Getting ready for the Olympia was both exciting and nerve wracking.  After all I was competing with 34 other pro bikini champions, and I knew everyone would look amazing.  I felt that I had developed my best ever physique, but I also had a poor placing at the Arizona Pro just the weekend before the Olympia.  I could have let that destroy my confidence, but instead I waited around for the show to end at the AZ Pro, and spoke with the head judge to get feedback.  The feedback was encouraging, and I was told that I really just needed to work on posing.

During Olympia peak week I scrutinized photos and video from my last show the weekend prior, and decided to change my suit from kelly green to vampire hologram (yep I always have multiple options).  I also watched tons of You Tube videos from different shows to pick up some things to add to my own posing.  And my coach helped me work on my walk.  He told me that I tend to walk like I am marching—I was in the Army for 8 years, ok.  Plus I was a cheerleader and gymnast, so sexy walk was not my thing.  My coach told me to focus on crossing my legs a little while walking to get my hips moving, and it looked so much better. 

Bright and early Wednesday morning I flew out for Las Vegas.  The awesome thing about the Olympia is that your flight and three nights at the host hotel are paid for!  You even get picked up at the airport.  So VIP.  I met with my coach a couple times on Wednesday and Thursday, and did my last workouts.  Since I was competing again the next weekend I still kept some light workouts and cardio in. 

Thursday was the Meet the Athletes event, and we got our official Olympia clothing.  That was a special moment for sure.  I wasn’t sure anyone would stop by my table, but some people I knew did, and some people I didn’t as well.  One cool visitor was someone who had judged me when I first started competing and said he knew then that I was “going places”. 

I didn’t get much sleep the night before prejudging because the meet and greet ended late, and I had to get up early to tan and get ready to compete.  I snapped a quick photo to compare my physique to past shows, checked in with my coach, and then headed off to get glammed up by Glossa makeup.  This was my first show trying out sparkly eye makeup and slightly wavy hair, and I think it will be my new signature look. 

Backstage at the Olympia was soooooo nice.  A dressing room with mirrors, seats, beautiful lighting, plug ins for your curling iron, a pump up room with weights.  I was last on stage in a lineup of 35 ladies, so I was waiting and waiting forever it seemed, but when I went onstage I was very ready and just showed off everything I worked for.  The music was perfect and I hit my posing the way I wanted to.  I ended up placing 11^th out of 35 pro champions in my first Olympia, and could not be happier.