Archives for May 2008

Former Fitness Star Kelly Ryan and her husband Craig Titus have both entered guilty pleas late Friday night. The two have been in jail for the last 2 1/2 years awaiting trail on their live-in assistant, Melissa James. It looks like Kelly could get out with time served or spend just a few years in prison before getting released. Craig will plead guilty to more severe charges. The two will be sentenced on July 18th in Las Vegas. For more information on the plea and the entire saga that has transpired visit: www.titusandryan.com

Kelly and Craig at the IRONMAN PRO

Keep your eye on this little beauty in the Figure C Class this year. Michelle Anderson placed fourth in the NPC JR USA competition earlier this month and she has all the makings of reaching a top spot. Don’t be surprised if you see her in the top call outs in her next show and turning it out for a win. I like the package she brought to Charleston and if she matches it at her next show my money is on her to be in the running for top honors.

Michelle looked great at the ’08 JR USA.

A nice balance and great physique should
put her in the running at her next show.

If you’re looking for photos of every competitor who competed at the NPC JR USA, look no further. As the Official Photographer for the NPC, I finally have the galleries available to purchase prints of all your favorite competitors. The only gallery allows you to select various sizes, prints, crops and more. Check it out at photos.liftstudios.com and spread the word to others who may be interested.

The overall photos and thousands more available at photos.liftstudios.com

IFBB Pro Rosa-Marie Romero has landed her sixth cover. This time it is for Hardcore Aussie Muscle. The magazine is set to hit stands next week. This Australian beauty is the first female to land on the cover. The photo was taken by our Canadian friend Gary Phillips, location: Gold’s Gym Venice. Congrats Rosa-Marie!

I had a chance to shoot with one of the IFBB’s hottest figure pros, Felicia Romero, the day after her California Pro victory. We shot on Rodando Beach where the weather sucked for the most part of the day but once the sun broke we took advantage of it. She is an incredible model and it’s not by chance she has graced the covers of Muscle & Fitness Hers and FLEX’s swimsuit issue (the current issue – make sure you check it out). Her manager, JM Manion, allowed me to shoot in between his shoots with her and I’m happy to shoot one of the IFBB’s rising stars. Keep an eye on her as she is preparing for the Houston Pro show which will be held on July 4th. She has all the makings to win the show and go on to do well at the 2008 Figure Olympia. Here’s a few shots from our shoot…

A Beautiful Divide of the Mother Nature and Civilization.

Felicia is on the prowl for another victory in Houston.

Felicia makes any photographer’s job easy.

Not everyday you see this on the beach.

A few of the Florida IFBB pros share their thoughts on the loss of NPC judge and IFBB Promoter, John Organ. John was laid to rest in Florida on Sunday.

I first met John when I started competing in 2003. The following year, I won his show the Florida State for figure and even up until this year he still called me, “Ms. Florida.” I have gotten to know John over the past few years and I am thankful that I did. He was an honest, caring and giving man with a great sense of humor. When I heard that he had passed, my heart just sank and I was speechless. I just spoke to him about 11/2 weeks ago and had many laughs. My deepest sympathy goes out to all his loved ones. He will surely be missed by many. Rest in Peace John.
– Krissy Chin

Certain special people have a gift of being able to make other people feel good just from their presence. John had this gift. He always made you feel good just by being around him. His fun, easy going demeanor and kind words made you want to stop, slow down and chat even in the seemingly most stressful situations. John’s always present encouragement and smile made a world of difference in many lives including mine. Heaven has gained a special soul and we have lost a true friend.
– Shannon Dey

I was very sadden to hear the news about the passing of John Organ. I spoke with him a few times and could tell that he was a kind and genuine person. My heart goes out to his family and I will keep them in my thoughts and prayers.
– Kristal Richardson

I met and have known John since I competed in my first competition at the Gold Cup. After the show he gave me inspiration and motivation to continue in the sport of figure. Cannot remember at time when John was not full of life. He smiled and laughed a lot. I remember at the Palm Beach Pro he was driving back and forth to the airport for his guests. I also remember him considering changing the venue so that his competitors would have more room on the stage and the audience would be more comfortable. If you knew John you could feel he had a big heart and sincerely cared for others. He was a very kind and gentle soul and I will miss him very much!!!!
– Paola Almerico

