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Jessica Clay
Jessica will be making her pro debut in fitness in the Arnold
Classic in 2009. She won a card in both fitness and figure at the
Team Universe in 2008. Jessica is one of the few to win both a pro
card for fitness and figure at the same show. Those that have done
that have gone on to have great careers. Don't be surprised if
Jessica turns heads in Columbus in a few short months.
Regiane Da Silva
Who said that you couldn't be international and succeed in the US?
Regiane has proven critics wrong by becoming one of the top stars
in fitness by placing sixth in both the Arnold and Olympia, making
2008 her best showing yet in the states. With her spot at the 2009
Olympia secured, and Adela competing in figure and Kim Scheideler's
retirement from the stage, Regiane could be looking to find herself
a part of the
new elite group of fitness competitors.
Nicole Duncan
Nicole has been a pro for a couple of years, and has become a
favorite amongst fitness fans. She became pro in 2006, and competed
in her first Olympia in 2008. The 2009 Arnold will mark her very
first trip to the Arnold stage. She has placed in the top ten in
nearly all of her competitions, and if history is any indication,
she could have a great Arnold debut.
Tina Durkin
Tina has got everything it takes to be a top fitness star: great
routine and awesome physique. She was a part of the awesome class
of 2007 IFBB Pros, as she earned her pro card at the 2007 Fitness
Nationals. She made her pro debut at the 2008 Arnold Classic and
created quite a following. Tina will return for her second straight
Arnold in hopes of making a name for herself in the fitness
division.
Heidi Fletcher-Sullivan
I can't say enough good things about Heidi. She is
out-of-this-world awesome. Her routines are a crowd favorite, and
her physique is among the best in the business. When she is on,
she's hard to stop. 2007 was to many people, including yours truly,
her banner year. She proved that she deserved to be with the likes
of Jenny H, Adela, and Tracey. In 2008, she purposely skipped
putting in an Arnold invite so she could focus on the New York Pro,
a contest that, up until 2008, she had been very close to winning.
Her decision paid off as she won that very contest, making it her
very first pro win. Many have said that Heidi has what it takes to
be a member of the fitness elite. With a new champion guaranteed to
be crowned in fitness, Heidi can do just that. She might not be
five feet, but that's not gonna stop this fitness powerhouse from
standing tall in Columbus.
Bethany Gainey
Bethany is quickly becoming one of the top IFBB fitness stars. She
made her Arnold debut in 2007, placing 13th. She went up five spots
last year and finished eight. Bethany will be looking to improve on
her placing once again in her third Arnold Classic. It's just a
matter of time before B's a part of the fitness elite, just you
wait and see.
Tracey Greenwood
With the balance of the fitness world changing with Kim
Scheideler's retirement, many have label Tracey as the next major
champion. In many people's eyes, she is the best fitness competitor
who hasn't won either the Arnold or Olympia. After her breakout
year in 2008, Tracey is that much closer to reaching her dream of
holding a major fitness title. Her routines have been incredible to
watch, but the thing that has stood out for her is her amazingly
built physique. She has been known to come in pretty hard,
muscular, and vascular for fitness. For her runner-up finish at the
2008 Olympia, she wasn't as hard as she usually was and she added
some size to her legs to match her great upper body, making her
physique as complete as ever. If she nails everything down pat in
March, there may not be a single competitor, not even Jenny
Hendershott, who can stop Tracey from achieving her lifelong dream.
A win at the Fitness International will be the first step towards
IFBB fitness immortality.
Oksana Grishina
Oksana made one heck of a splash in 2007, when she competed in
the Europa Super Show and performed one of the most beautiful
routines ever displayed on a fitness stage. She competed in the
Olympia that year and won the routine round with ease, combined
with her great physique, placed her in seventh place, which is very
respectable in an Olympia debut. It was no surprise that she would
be invited to the Arnold the following year. She will return to the
Arnold stage again this year to once again dazzle the crowd and
become a fitness icon.
Jen Hendershott
One could call the Fitness International "the Jen-Hen Homecoming",
sorta speak. Jenny will be competing in her
TENTH ARNOLD
CLASSIC!!! WOW...That's a lot of Fitness Internationals, folks.
