Forward Movement Magazine Winter Issue 1 2015/2016 | Page 43

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on yet?” On show day, to say I am anxious
doesn’t even begin to describe what I’m
feeling. At this point I’m running on pure
adrenaline and caffeine. Caffeine helps
too. Yet the majority of the day is spent....
waiting....and waiting. I’m only taking tiny
sips of water because I don’t want a water
belly on stage. But I’m thirsty! Backstage
is a sea of nearly naked competitors each
doing their own thing. Some are pumping
up with weights, practicing posing, or eating out of Tupperware containers.
When I finally line up in my height
class for what we call pre judging I’m so
nervous I swear I’m about to piss all over
myself (which I have never actually done
by the way). I’m sweating so much from
nerves I carry a towel with me to dab at my
underarms. (I can’t wear deodorant since

that will mess up the tan also.) Standing
in line I replay all of the encouraging comments in my head, “You CAN do this”,
“all you need is to BELIEVE in yourself ”,
“Accept your every flaw.”, “Know what you
are and who you are”.
All the competitors are told to walk
out and you’ve got 15 seconds to do your
routine. You train for 12 weeks (minimum), every hour, every workout, every
bite of food for 12 weeks to get 15 seconds to show ‘em what you got. I then
walk out on stage to some popular pop
song at the time. Bright lights are almost
blinding me but I can see the panel of 5
judges clearly. They are the only people I
see or even pay attention to. To me right
now, they are the only ones that matter.
These are real NPC judges, usually 3 men

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MODEL
Michelle Leavitt
HAIR AND MAKEUP
Kat Tinapple
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Audra Oden