I am terribly sad to hear of the passing of John Organ. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.
– Desha Rodriquez

John was one of the first ‘industry’ people I ever met. He judged me at 1997 Southern States and was quick to offer advice and guidance. Over the years, he became a good friend and was always available for a chat. He had a true passion for the bodybuilding/fitness industry. I am so very honored that he chose to use my image for the backdrop and shirts for the Palm Beach Pro. One of my fondest memories of him, was running into him in the Keys. I had gone down there for an annual ‘end of the season’ party for local bartenders and nightclub industry. I certainly didn’t expect to see anyone I knew from the fitness industry there. I heard someone calling my name, and there was John, beer in hand, having a good time watching the hot bod bikini contest. We always looked back on that with a laugh. He always seemed to have a smile on his face, and that’s how I will forever remember him.
– Christine Wan

My rant for the week and keep in mind this is only my opinion but based on first-hand experience the last few of weeks.

Competitors, you choose to be part of the fitness and figure industry. No one is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to compete. Why bother if all you’re going to do is piss and moan about judging, where you placed and how tired you are? Why take out your lack of carbs on your boyfriends, husbands and friends? It’s not their fault you are depriving yourself of sweets and various foods. Competing should be fun and a journey where you learn about yourself, setting goals and having a sense of accomplishment. When you are doing hours of cardio and depriving yourself of carbs; of course you’re tired and exhausted but it’s not a free ticket to be a bitch. I see it all to often where competitors go into their own little bubble (men and women) and alienate the people who care about them the most. I’ve competed twice so I know the feeling and can relate but it’s not healthy nor should it be an excuse. I’d encourage everyone to have a sense of balance this competitive season and take a step back before ripping someone’s head off. Be thankful for your health and the opportunity to compete.

Two competitors stood out this month and I applaud their positive attitudes. Lenay Hernandez competed for the first time on the National level stage and turned pro. When I spoke with her she glowed and was on cloud nine about her victory. She had every right to be proud and on top of the world, she proved all the negative people wrong who want to cry “politics” or “paying your dues”. She showed up on top of her game and did her thang. Her happiness and positive outlook was refreshing. Call it naive or what you will but I like it. The second competitor is Celeste Gonzalez who showcased a winning attitude despite being out of the top ten at the Cal Pro show. Celeste was very appreciative to be in the United States and compete in the IFBB. She lives in the Canary Islands of Spain and it’s not the easiest route to get to the US for a competition. Instead of complaining about where she placed she was elated to be in the US, have the opportunity to do photo shoots and visit Venice Beach. She’s a reminder that those of us in the United States have many more opportunities than those living in other countries. Celeste’s attitude combined with her stunning looks will open up more doors than she realizes. There are plenty of attractive people in this business and remember your attitude means a lot in the industry. Magazines and photographers don’t want to work with beautiful people who are a pain in the ass. There are plenty of attractive faces who aren’t difficult and negative.

Think before complaining, tearing down fellow competitors and pointing fingers at others when you aren’t happy with yourself. We’re all a little guilty of being negative at times but remind yourself it could always be worse and be thankful for what you have.

Hulk Hogan and the Incredible Hulk will team up to host the June 9th episode of American Gladiators. The original Incredible Hulk, Lou Ferrigno, is heading to the American Gladiator set to promote the new Incredible Hulk movie. The arena will be totally revamped with Hulk theming for the epsiode. Audience members will be given “Hulk Hands” to wear throughout the show. Everything will be green for the show. Should be an interesting twist but will it help the falling ratings for the NBC show? The Incredible Hulk movie needs all the help it can get if it is anything like the first one. The computer generated Hulk in the first movie was about as bad as Lou asking for $10 just to take a photo with him.

No word on whether Lou charged fans to sign a pair of Hulk hands.

I asked 2008 NY Pro Fitness champ, Heidi Fletcher what she thought of Tracey Greenwood and Shannon Meteraud thinking they were going to leave her behind like a Texas tornado. Her response was, “They better bring it”. It’s shaping up to be an old fashioned shootout on the fourth of July weekend. The IFBB Fitness and Figure pros will take the stage in Houston over the fourth of July weekend.

