Letter of Support for Fitness by Macey Leigh

Letter of Support for the Fitness Division
Dear All Fitness, Figure, and Bodybuilding Supporters and Athletes,
This is a letter of support for any and all Fitness divisions in the various organizations found in the fitness and bodybuilding industry. First of all, I offer my sincere respect to the athletes that choose to compete in this division. While I have never myself been a Fitness competitor, I recall that the first competitors I truly admired when I discovered bodybuilding, were the IFBB Fitness pros such as Susie Curry, Adela Garcia, and Monica Brant. I remember being engaged at the heart of the industry during my time at the Mecca in Venice, and being surrounded by several women who held their hopes and dreams in this divison.
In my youth, I was formally trained in gymnastics and always felt that Fitness would be a good fit for me as the desired and rewarded look was thick, muscular, and athletic. The full muscle bellies that the fitness competitors displayed were also highlighted by their pure athletic ability. In fact, the biggest compliment I received on stage (during a Figure competition) was regarding the presumption of my athletic ability due to the size and shape of my physique. This however, is not what Figure is about, and therefore those characteristics are not rewarded.
While I understand the physiological and psychological reasons behind many Fitness competitors switching over to Figure, it still remains a disappointment. I am curious as to if the current Fitness rules and regulations were changed, if the sport would be a more feasible option for some? I would be an advocate for a more relaxed position on the precise mandatory moves, which still can be uniformly judged to display an athlete’s skill and ability.
Regardless of rule changes, I offer my unwavering support for the Fitness athletes. They are the reason why the Figure and Bikini women deserve the title “athlete” over “competitor.” Since the evolution of the industry’s divisions, much more respect has been gained for the overall look of the physique, over the journey [and subsequent work] that is put into achieving it. Fitness athletes are still judged on the display of the work they put in to achieving the stellar physique, and for that the rest of us should remain both humbled, and gracious.
Thank you Fitness athletes for being the face of the hard work we all put in to get up on that stage.
Sincerely,
Macey Leigh
Team Lana’s Eggwhites
www.maceyleigh.net