CRAIG PRODUCTIONS LLC

I thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to do what I love and serve people with my gifts. I love serving as a coach, trainer and mentor. It inspires me but I also enjoy seeing the fruit of believing in others. I love helping people find their self worth. Ironically, your self worth should not be established by your position or titles in life, but by your character. Your characteris challenged and develops during your contest prep. This is why competing is a JOURNEY.

I recall working with my clients at MY FITESS Gym in Renton and noticing these two beautiful young women working out. They had nice physiques and seemed very focused in their training. Being the vivacious person that I am, I called one of them out. I remember seeing Dana Strandemo and saying “Girl, you have an awesome physique. Do you compete?...Do you want to?” Its always funny when I do this, b/c the normal response is a look from them like “Are you crazy, who ME?”. And that’s where the seed gets planted. I see the potential in people and love to bring it out. I know that the journey will be worth it, regardless of the placing. Well, Dana and Amber Pederson ended up joining Save Fitness and started to train for Bikini. They learned how to pose, trained with the fitness team and got in incredible shape. You can imagine how proud I was when they both took 1^st and 2^nd at the Washington State Championships in July. J I just smile looking back….because the seed was planted just a few months ago, and here they were collecting trophies.

The Washington State was put on by Williams Productions and they did a great job. They had a fun Mardi Gras theme and the show ran very well. The backstage support and staff was readily available and the show had a very supportive environment. This show is growing so be sure to check it out if you weren’t there this year.

One of our Save Fitness members debuted as a Fitness competitor at this show. Her name is Lauren King, and somewhere btw being busy as an attorney, she made time to train for a fitness competition. I love clients like Lauren. She’s very self-motivated, reliable (meaning she does what she’s suppose to do) and takes personal responsibility. These are qualities that will serve her well if she decides to stay in the sport. She took 3^rd and impressed everyone with a physique that presented a great total package, her posing was on and her routine was packed with skill. Look out for her, she is making improvements and training for the Washington Ironman!

Another Save Fitness member, Cara Thien, came down from Canada to compete. Cara is a mother, wife, and business owner. Are competitors superstars or what? I am inspired continuously by how much a person can do in one day when they make their mind up! Cara performed her best routine to date with a physique that is always on. Cara and Lauren both work with my nutritionist, Pete Grubbs of Construction Zone, so they have him in their corner dialing them in. Cara took 2^nd and went on to place 1^st at the BCs in Canada the following weekend! She is now training for the Canadian Nationals!!

Viko Newman championed through a tough spring/summer after her injury prior to the Emerald Cup.  She has had to sustain her focus and motivation all year but she did it. Her physique was tiny and tight and her routine is always impressive. She has this joke about coming in second all the time, but those days are over. She won the Fitness AND the Figure Overall. I don’t have to say that I think Viko is well on her way to become a Pro very soon. No pressure  : )

This was a fun day for me to see the fruit of everyone’s hard work. The journey to competing begins with believing in yourself and then committing to all aspects of contest prep. It’s not easy but having a support group and team of people in your corner certainly helps. A nutritionist is highly recommended and if you can afford a trainer or coach, that would be ideal as you will learn so much in the mentorship process. For example, I think Shannon Gill is great with her clients. She’s very professional, thorough and cares! She will coach you through every step and be in your corner and give you the security you need. I tell her all the time how grateful I am to have her in the NW as a resource. She is also an excellent judge and takes notes, but if you need feedback, she is definitely one to approach.

Holla if you think you want to try Fitness, Figure or Bikini this Fall. The Washington Ironman is only 9 weeks away but like Dana and Amber, you could be on stage in the blink of an eye! Much love!

  

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