Gina Aliotti hasn’t competed since the 2009 Figure Olympia. She was the runner-up at the Olympia three times but took top honors at the 2008 Figure International. Many felt she was positioned to be the next Figure Olympia champion before she stepped away from the stage. She’s one of the few who have left the competitive stage on top of their game to pursue other interests. Gina passed on the 2010 Figure International and instead exchanged wedding vows with Michael Silva. Fast-forward to today and Gina shares with us this exclusive interview on her latest news. Gina and Michael are expecting their first child in January. Check out what the champ had to say about the big news and what’s ahead.
First, Congrats! How far along are you?
Thank you. Just over 12 weeks… We are due on January 17th.
Was this a “planned” addition?
Yes, my husband and I have been talking about it for a while and thought the timing was perfect! I wanted to spend a little bit of time, after competing to live and enjoy our first years of marriage and now we are excited and ready.
Do you know what the sex of your baby or want it to be a mystery?
We definitely want to know and will find out late in August at 20 weeks.
Do you have your names picked out?
We are tossing around a few names but not sharing any yet…
So it’s like a fitness routine – top secret until the big day?
Exactly!
So no plans of returning to the stage or will we see you after the baby is born?
Never say never but as of now stepping on stage is the last thing on my mind and enjoying my baby and all the joy he/she will bring is #1. As of now, I honestly can’t see how I would juggle a new born, contest prep, running my business and being a wife but hey, I know there are tons of super moms that do so I will never say never! My hat goes off to all those mothers because as of now, not sure how I would balance all of that! No matter what, my biggest priority is to ensure that I don’t put too much on my plate and I maintain balance in all areas of my life. I just want to live in the moment and see where motherhood takes me. If it is to the stage, that is where I will go but not making any plans now, just enjoying my journey!
Do you still follow the industry despite not being active on stage?
Absolutely! I have girls that compete and I love living vicariously though them! I am still very active at the Jon Lindsay’s NPC shows and love seeing the girls display their hard work and dedication. Being on stage is only a small part of the industry. What I love now is seeing it from a different point of view and being able to be hands on with my clients who have the dreams and goals that I once had! It has been really fun to be on the other side of the fence!
Tell the ladies what you’ll be doing to journal/document your pregnancy and where they can find more about it.
I will continue to post on my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/GinaAliotti) and blogging my “Beautiful, Healthy, & Fit Pregnancy” on The Gina Aliotti Fitness Network. I will be sharing my daily log with workouts, nutrition, how I am feeling, possible cravings, and just how my pregnancy journey is unfolding! I am excited to share my journey with you! I would love people to get involved, share their stories and be an active part of my pregnancy!
Besides the baby – what else have you been up to?
I have been really busy with my personal training and nutrition consulting business. Both in person and online I spend my days helping men and women, of all walks of life, bettering their health and fitness. My clients keep me really busy and I love every moment of it. I have also been busy creating my NEW Lifestyle Balance Diet Plan. I am excited to have completed this new project and have been really happy with the results people are getting! It is a downloadable Diet and Training plan that offers 85 pages of my tools and tips to get in the best shape and maintain your results for life. People are calling it their “Fitness Bible”, which is pretty cool because I created it to be used as a solid foundation for longterm results. On a personal note, Michael and I have done some traveling and spent lots of quality time with friends and family! I have really enjoyed some downtime, after 7 years of competing. 🙂
What’s been the biggest challenge since leaving the stage?
I would say, finding that balance again. Competing took so much of my life for so long and after stopping, it took me some time to get back to reality, finding that balance of normal life, training, etc. Ever since I was 19, I ate, breathed, and drank competitions. After deciding to take a break and move on with the next chapter of my life, it took me some time to reestablish goals, off the stage, discover what was going to work for me, how I wanted to train, etc. It has been quite a journey and taken me some time to get back to Gina Aliotti off the stage but with time, I reestablished myself, my goals, my dreams and what initially led me to competition and that is my absolute love for everyday health and fitness. Competition takes you to a completely different level of fitness, physically and mentally. I believe it takes time to regain your idea of reality and what is “normal”. I would say taking on the competition journey is a big challenge but then easing off the competition train is yet another big challenge in itself.
I am really excited to share my exciting news and Beautiful, Healthy and Fit Pregnancy with everyone!
Congrats Gina and all the best to you, Michael and the little one on the way!
