Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I am so thankful for everyone who is in my life. I have the best teammates in the world. You all are truly unique, amazing and inspirational. I also want to thank my husband John who supports me with whatever crazy project I am working on and who is an incredible Dad to the "other" loves of my life-Ryan and Tori. My children are the air that I breathe and they are the sweetest angels. I am also grateful and thankful that my parents are with me still, as well as my brothers, sister and my extended family as well. It has been a tough year with my Dad experiencing health issues off and on. Right now, he is doing well and I am so grateful. It has been a rollercoaster but this beautiful man is a fighter. I am blessed to have a beautiful loving family and I know that many of you out there may no longer talk to your relatives for whatever reason. My advice to you is that no matter what, a blood line is important. Take the time to mend your ways and reach out to them. If they are your parents, dont ever let a day go by without telling them you love them. Have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving everyone!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Congratulations to all the atheles that competed this weekend! The weekend started with a fun plane ride to Boston with many of my Savage sisters. We were greeted at the hotel by one of my coaches Celia Thompson as well as Tyler, who is in charge of our reality show which is filming and being developed! It wasnt the best feeling in the world, having stepped off a plane and then having a camera in my face. I mean, does anyone ever look good after a flight? Well the day started bright and early with registration, seeing all my friends (old and new) and then photo shoots, promotions, meetings etc. Later in the day, we gathered for the annual Savage shoot at the Bellagio which was incredibly inspirational. It was amazing. I was brought to tears seeing all these beautiful women together- the bond that was there, was something that seemed to come from a higher presence. When the fountains came on, it was sheer magic. After the shoot, my staff went out for a staff dinner at the Bellagio. It was wonderful sitting out, looking at the fountain show once again. It was an emotional dinner as we all were so grateful to be a part of each others lives as well as our team. We talked about many of you girls who were competing and the joy you bring to our lives. Its truly magical. Later we went to see "LOVE" at the Mirage, before our team meeting. The team meeting was a wonderful experience where all the sisters got a nice gift from their coaches and we reminded the girls that this event was a gift and the winners are the girls who walk away with love and memories in their heart! Friday, the show began and through Saturday night, it was simply a beautiful display of gorgeous women from all over the world. Congratulations to all the girls who competed, whether they were Savage Girls or not. I want to give a shout out especially to Tiffani Bachus for winning Fitness Tiff is like a sister to me and I am blessed to have her as our official "registered dietician". To see her in the top 5 with Annette, Amber and Katie was so inspirational as she has a watchful eye on the nutritional needs of the entire team! Even after her win backstage, she was already meeting with Amber about her post show needs. That is the type of woman she is. I could go on and on about all the placings such as Lori Harder in bikini, Annette Perry, Janelle Nicole, Jess Kenney, Barb Server, Laura Kobar,Jodi Harrison,-you see I can on an on so I cant possibly name all the placings so instead, I want to congratulate EVERY woman on that stage. You all have your own story- such as Maria C -my teammate who learned about a serious diagnosis prior to this show, yet still came to Vegas and strutted her stuff onstage. And Lea N who just got back from Iraq and wanted to be a part of this journey and shined when she appeared! To all of you, embrace and take in this journey and remember it. Take it from a gal who is well into her mid 40's.... this is a time that you wil fondly look back on and remember. Make your memories and savor every minute... its a true gift...And remember, the 2010 season is just around the corner!! CAMP SAVAGE is January 29,30,31 in Boston-learn every aspect of how to prepare for shows the RIGHT way from the original camp in its 14th year. Look for weekly postings here on how to get through the offseason! Its an important time of year ladies so keep yourself in check!!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

We are off and running today to Las Vegas for the Fitness America World Championships. I am looking forward to seeing our teammates from all over the world and a fun time is guaranteed for sure! We are also being folowed by reality show cameras so Im not sure if they know what they are in for! The weekend has somany turns and twists-it cant be described! One thing for sure is that I am beaming with pride over my girls! They look fantastic as always but Im so proud to be with these smart, funny and caring women! Sure there are many people who say "how can these girls all love each other"- well they do... we are positive women who support one another.. this makes negative people uncomfortable and thats sad. We are good people, who give back to our community and help each other through those challenging days! So give a shout out to the gals competing this weekend in Vegas as well in Florida! Lets go have fun girls!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

NOTE: THIS IS A REPLAY FORM EARLIER IN THE YEAR BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS WORTH READING AGAIN SEEING THAT WE ARE SO CLOSE TO THE END OF 2009!!!