One staple of most competitors contest prep includes peanut butter, some even throw in a little sugar free jelly from time to time. Last weekend IFBB Figure Pro Sonia Adcock was carrying around a quart of the nutty goodness. Lenay Hernandez mixes hers with rice. I had to hide the peanut butter from myself when I competed. What is it about the smashed nuts that makes competitors go wild?

In honor of this great dietary treat, I give you “Peanut Butter Jelly Time” – check it out if you need a good laugh.

IFBB Figure Pro Zhanna Rotar and her main squeeze Tamar got an eye full on Monday. Those who haven’t been to Venice Beach it’s worth the trip just for the people watching. As you can see here, you never know what you might see in California’s popular tourist spot… Muscle Beach. Word on the street is that this character had nothing to wear until Ron Avidan lent him his leopard print underoos.

Lions, Tigers and Leopards… OH MY!

IFBB Figure Pro from the north, Jane Awad, checked in with me to report she will be back on stage and is gunning for the Houston Pro Figure contest. Jane took some time off and herself off the market by getting married. She has also been focused on her training studio “Train With Jane.” Recently relocated to California, Krissy Chin, will be making her 2008 debut at this show. Krissy worked her way through a few NPC shows in early 2007 before reaching pro status in New York. We’ll see how productive her off-season has been in a few weeks. Rookie sensation, Lenay Hernandez will be making her pro debut at this show. Nay Nay tells me she is eager to get back on stage and “Shoot for the moon if you don’t reach it you will still land among the stars.” You have to love the attitude of this Miami beauty. Colorado Figure Pro Jessica Steffens will be making her debut at this show as well. Others who are slated to be in the show are Elisha Archibold, Tivisay Briceno, Andrea Dumon, Carol King, Patricia Mello, Petra Mertl, Karen Mullarkey-Barringer and Amy Peters. As soon as the official competitor list is released you can find it here on hardbody.com.

A little fitness battle is brewing on the East Coast. Shannon Meteraud is definitely doing the show and she’s in it to win it but Ms. Greenwood thinks the title is hers. hmmm. Tracey told me yesterday that she may love Shannon but “I’m going to show her how it’s done”. Which of the duo will finish higher? Will Dr. Greenwood be able to handle defeat if Shannon triumphs to victory on her return to fitness? What about Fletch, she could steamroll them both. I haven’t heard who else is doing the Houston Fitness portion yet but the Three Stooges from the East will provide plenty of entertainment for those in attendance.

There are a number of women throwing their names into the mix for the Houston Pro Show, slated for July 4th. This weekend Felicia Romero, Heather Mae French and Celeste Gonzalez informed me they would be competing in this show.

Tracey Greenwood reassured me that she would “destroy” her competition in Houston. She wants all her fans to know that she is coming back to Jersey with a win and leaving Heidi Fletcher in the dust. Let’s see if Tracey is all talk or she lights up the fitness stage on Independence Day.

Celeste Gonzalez may have placed out of the top spot at the IFBB Cal Pro figure competition but this Spanish beauty is one to watch. I caught up with Celeste this evening for a photo shoot and she was a natural in front of the camera. Thanks to FLEX magazine’s Senior Editor, Allan Donnelly for being my semi-translator during the shoot. We ended the evening with dinner at Jerry’s where Celeste enjoyed chicken parmesan and sweet potato fries. Here’s a glimpse at this beautiful woman from the Canary Islands.

Stunning Celeste in Los Angeles after the IFBB Cal Pro.

I caught up with Jamie Costa (who won the A class at the NPC JR USA) today for a photo shoot. Jamie stood out to me at the prejudging rounds. She had a very attractive look and is one of the fresh faces on the figure scene. Little did I know but it was her Birthday. The lovely little lass turned 24 today and tells me she is headed to Chicago with hopes of returning to her Vegas home as an IFBB Pro. Jamie is avery photogenic and we had a great shoot. Here are a couple pics from today. We had plans to shoot at Red Rocks in Vegas but the weather didn’t cooperate for us and we ended up making the most of it indoors.

