The Mighty Kat is a personal trainer and natural bodybuilder. She has competed with the INBF, OCB and NPC, ranking top three placings between them. Her original training articles have appeared in many major bodybuilding magazines, including Muscle & Fitness, Natural Bodybuilding & Fitness, Fitness & Physique, Exercise for Men Only, Oxygen and more.

Bodybuilding is one of the best things I've ever done for myself. People who don't understand it can still enjoy the person it's helped shape me into. And for those who do have an idea of what it's all about, there's no quicker way to convey to someone that you possess strength and discipline than sharing your bodybuilder identity.

Stats
Height 5'10"
Weight contest – 114, offseason 120-125
Best bodyparts – chest, abs
Favorite bodyparts to work – back, shoulders


RFOS Q&A


How long have you been training?
Since 1990

What could be done to help improve/promote Women's Bodybuilding?
It depends on who you want to promote it to. To attract women to participate, organizers need to reach out to potential competitors, entice them with the fun of it, and provide education about how it's done. To attract fans isn't challenging at all – people have always
been excited by feats of strength, unusual and beautiful physiques, and champions.

Now, to convince the monopolizing giant corporate-level organizations, that's a dark and sticky ball of wax. I think the only thing that'll get organizations like the IFBB to get a grip on female bodybuilding and treat it appropriately is a complete overhaul of staff and mindset, so I'm not holding my breath there. Instead, I'm investing my energy in the natural bodybuilding organizations like the OCB, who do value the women and their marketing power.

What was your last contest and what was the result?
Last fall I did a couple of shows. Both were third Places – one of those I wasn't pleased about the judging, but the other was a very strong third from a strong line-up, and I am very proud of that placing. The announcer said there was just one point between second and third place, to boot.

Do you get negative comments from people with regards to your muscles?
Actually, I get overwhelmingly great comments from people. Both men and women have been so wonderfully forward with their compliments on my strength and physique, it really touches me. Women are inspired by positive, strong female role models, and men nearly always take their lifts up a notch when I'm blasting around in the gym in high gear.

My favorite, though, was the man who ran up to me while I sitting in my truck woofing down food after a work out, gushed over the veins and muscles in my arm and said, "I'm going to be like you!"

Have you ever surprised yourself with you own strength? Like you
forgot you were that strong??? Please Describe...
I tend to surprise others with my strength. When I'm fully clothed, people tend not to suspect my freaky strength. Like the guy at the Christmas tree farm where I worked who came up to me, annoyed – he wanted someone to carry his tree out to his car and tie it to the
roof. "Sure," I said, hoisted it over my shoulder and trekked down the hill. He looked pretty sheepish after that. Another time I was working at a nursery, and I needed to move our tall and large flatbed trailer.
I didn't have a tractor, so I got behind it and slowly got it moving, then rolled it smoothly down the line. I was surprised when cheers and applause erupted from a couple of plant houses away – a crowd of Mexican guys had gathered and were watching the whole thing.



Describe how you have used your physical strength, outside the gym,
when has it come in handy?
One time at the airport, I was looking for my brother, when unbeknownst to me, he rushed me fullspeed from behind and jumped straight at my back, and I reflexively caught him piggyback style. We were both pretty lucky I happened to be strong enough to take that, in retrospect!

Any message to Bodybuilding fans?
Be vocal. Be inspired. Let your idols know you admire them. If you can't financially support your favorite athletes, give them what you can. You'll never know how much one quick word might mean to her.

For those of you who are considering getting into bodybuilding, educate yourself. Bad information is much easier to come across than good when it comes to manipulating body composition. Done wrong, bodybuilding can be extremely dangerous, even deadly. Done right, it can bring your body into a state of terrific health and be a rewarding experience.

What is the best way to contact you?
Email me through my website. I also offer online personal training via email – see my site for details.

If you have a web page/site what is the address?
WWW.mightykat.net