My Fitness Competition Nov 2006

Sandra Wickham Fall Classic 2006

I had almost backed out 2 days ago. My trainer Lindsay told me I didn't work hard enough and maybe I should just keep training and try next time. Jenna told me I busted my ass and deserved to walk across that stage that this was for me not some medal around my neck or a trophy that will only collect dust on a shelf. She was right. I started this journey and I had to finish it. I emailed fitness models from my favorite magazines and Monica Brandt emailed me back the night before the show. She didn't know me. Her pics were glued to my training logs. She was my motivation. Such a strong woman yet so feminie and beautiful. I couldn't back out now. A real live fitness icon was cheering me on. I couldn't email her back and say, "oh sorry I'm a coward."

The stage lights were blinding. I stood in the 3/4 pose I was trained to hold. I couldn't feel my body anymore. This was over stimulation at it's finest. I could only hear my mom's voice cheering for me. Maybe because her voice was so recognizable to me. Maybe because she was cheering louder than anyone else. Maybe because afer years of being a school teacher she only has one volume in a loud auditorium.

They could only call 5 girls names. I was about to walk off stage when they called my number. Inside it felt like I exploded!!! Surely someone had made a mistake. I stood their shaking in my bikini.
"In 5th place... Samantha Mack"
If I wasn't so dehydrated I would have peed my pants right then and there. A medal was placed around my neck and I smiled as if I had just won the lottery. This was it! This was what loving yourself fleels like.

That night my mom had just gotten out of hospital to come see me. She cheered louder than anyone else. "Mistress T" was there too. (She wasn't known as Mistress T back then, she was just my girlfriend. My biggest source of support and encouragement. Not just encouragement towards fitness but towards any and all of my hair brained spontaneous ideas.) My mom had knit her a teal scarf and touque for winter and gave it to her at that show (random side note.) Mistress T and I drove home in my big brown monster truck. We walked up to Granville Street and she bought me the biggest slice of pizza ever. It was less satisfying than I had hoped. I was too exhausted to eat.

After "Mistress T" left my apartment I ordered from panago. I had craved pizza for 12 weeks. No matter how tired I was I had wanted it for so long now that no matter how much my stomach rejected it, my mind was going to love the taste of a tropical chicken pizza with extra pineapple!!!
That night I fell asleep with a bottle of coke under my arm and a panago pizza box on my lap.
I woke up the next morning with a bottle of coke under my arm and a mangled panago pizza box next to my satisfied looking Rottie, Mr Muffin Head. My dog had bad gas that day.


I went back to work at the No5 Orange the next night I brought my medal to show the roided out bouncers who had been cheering me on all week. I was so proud. And to my surprise, everyone was proud of me too.