She won the title back in 2005, and would love to be at the top
again. She is the only fitness competitor competing that has
already won this title, so that alone makes her an odds-on favorite
to win. Not to mention that she will her hometown of Columbus, Ohio
cheering her one move for move. Her routines are straight up out of
this world, and she maintains a strong physique as well. Can the
current Fitness Olympia champion make her tenth Arnold apperance a
successful one, just like in 2005? Only time will tell.
Tanji Johnson
Tanji is one of the top fitness competitors in the world, with her
routines, physique, and sheer dedication to the sport of fitness.
The mainstream world got to see her showcase her talents on the
short-lived revival of American Gladiators as Stealth. An injury
she sustained during the show tapings kept her from competing in
the 2008 Arnold Classic. She would heal just in time for the 2008
Olympia, where she took fifth place. Now she returns to the Arnold
stage after a year-long absence for another shot at the Fitness
International title.
Shannon Meteraud
Shannon has been a pro for a LONG time, ever since 2000. She has
competed in many contest in both fitness and figure, with a
physique that has great maturity to compete with those in their
20s. She did fitness from 2000 to 2004, where she made the switch
to figure, and found out that she was pretty darn good at it. In
2008, she made her return to her fitness roots and placed second at
the Houston Pro Fitness event, securing her a spot at the Fitness
Olympia. However, her knee became a problem and was unable to
return to the fitness stage for the rest of 2008. She competed in
the Europa Super Show in figure in hopes of going back to the
Olympia stage. She placed fourth, one placing shy of a Figure
Olympia qualification. Shannon will be looking to return the
fitness stage at the Fitness International in 2009 and show the
young ones how you get things done on the IFBB stage. It will be
interesting to see what Shannon brings to the table in her first
Fitness International in quite some time.
Mindi O’Brien
Mindi will represent the Great White North at the Fitness
International (for those that don't know what I'm talking about,
I'm talking about Canada). She is regarded as Canada's top fitness
competitor, and for good reason. She has great routines and, like
all Canadian competitors, comes in with nice muscularity,
especially in the arms. Her biceps peaks rivals most females in
any division. Look for the Canadian star to make her
presence known on the Arnold stage in March.
Julie Palmer
Julie is inching closer and closer to elite IFBB fitness status
each year, and I have a feeling 2009 could be her breakout year.
She will be joining Jenny Hendershott and Latisha Wilder as a
hometown favorite, as she will be looking to become Fitness
International Champion in front of her friends and family. Last
year, she placed third at the Arnold, her highest placing yet at
that event, just behind Kim and Jenny. Will 2009 be her year?
Erin Riley
Last year, the world was introduced to a future top star in Erin
Riley. She impressed many fans and competitors with her routines
and her physique has been matched with the best of them, including
Tracey Greenwood, who she was competing against for a good part of
2008. She made an impressive Olympia debut with a top ten finish.
Look for "Tiger Eyes" (her nickname) to make the most of her Arnold
debut.
Trish Warren
Trish, aka The Black Mamba, will be entering her first Fitness
International with bells on. She carries a good deal of muscle on
her, which is no surprise as she's from Texas, where everything's
bigger. She placed in the top ten in her first Olympia. She engaged
in friendly rivalry with Shannon, Tracey, and Heidi (the Three
Stooges), who will all be participating. What will the Black Mamba
bring in her Arnold debut? We shall soon find out.
Nicole Wilkins-Lee
Nicole has what it takes to dominate both fitness AND figure
after the way she became a pro in 2007. She competed in the Team
Universe fitness and figure and did the unthinkable, winning the
overall in both divisions. No one, and I mean NO ONE, has EVER
pulled off such a feat like that, in the history of a National
show. That moment right there set the tone for her pro career, and
she has yet to disappoint. She had a good debut in the Arnold
Classic in figure, and qualified for the Fitness AND Figure Olympia
as well. She ended up doing figure for 2008. She will be making her
fitness debut at the Arnold this year. If things go her way,
she could be well on her way to becoming a heck of a double threat
in the IFBB.
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