About Me

I was born in Big Sur California January 31, 1968. My parents owned an outfitting business in the Sequoia National Forest so I learned how to ride a horse before I could even walk. I own a beautiful 17 hand Thoroughbred Mare and I love to ride her as often as I can. In 1972 my parents divorced and my Mom moved us to Alaska. I grew up hunting and fishing with my two bothers and my Grandparents. My hobbies aside from bodybuilding are camping and of course fishing. I don't get to do as much hunting as I would like but I do try to get in some Dove and Quail in the fall.

I now live in San Diego California. I moved away for four years to Boise Idaho for family reasons, but I will never leave here again, San Diego is paradise! I have access to the best deep sea fishing you could ever hope for. The great thing about living here is there is there is always something to do.

I work out at Sterns Gym in San Diego. I love it because it's an old school blood-and-guts style of gym with a history of heavy lifters, body builders and old style weights! Its always loud in there and sometimes it smells bad, but its home!

I am a very good cook and enjoy fine wines when its off season. I like to go dancing and want to take lessons when I get done with this seasons contests. I would also love to learn to fly.

How I Got Started In Bodybuilding

Next to how much can you bench the most often asked question is probably this one. Some might consider this answer a bit too much information, but I think its important for you, my fan, to understand who I am and why I do this sport. I started lifting my freshman year of high school in 1983. At the advice of my brother I joined up with every sport I could get into. He understood I think that this would keep me from having to go home till late at night. My mom was on her fourth marriage by then. The second of two abusive losers after my Dad. I was small for my age I doubt if I weigh 90lbs. I can remember hating feeling weak and vulnerable. I wanted to be big so bad..one day I saw the Charles Atlas cartoon in one of my brothers magazines. As silly as it seems now, I sent off for it. I was so afraid that they wouldn't send it to a girl that I put Sam on the return order form. Of course when it came through the mail my moms husband saw it. He thought that was the funniest thing... “ what are you going to do, turn into a man? “ It didn't matter what he said, I was determine to see if the program would work. Some of the stuff in the booklet was pretty corny I will admit but the basic theory was there. Now in 1983 at my High School, the weight room was for the guys only...so, here I come with my little booklet and I'm trying to learn how to even lift a weight little lone make something grow ...thank god the wrestling coach saw I was serious. He pulled me aside and said if I was going to take up space in his weight room I would lift correctly or get the hell out of there. Coach Wall's expertise was in power lifting. He started me on squats since that was the one thing non of the guys wanted to do. He was relentless. He added 5 lbs every time we lifted. He taught me how to attack a squat rack with pure concentration. To the floor and back up or it didn't count... at the end of a year I was doing 315 lbs. I left home on my 16th birthday. I finally found my Dad in Reno and moved in with him for a short time. I started going to McQueen High School and the coach there was a bodybuilder. I remember walking into the weight room and loading up the squat rack. I was showing off that's for sure! When I finished my set he walked up to me..”Yeah your strong alright..fat as a pig, but strong. Want to learn how to strong and lean?” so.. that's how I started bodybuilding. I did my first contest in 1987. The Nevada State, Tom Platz was the guest poser. I competed three more times till 1989. I tore out my knee skiing that winter and because I didn't have insurance it would be almost 6 years before I could afford to get it repaired. It would be another 10 years before I once again would be standing on the steps of a gym looking for the peace and balance that comes from lifting...

Why I Love Bodybuilding

Now that you know a little about how I got into lifting you may understand why I love it so much. There is an absoluteness to the weights. 200 lbs is 200 lbs.. yesterday today and forever. When all the aspects of your life may go crazy and shift out from underneath you, the weights will still be the same. As a teenager I really needed that. I found a peace and a strength in that knowledge. As an adult, I have found only the weights give me what is called a true value to value relationship. What ever I put in to them, I get out in an exact proportion. I have never found anyone or anything in life that does that. There is a line in the movie Conan the Barbarian, where his father is teaching young Conan about the enigma of Steel... and he says “You must learn its riddle Conan, you must learn its discipline! For no one, no one in this world can you trust.. not men, not women, not beast” then he points to the sword in his hand and he says..”this you can trust!”. That is the essence of my love affair with the weights. I know I can trust them and the mirrors don't lie.

No other sport requires the discipline of bodybuilding. Because your body is the sport you can never put it down or turn it off. Every workout has count. Ask any competitor and they will tell you, solving the riddle of their own body and learning how to get that ultimate hard dry shredded look from the correct diet can be a long and frustrating challenge. Its all so worth it!!. You see, when I'm on stage and I look out into a crowd and I'm posing for all I'm worth and the fans are asking for more.. I know for a very brief moment, I am understood. I am not looked at as a freak. They love that I have put 100% of my focus, my heart and my soul into bringing them the best presentation I could offer.

Things You May Not Know About Me, but Want To...

  • I love  the ocean. I wanted to be a marine biologist when I was a teenager
  • I like most types of music, although crap is crap and you know its crap because when you hear it you say “Turn that crap off!“
  • I love to go for long drives. Sometimes I will get in my car and just go for a couple of days and see what is down some road.
  • I have never been married and I don't have children. I do have a Chow dog and two freeloading cats plus my horse.
  • I don't own an alarm clock. If I want to wake up at a certain time I tell myself before I fall asleep.
  • My favorite color is copper or red / orange
  • My favorite flower is the Tiger lily
  • I like to wear fur
  • My first job was a paper route I was 7. My mom said if  I wanted a horse I had to pay for it
  • My cheat food is chocolate and I like dark chocolate over lighter.
  • I cant live without coffee
  • I love to shoe shop and have a serious weakness for high heels
  • Some of my favorite movies are: Southern Comfort, Man on Fire, Lust in the Dust, Silverado, Once upon a time in America and Lone Star. I cant think of  a Mel Brooks movie I don't like.
  • I always wanted to sail around the world and see the places I've only seen in National Geographic
  • I like men in suits
  • I'm very direct and sometimes rude. If you ask me to tell you the truth, I will.
  • I think I'm funny and I like to make people laugh
  • I like to read philosophy
  • The things I'm most proud about:
    • I live my life on my terms. I'm not afraid to say “I am what I am” you don't have to like me but you will respect me.. in turn I'll do the same back..
    • I lived through some very challenging  moments in my life. I still find joy in the journey