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Jessika
Lafontaine walked onto the Muscle Beach stage in 2005 for her
first ever bodybuilding show. She took her class, hands-down.
Taking a solid year off, this powerhouse made her second
appearance on behalf of the ABBA at this year's Provincial
Bodybuilding Championships. How did she look? Better? Well,
yes. Incredible? Absolutely. Shredded? Bingo.
This
middleweight owned that stage. There was no doubt in anyone's
mind. At one point during Jessika's routine, I looked over at her
fiancé, Mark. We silently smiled and shook our heads, in awe at
what we were seeing. She gave me goose bumps. |
Miss
Lafontaine takes her commitment to bodybuilding very seriously. In
fact, she says "I look at it like a job. I had visualized that day for
six months! I had every detail planned, which is crucial. It gives a
sense of being in control."
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Jessika and
Sabrina dueling it out at Albertas! |
Of
course, if you have dieted for a show before, you know that it is
quite difficult to do without a support system. "I am VERY
fortunate that I have a huge support system. Firstly, my fiancé
and trainer, Mark, has been by me through the highs and lows
(literally). He has competed in the past also, and truly
understood what I was going through. My (diet) coaches, Donna and
Brian, were very supportive and encouraging. Their upbeat
attitude, honesty, and constructive criticism helped me to be the
best I could on stage. My son Paris, who thinks bodybuilding is
totally cool, always puts in an extra effort to stay out of
trouble and help around the house when I’m contest dieting. He’s
always asking if he can grab me a Diet Pepsi or some Crystal Light
J My parents, my girlfriends, and my clients were all encouraging,
supportive, and interested. I have to thank everyone for
their patience with me during this process…. I definitely
wouldn’t have been as successful as I was had I done this journey
on my own." |
Jessika
not only wowed the crowd and judges into a first place finish in the
Middleweight division, but she also won the Overall title, as well as
the prestigious 'Best Wheels' award. Not so bad for her second show,
eh?
Our
feature athlete has a very wise approach to competing. When I asked
her how she felt about her competition, she shared this:
"I didn’t
feel I was competing against the other competitors but rather each of
us was competing against ourselves. Bodybuilding is a pretty
individual sport. It’s you and your trainers -- trainers are my
defense, and I am the offense. My biggest competition was myself and
my own expectations I had set for myself. You never know how anyone
else is going to look, and you have no control over judging. So, you
just give a 100% each day and hope that it’s good enough come show
time." And, clearly, it was.
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Like
many other competitors, Jessika loves being backstage on the day
of the event. "Bodybuilders… have a great camaraderie. The
volunteers and competitors are always helping each other out. And
it’s always nice to meet other competitors, someone who is going
through the same thing as you are."
So… What
Now? "Well, I’m still dieting and will be competing at
Nationals on August 18. One of my goals since the beginning has
been to represent Alberta at a National level. When I first met
Brian Logue he had a Team Alberta jacket on and I told him that
one day I will get my own! And sure enough, I am! I’m really
excited to experience that day and meet competitors from other
provinces. Everybody, make sure to come out and support your
Alberta athletes and the sport of bodybuilding!" |
Jessika's words of wisdom:
- I
think that if someone is thinking of doing a competition that
they have to be 100% sure it’s what THEY want. Make the decision
to compete from within and don’t be influenced by an outside
source. On those days that are really tough, and you only have
yourself to count on, you’ll need to dig deep for those reasons
to keep going.
- Do
everything your nutritionist tells you! No cheating. I have a
son and a fiancé to cook for while dieting, and I always make
sure that I cook with a sink of soapy hot water. I won’t even
lick my fingers! The point – be 100% committed to your diet. One
slip is the difference between first and last place.
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Surround yourself with people that support your decision to
compete and won’t try and sway you from your diet and training.
Some people just don’t understand that you can’t have “just
one”. Lastly, your off season is just as important, if not more,
that contest dieting. Train hard! Give every day your all so
that when you get on stage you know without a doubt that you are
the best you can be.
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