SC: Thanks for the interview Rebecca.  Can you please give us a description of yourself?

RL:  It is my pleasure. I am 30 years old and work in Bowmanville, Ontario as a dental hygienist. I recently got engaged to my biggest supported, Tyler Prout. I'm a very motivated individual who sets goals and strives to achieve or exceed.

SC: Do you prefer to go by Rebecca or Beckie?

RL:  My friends all call me Beckie.

SC: Congratulations on winning the Overall at the 2009 IDFA Natural Novice Classic.

RL:  Thank you very much.

SC: How long have you been weight training and/or involved in fitness?

RL:  When I was 2 yrs old I started dancing. My parents signed me up because they thought it would help my balance. This was and still is my passion. As I became older and dance classes changed I decided to join a gym. I first joined a gym when I was 21 but really had no idea what I was doing. I decided December of 2007 to seek help from a personal trainer. It was then that weight training started to change my body.

SC: Tell us about how you became interested in competing in Figure.

RL:  I had seen fitness competitions and body building magazines before but never considered it something I could do myself. It was when I saw my first trainer that the idea of training for the IDFA Novice Classic May 2008 was brought to my attention. This became a goal which I was determined to achieve.

SC: What motivates you on those tough days during contest prep?

RL:  Once into training, I find it is the people that are blown away by the dedication and the changes in my body that keep me going. The harder days that I felt like I was too tired I looked toward my goal and invisioned what I wanted myself to look like.

SC: How long have you been competing?

RL:  My first show was the IDFA Novice Classic 2008.

SC: What have you learned from competing?

RL:  Wow I have learned so many things. I have learned how to eat clean, and train hard, to name a few. I have also learned that the effort we put in becomes evident in our bodies. I had no idea when I started training what my body was capable of.

SC: Do you have any tips or advice for upcoming figure competitors?

RL:  Put 100% effort into it and you will be rewarded in the end.  Regardless of placement we have all succeeded by making our bodies what they become.

SC: Do you train on your own or do you have a training partner?

RL:  I have an amazing trainer, Tara Minacs. She was great motivation through my entire journey to this show.

SC: What about supplements?  What are your favourites?

RL:  In my opinion supplements make a world of difference.  Some of my favorites would be protein shakes, BCAAs, fish oils and multivitamins.

SC: Any big shows coming up?

RL:  Not this year.  I decided when I started training back in January that I was only going to do the one show this year. I have tentatively decided to aim for the IDFA November 2010 show.

SC: Any parting words?

RL:  I would like to take this opportunity to thank my family and friends for all of their support. I would also like to thank Tara Minacs, the and IDFA, and my fellow athletes who have become great friends and support while we all trained for our shows. And last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank my fiancé. He has been amazing through this journey.

SC: Thanks for the interview Rebecca. 

RL: It is my pleasure. Thank you for this opportunity.