Tennis and Tennis Fitness (2002 - current)

In spring 2002 I competed in bodybuilding for the last time. Which I didn't know at that time... But in summer, I picked up a tennis racket and hit a few balls... just for fun. Recreational. I thought...!!

But tennis is an amazing challenge, not just physical, but also mental and spiritual. Since summer 2002, I've been playing every day, working with several coaches, improving dramatically. In 2004 I started to compete. I've been playing  in the USTA's team tennis system, and tournaments and competing to this day.  Tennis is wonderful! It keeps me in great tennis fitness shape.  My body adjusted to the new activity and I dropped about 30 lbs and staying at lean 157-160 lbs. I do the weight training workouts in the gym 3 times a week, and yoga, stretch, work on my speed, footwork, drills, mental training... everything possible tennis fitness oriented! And in 2007 I've included Kettlebell workouts into my program. Also, in February 2007, I started to learn playing lefthanded. I have a special racket with two-handles (you can see it in the picture), so I don't need to switch the racket between my hands. My goal is to be the same athletic on the left side like on the right side. It's all about balance, isn't it? In the body, mind and spirit.

It's been an amazing and at the same time frustrating journey in 2007. Learning how to play lefthanded was quiet challenging, and I think I wanted to give up at least once a week. But I of course, I did stick with it, and finally my whole - now ambidextrous - game is getting all together. I've noticed how my different tightnesses and imbalances were "moving around" in my body, as I was working on the left side. Now the body is getting nicely even and I could call it "ultimate tennis fitness" maybe?.
 

2007 Tennis tournaments summary

2006 Tennis tournaments summary

2005 Tennis tournaments summary

2004 Tennis tournaments summary

Bodybuilding  (1997-2002)

My first first contest was in fitness, in Sweden 1994. I was a big girl then, too. But only 156 lbs compared to my 190 lbs now, 5 years later. I moved to US 1996 and after settling down I needed a challenge again and stepped up on stage in a local fitness contest. I performed my routine on rollerblades, it was different, it was cool. I  did ok, I liked it and one judge lady told me that I have a size to enter a bodybuilding contest. So I did. In May 1997 I entered the bodybuilding scene for the first time. I loved it, so I did another 18 contests that year. I got some stage experience and was ready for the next year. Fewer but bigger contests. More learning, especially in posing and nutrition. Experimenting lots with everything. Sometimes, I really don't like being 6 foot tall. It takes forever to look big. Put on 5 lbs muscle on 6 foot girl, you can hardly see where these pounds go. Unless they go in the butt. Then you can  notice that. I don't know where my pounds went, I guess in my butt. Laughs. At The Mecca my nick name is "Big Butt". So, in 1999 I did just three contests, creating my own diet from last year experiments (yes, everything is in my computer and analyzed) and got it pretty much right on a money. Even though I started a bit late, I got my body fat down to 9.5% and went on stage 171.5 lbs. I won the tall class in Natural Olympia. 

No contests this year, but I'll be on the stage again in April/May 2002, probably around 176 lbs. 

Strength. Powerlifting. Olympic Lifting  (1998-1999)

I just do it for fun, to do something different and to learn something new. Don't ask me how much I bench press, because I don't. I press in Hammer machines. Olympic lifting drives me crazy - long arms and long body, it takes forever to power clean and push press the barbel above my head. But challenge is challenge, gotta do it. My personal record is 180 lbs in both power clean and push press. The man I've lifted above my head was around 140 lbs. Deadlift around 315 lbs, just  a couple of weeks after I started to do it. Squat, I just tried a quarter squat - 545 lbs. And for you curious, I leg pressed 1100 lbs . I don't do heavy exercise for my legs, I want them to shrink. For the shrinkage, I discovered the holy medicine: each workout, I warm up with 4 sets of 30-40 lunges with 95-135 lbs. You have to try it! If  a friend works out with me, he gets his butt sore  for a couple of days just from the warm up. And for you biceps lovers, I got a world record in strict biceps curl. Which I forgot what I curled, I guess it was around 96 lbs. I don't like biceps curls, I just did it because they needed a girl in the team. 
 

Rollerskate Dancing

I've been a skier all my life. I ice skated ocasionally too. After my move to Venice Beach I discovered the joy of 8 wheels under my feet slipping away without warning, so I decided that  I have to master this. I learned fast, no biggie, all these years in the slopes and forests cross country skiing payed off. Suddenly the wheels were not any challenge. So I made it a challenge - I started to dance on them, hip-hop, break dance and other tricks. The artistic rollerskate dancing was growing and contests started to show up. I competed in a couple of fitness shows on my rollerblades, showed off in New York in Maury Povich show, and entered serious roller dancing contests. I won some and became a national level competitor. Rollerskate dancing was a great complement to my bodybuilding. Just imagine 6 foot almost 200 lbs girlie break dancing on rollerskates? If that exceeds your imagination limits, come and see me dancing in Venice Beach. I'll teach you something. 
 

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