We did it!!!!!
Instead of leaping over the chairs, I tottered out back and tried hard to wipe the smile off my face so I didn't look too much like a wanker. After congrats were out of the way, I chowed down on chicken and sweet potato. One thing I've learnt about myself - I never let anything get in the way of a good feed! Then some more lollies, sip of water and it was time to hit the stage again. This time in the Physique Open section - where anyone at all can compete. There was 5 of us.
Obviously the win had given me a confidence boost and this round felt even better than the last. The competition was good and the final pose off had me shaking with the effort. Again, they read from the bottom up, and again they called Number 22 as the winner!!!! Holy Crap!!!!! I won!!!! And yes - it DID come as a huge surprise to me! I couldn't see the muscles around me and I certainly couldn't pre-judge whether I thought I was better or not - nor would I want to. I was possibly on the edge of tears at the win and yet again, my support crowd was roaring!!!
I skipped my way off stage and was eventually informed that the winners of both Novice and Open would be challenging each other for the title of Ms NT Physique. A quick tally would prove that this didn't have to happen. So I returned to the stage where I received the ultimate title to round off a perfect day!!!!
Was the hard work worth it? Was the chicken & lettuce 'diet' a success? Did the comp live up to expectations?? YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The buzz of competing and the surprise of winning was FABULOUS!!!!! In fact, I can't describe how exciting the whole day was! And to share it with so many supporters, both in person and by phone, was incredible!!!! I wish everyone in the world could feel like that at least once in their life - for whatever reason at all!
And then it was over. Sort of. I was randomly selected for a drug test and was tailed by the testing-lady until ready for a wee. She is in a lot of my post-comp photos!!
One of the biggest surprises of the day was walking out to the support crew and seeing them all turn around with Team Engels signwritten across the backs of their t-shirts!!!!! Including the babies!!!!! WOW - WE MAY BE A SMALL TOWN BUT IT'S THE BEST DAMN TOWN I'VE EVER LIVED IN. I know it's corny but... I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!!
Wee completed - in full view of testing-lady! - we finally left the venue and the feeding frenzy for one began. I know you want to know this so I won't disappoint;
- huge lamb burger with fries
- 3 small bottles of bubbly wine- cold rock icecream - caramel with ferrer rocher mashed in
- cold chicken & cheese sandwich
- millions of chocolate fantails
- 3 cranberry & macadamia nut bars
- fruit
- coffee
My tummy felt like it was going to split and I eventually threatened to kill Rob if he ever let me eat like that again. I probably will though. And I won't kill him.
So I ended up walking away with 1st Place Novice Physique, 1st Place Open Physique, Overald Ms NT Physique Champ 2012. Certainly not complaining! Who would!
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