Three years ago, Christie Bailey had never dreamed of the idea of becoming an NPC Bikini athlete, but she was definitely interested in fitness. Inspired by a book about women’s weightlifting and nutrition, she made a dramatic lifestyle change and fell head-over-heels in love with the world of fitness.
After reaching fitness goals that she’d never thought were possible before, she decided that she wanted to go even farther and see what competition was all about. With help from Shawn, she didn’t just see what it was all about – she took home first place!
So what’s Christie’s story and how did she go from being a somewhat hesitant amateur competitor to getting her pro card in just three years?
Christie Bailey’s Dramatic Transformation
Christie’s journey to become a first-place NPC bikini athlete began just three years ago, when she picked up a really inspiring fitness book. She started weightlifting, and she began to adjust her diet.
Soon, she began to see amazing results, and to stay motivated, she would go online and look at pictures of top fitness models. As she began to follow some of these women, she noticed that a lot of them were NPC Bikini competitors, and she started to look into what it would take to compete.
From her research, she found out that NPC Bikini competitions involved more than just fitness. Not only would she have to increase her performance in her workouts, but she would also have to follow an incredibly precise nutrition regimen.
And, of course, she’d have to learn to pose, as well, because competition involves a lot of details that most people really don’t understand. So, while her journey had started out on her own and had quickly become an expert in nutrition and fitness, she knew that she needed help if she wanted to be a serious NPC Bikini competitor.
That’s when Christie teamed up with Shawn to make her final transformation from being a fit, strong woman with all-new confidence to becoming an outstanding competitor who not only placed in her first competition but won it and earned her pro card!
Finding the Right Coach
Because she’d had so much success with her initial lifestyle change and her journey into the world of fitness, Christie didn’t initially think that she would need a coach to succeed on stage. She thought that she had a basic understanding of nutrition, fitness, and competition prep, as well as the attention to detail necessary to impress the judges in her first NPC Bikini competition.
She soon found out that competition was more involved and complex than she had ever imagined, and she says today, “I was so lucky to find Shawn
[…] after I began working with her, I began to see how in order to win, every single detail mattered.”
Realizing that stage competition involves more attention to detail and training than she initially thought, Christie enlisted Shawn’s expertise and aid. So how did Shawn help Christie go from an amateur to winning her pro card in her first competition?
Shawn understands that every detail counts, and she takes them all into account. From counting macros (in elite competition prep, every carb counts) to posing, choosing the best suit and day-of-competition preparations, Shawn knows what it takes to help her athletes succeed, and she teaches them that while hard work is necessary, attention to detail is really the key to success – on and off the stage.
Developing the Confidence to Win
Just watching her body transform and reflect all of her hard work and positive choices was enough to significantly boost Christie’s self-confidence. However, she was still hesitant about competition. She felt great about her body and her fitness, but she didn’t feel like she could really command the stage and impress the judges.
To conquer her fears and gain the confidence she needed to be a competitive NPC Bikini athlete, Christie sought out Shawn’s help with posing and overall stage presence. The two met about twice a month in the time before Christie’s competition and worked on every detail. Plus, Shawn designed a dazzling couture bikini for Christie that was real icing on the cake for all of that hard work and attention to detail.
In the end, Christie got much more than stage direction. In her own words, she says, “Shawn showed me that success is only won and deserved when you have not only put in the time and the effort but when you pay attention to the details.” As a result, Christie has gained more poise and confidence in the rest of her life, as well as on stage.
A Step-by-Step Plan for Success
When Shawn works with athletes like Christie, she creates an action plan to give them the tools they need to not only compete with confidence but to really own the stage and wow the judges. She begins this process by working with you on your stage presence.
With proper stage presence, you can easily learn how to correctly and smoothly hit every NPC Bikini pose on cue, showing off your hard work and your incredible physique. Once you’ve mastered your stage presence, everything else really does fall into place, but that doesn’t mean that Shawn’s finished working with you yet.
Running up to Christie’s competition, Shawn spent more time coaching her to iron out any remaining rough spots in her routine. Then she performed a custom fitting for Christie’s bikini to ensure that it fit perfectly and would add a beautiful touch to a flawless performance.
The Results Speak for Themselves
Thanks to Shawn’s coaching, Christie not only competed in the 2015 Max Muscle Show, but she took home first place in two classes, as well as overall titles, winning her pro card in her first ever competition. Now she can’t wait to get on stage again and show the world all that Shawn’s taught her about NPC Bikini competition.
Are you thinking of becoming an NPC athlete? If you want to be competitive from the very beginning, you need a coach and mentor who can work out all of the details for you and work with you from start to finish to get the results you want.
