2005 FITNESS OLYMPIA!!!

HELLO EVERYONE!!!

I am soooooooooo sorry that it has taken me so long to update my site and journal. Things have been very hectic around here. I finally sat my butt down to fill you in on what's happening in my life.

I had a great time at the Olympia this year. It wasn't as overwhelming as last year and I was a lot more relaxed and was able to take it all in. We stayed at the Orleans Hotel and Casino....ok, it wasn't the Mandalay Bay, but it wasn't as bad as everyone was making it out to be!!! The only set back and inconvenience this year was that the Expo venue was about 30 minutes away from the hotel and we had to be shuttled to and from the event.....but everything else was ok.

I had a great time meeting and greeting all of my friends and fans at the Meet the Olympians on Thursday evening. I sat at a great table with some of the best pros.....Annie Riveccio, Gunter Schlierkamp and Angie Semsch. Thanks everyone for stopping by my table to say hi!! Friday morning was pre-judging. I felt pretty good in the morning and was excited to step on stage. I was called out in the second group for physique comparisons, and was very pleased. My 45 second routine went really well. I felt that it was clean and each move was fully executed. I felt really bad for Debbie Czempinski. During her 45 second routine, she ended up pulling her hamstring(she just had surgery on both hamstrings 12 weeks prior to the O) Dennis and I ended up heading back to the hotel with Debbie and her husband Rob. What great people!!! We had to be at the Olympia Arena for 6pm that evening for finals.
The show started at 7pm and we were all ready to rock!!!! We started with our routine round. I was praying that I would get through my routine. (The week prior to the Olympia, I couldn't really practise my routine....my hip flexors and back were so sore and I ended up upping my cardio instead of risking/causing further injury.) My routine went pretty good considering and I ended up placing 2nd overall in this round!!!! It was such an amazing feeling placing that high in this round....these girls are so amazing and are fierce competitors!!
I was so happy for JEN HENDERSHOTT who won the entire show. She is a class act and she deserved the Olympia title. Kim Klein was 2nd, Adela Garcia 3rd, Tracey Greenwood 4th and Julie Palmer 5th. I ended up tying with Julie Childs in 7th and with dropping the high and low scores, I ended up placing 8th overall. I was very pleased with my placing and I hope to requalify next year.
The atmosphere behind the scenes were fun and relaxed and I had such a great experience...the girls are true professionals!!!
After the Olympia, Dennis and I went to dinner with Debbie C and her husband Rob. Debbie is hilarious and I'm glad I got to know her a lot better...........Congrats Deb on your 6th overall placing....you rock!!!

Saturday morning I had the best photo shoot ever!!! Steve Wennerstrom, Dennis and I met down in the hotel lobby at 6am and set out to do a crazy shoot.
Steve thought it would be a great idea to shoot at every hotel on the Las Vegas Strip...this was going to be a challenge. Lots of traffic, security, and tourists!!!!! Dennis was instructed to drop Steve and I off at every hotel, loop around and come back and pick us up. We must have looked like absolute idiots.......Steve was running around like a mad man with a camera wrapped around his neck and I was running after him in a gold bikini and 6 inch high heels!!! We had to shoot fast....security was brutal. We would pick a spot under the sign, pose and Steve would shoot and then we would run back to the road side to hopefully have Dennis waiting for us......at some spots, Dennis was escorted off the hotel property...slight delays. That left me standing at the side of the road in my bikini and heels..........I guess anything goes in Vegas!!!
We shot for about 2 hours and then headed back to the hotel. What an adventure!!! When we arrived back at the hotel, I started to feel nausea and ended up having to cancel my other photoshoots. I stayed in bed for most of the day and didn't even make it to the mens finals. I was kind of disappointed, but it was probably a blessing in disguise, because Dennis and I had to catch our plane at 7am.......we arrived at the airport at 4:30am. I felt better in the morning, so I guess I needed the rest Overall the Olympia experience was a good one and I look forward to seeing everyone in the New Year!!!

As I look back over my rookie year as an IFBB Fitness Pro, I don't think I could have ever imagined it to be as successful as it was.
2004-SOUTHWEST USA PRO CUP-1ST OVERALL & HORIZON AWARD
2004-FITNESS OLYMPIA-9TH OVERALL
***voted CBBF MVP and ROOKIE of the year from FLEX MAGAZINE
2005-FITNESS INTERNATIONAL/ARNOLD CLASSIC-10TH OVERALL
2005-NEW YORK PRO SHOW-6TH OVERALL
2005-EUROPA PRO SHOW-3RD OVERALL-OLYMPIA QUALIFIER
2005-CHARLOTTE PRO SHOW-3RD OVERALL
2005-FITNESS OLYMPIA-8TH OVERALL

I want to thank everyone who has supported and encouraged me on this amazing journey.
Grama Pat and Grama Shari, you both are amazing and you both put my mind at ease when I'm competing and Alex is staying at your homes, thank you Karen from KHPDesigns...you are amazing and a great friend, SPORTLAB nutrition, and Dennis......my training partner, nutritionist, and the love of my life........THANK YOU!!!!!

Some other good news....... I made the cover of MUSCLEMAG MEXICO. I will post the cover soon.

Now that competition season is over, I will have more time to update my journals and resopnd to my emails.

lots of love,

MINDI O
XO