If you attended Sunday session last week, you know what this phrase means. Sometimes things happen at a workshop, a camp, a session, that makes me turn off the music and get down and dirty. For those of you who werent there (which is the majority of you) I will fill you in. As Lil P and I watched and critiqued the gals who were posing, we both noticed the same thing- here are 20 beautiful girls who look as though they are lost when it comes to presentation and confidence. I couldnt take it anymore and I said to Lil P, "I feel like shutting off the music and telling them how I feel". Lil P says "when has this ever stopped you?". Well, as Lil P knows me so well, I did just that. I gathered the girls together and said- basically "whats up". Why arent you confident? Why arent you feeling fabulous? When I talk this way, its not rehearsed, its raw and its straight from my heart. So it just comes out. I love you and all I really want is for you all to see what I see. I see some amazing people who are all, exceptional in so many aspects of their life. But when it comes to their appearance, they cringe. I remember a few years ago, watching Hillary Clinton getting interviewed. She was so well versed on every subject. She spoke with such confidence and passion. But when the interviewer asked her about her weight, she immediately sounded like every woman out there- unsure, ashamed and lost. I will never forget that moment and it reminded me of my recent Sunday session. Whether you compete or not, we all have had these feelings. Why do we let our opinion of ourselves rest on our abs or how tight our butt is? Why cant we look at ourselves first, from a more personal view- we are professionals, we are good students, we are great moms, we do well at our job, we are good daughters, we ALL are good at so much. Why do we let this "image of what we think we need to look like" rule us? Well, for those of you who compete, if you think your upcoming competiton is about your BODY, you are dead wrong. Its about charisma, the IT factor. Its about confidence and showmanship. Sure Savage Sister Lindsay Messina has a great body but thats not why she wins her competitions and graces the cover of magazines. She wins and gets the jobs because of her confidence, her charisma and her fierceness. This is what a winner is made up of- you are not a set of abs- you are not a pair of great legs- and once you GET this, you will have success. You need to be sure of yourself. You need to look inside of what you have done in your life and what you have accomplished outside of all this fitness stuff. For it is then and only then, where you will feel like you are one with yourself. When you walk onstage, the judges want to see charisma and a gal who isnt worried if her butt is too big or her abs are tight-they want to see a person who feels good in her own skin-this will make them DROP THEIR PENCILS as I have done in the past when I have judged shows. When I see that certain person come on stage and they are a sight to see, I drop the pencil and I enjoy their walk, their grace and their uniqueness! And those bright lights see right into your soul so unless you truly believe in yourself, you cant hide it! This doesnt apply soley to competitors. Its the same in life--when you walk into a room, your charisma is what makes you memorable. Stop worrying about your body and focus on your beliefs, your confidence and that certain something that makes you YOU

Saturday, November 14, 2009

NO LIMITS!

its hard to believe but FlORIDA and VEGAS (the last shows of the year are almost here!). We are so excited to watch our girls from all over the world congregate and look their best onstage! As a MOM to all of you, my pride runs deep and this year, its bubbling over for so many reasons. Many wonderful things have happened in my business that tested me, as a coach. My teammates have shown me their faith, dedication and love for what we are all about.
You have also been tested but you were smart enough to realize that this TEAM began over 15 years ago. Our rise to success came a long time ago.....MTV came LONG before this year...... our victories came LONG before this year......The reason why I built this team was that I truly wanted to take an otherwise selfish sport and make it a "group activity and hobby". I chose "team and value" over "quick" money and personal gain". My love for this sport grew at its inception and it has never "waivered". I dont want to hear "Im burnt out" or "Im too tired"......Working with you all is a gift and I dont take it lightly. So I want to thank those who have tested me... Your departure gave ME back MY voice. It reminded me of WHY I do this and WHY I adore you all! It reminded me why I scream and yell for you all at shows when others would just "sit and watch"....I cant wait to see you all shine onstage! You all worked so hard to look this good and to get where you are! Competing is FUN and its time to soar... there is no limit ladies to what you can do, and I thank EVERYONE for reminding me that the same is true for me as well!