Elsie Velazquez

I am a 40 year old legal assistant who has found a new outlook on life since turning to fitness. 

I was a single mother to my son and found that once he was grown, i was in need of "finding myself".  I was working full time, pursuing a marketing degree part-time, but something was missing in my life. 

That is where training and subsequently competing came into play.  I have found that i truly have a passion for health and fitness and also for helping others to realize their potential.

I have been participating in the sport of figure since october, 2009

I have always been athletic – excelled in track in high school – and always admired the girls in the fitness magazines. 

I was a single mother working full time and taking college courses part time so i had a hard time finding the time and financial resources to devote to fitness.  Once my son graduated from high school i found that between working full time and going to school part time, the “fun” element was missing from my life. 

I desperately needed to find a constructive way to fill my spare time and i decided it was the perfect opportunity to pursue my dream of being “fit”.  I joined a gym and loved the feeling of accomplishment i got from seeing the changes in my physique.  Several years after i started working out, i found that i wanted to push myself further.  That is when a friend suggested competing to me. 

I had always been very shy and struggled with confidence so i was frightened at the thought of getting on stage.  After giving it some thought, i decided to go for it.  I knew that if i could bring myself to get on stage, it would be empowering…i was right!  I’ve been hooked since.   I never thought that being “fit” would be so much “fun”.

Achievements

2010 Arnold Amateur - 10th place (Open Class A)

2010 JR. Nationals - 11th place (Open Class A)

2010 Team Universe - 10th place (Open Class A)

2010 Team Universe - 2nd place (Masters Class A)

2010 North American - 1st place (Open Class A)

2010 North American - 2nd place (Masters Class A)

2011 Arnold Amateur - 5th place (Open Class A)

I am hoping to achieve pro status in the near future but am mostly in it to challenge myself and become the best i can be, meet new people, and have fun along the way!

I willingly put in the hard and know that with or without the procard,i have given 110%!  That is something i can proudly claim. 

I would love to serve as an inspiration for other women my age who feel it is too late to change - physically, mentally, and emotionally.  I am hoping to prove that age is just a number!

I think that it is important to challenge ourselves when training.  I find it empowering to set goals and not only reach them but surpass them. 

I also have learned that there is a difference between looking in shape and actually being in shape. 

I remind myself of that all the time.  I find myself struggling at times when i do not feel i have much support from others.  Sadly, we live in a society where it is more acceptable to be "unfit" than it is to be "fit". 

I would love to be a part of changing that mentality