Jamie Costa, NPC Figure Competitor.

Happy Birthday Ms. Jamie.

A report from Ron Avidan has Felicia and Heather Mae French being compared for the top spots. Also in the mix is Huong Arincas and April Fortier. I am not at the show but big Ron is and will give me more updates as they happen. J.M. Manion also checked in with me from the photographer’s pit and commented that Heather Mae French looks good and could win the whole show.

I ran into Colorado Pro/Am Champ, Sara Hurrle at Denver International Airport this morning. She was eyeballing the ice cream but told me she was about to eat some steak. I was in line at the Great Steak Escape but Hurrle declined my invite for a meal. Sara is set to compete in her second show in the NPC or ever for that matter. Good luck Hurrle give em hell in Cali.

Hurrle poses for my iphone photo shoot in DIA.

Last weekend at the NPC JR USA, Tres Bennett made mention at the mic that his wife Shannon Meteraud might be making a return to the fitness stage. Could it be true? All signs point to yes. Shannon loves to be elusive with her answers whenever I ask her anything and continually busts my chops about where I put her in my prediction previews. As I’ve told her, it works to her advantage… Whenever I don’t have her winning she does. She won the Europa Super show last year and recently placed fifth at the Pittsburgh Pro Figure show. Now it seems she has her sights back to where she had originally found success, fitness. Shannon’s a veteran to the fitness stage and has competed and placed relatively well along the way. The Houston Pro Figure could end up being an East Coast battle between her, NY Pro Fitness champ Heidi Fletcher and the ever entertaining (on and off stage) Tracey “trixie” Greenwood. Tracey and Shannon were practicing their routines while in Charleston and neither is letting me know what they have in store for the July performances. I asked Tracey today if they would be performing together as the Ambiguously Gay Duo. Still no word on whether that is the case. It will be fun to see Shannon back on the fitness stage and I applaud her for mixing things up.

Shannon backstage at the 2008 Europa Super Show.

Fans of figure have been curious what Ms. Mary Elizabeth Lado has been up to so I decided to do a little investigating. It was good timing as her manager told me he was doing a photo shoot with her the next day. J.M. Manion sent me a sneak peak at the newest version of Mary Elizabeth Lado. The edition we saw at the Olympia was not one we’re used to seeing and many fans were left wondering what happened. Mary took some time off and is ready to unveil the new package at Dexter Jackson’s Pro Figure show. Mary’s plans are to compete in Florida with hopes of qualifying for the Olympia. If she does she will compete in the Olympia and then return to Columbus to take the title away from Gina Aliotti. Gina vs Mary in ’09 could be a great match-up. First thing first Mary is 12 weeks out in these photos and ready to rock the stage again.

Mary Elizabeth Lado 12 weeks out.

You can hear from Mary on the newest episode of the Bodysport.com radioshow. Also worth mentioning is her endorsement contract, along with MaryJo Cooke’s, was dropped by VyoTech when the new investors came on board. If any one is looking, Mary is available for work and can be contact through FMG at fitnessdivasproductions@verizon.net. Good Luck Mary we’ll see ya on stage soon.

IFBB Figure Pro Mavis Tozzi has been keeping a low profile lately and when I chatted with her fellow Floridian, Christine Wan, I prodded to hear what she was up to. The last I spoke with Mavis she told me her and her husband were trying to have a child. Well I’m happy to report that months later their practicing has paid off and the couple is expecting a baby boy. Mavis shared with me that she is 20 weeks into her pregnancy as of today. The new addition to the Tozzi household is schedule to arrive on October 10th, three days before proud momma’s 42nd birthday.

She shared, “I’m bound and determined to have this child out before I turn another year older!”

Rest assured those of you reading and concerned about her having a child at this age. She told me that she is well aware of the potential complications and she did the amnio test and the results showed all is great. Momma is feeling good and is adjusting to her body getting bigger rather than shrinking. Mavis is thrilled and looking forward to the new chapter in her life. Congrats Mavis! All the best in the weeks ahead during your pregnancy