Figure New Mexico competitor and sports model Genieve Sanchez is a sports fanatic like very few others. Besides competitive fitness, the 31 year old landscape architect has been an NCAA Division I collegiate basketball player and professional rodeo rider. But recently she surprised everyone taking on yet another athletic challenge.

"On Friday night I won my first amateur boxing match here in Albuquerque," Genieve says. "It was an awesome challenge and I was thrilled to put my conditioning from Fitness Universe to good use in pursuing a combat sport. To my surprise I was actually the main fight on the card which I think had a lil something to with me being a fitness model and sportswriter (at least it got some pull). Or, maybe everyone just wanted to see the ladies get at it! I held my own out there and definitely gave them the "main event" fight everyone came to see! To my surprise, the fight was highly promoted and covered by the media in New Mexico and even recognized regionally."

"It was amazing and I felt so athletic and powerful in the ring. It was a great moment for me! I had not been in a live action sport since I played basketball in college and something felt ridiculously right about it.

"I feel on top of my game and couldn't be happier with all the opportunity ahead of me with combat sports, fitness, and modeling. Don't just knock on new doors of opportunity; why not go ahead and BANG them down eh!"

"Not sure what’s next, I may do another fight, but I still wanna aim for my Figure Pro Card with the Fitness Universe Tour! All so exciting!"

Another newcomer taking the stage at the Superbody Championships in Atlantic City will be Ms. Bikini competitor Anngela Leone from New York City. Coached by friend and MM Pro Sanya Shaka, Anngela was encouraged to step outside the gym and onto the stage for the first time. She says, "I am an attorney and Vinyasa yoga instructor for over 3 years. And, I and looking to complete my certification in Plant Based Nutrition from Cornell University next month. As a vegetarian of 20 years and vegan for the last 10, I am deeply interested in the power of nutrition on health and athletic performance. I work out 5-6 days a week, varying my workouts with running, boxing, yoga and weight training."

Fitness Universe star Jessica Halbert continues her blog this week as she prepares for the Superbody Championships next month in Atlantic City.

"So here we are less than 5 weeks out from Superbody. Translation - I still have 31 days before I can smear my favorite cinnamon ezekiel toast with almond butter at breakfast (yes I counted!) And while 31 days feels like a long time to wait for that breakfast deliciousness, this is also the week where I inevitably feel that little voice of doubt in my head - "One month? 31 Days? Will you be ready?"

"It does not matter how many shows I've done or how many times I have been through prep - when I hit around the 5 week mark, it is tough to ignore that self-doubt that starts seeping in to your thought process. See at around 5 weeks out a funny thing happens - there is still time for changes to occur (in fact you DON'T want to be show-ready that far out), but around the month mark - it is hard to trust the process and look in the mirror knowing that you will be stage-ready in 31 days time. You want to believe it will all come together but that show date starts to feel CLOSE. And it is easy to doubt your ability to make it to the finish line."

"Well there is one benefit to being kind of "old hat" at this competing thing. I've been here before - I have had this fear and every time it has come together. So I remind myself to exhale, take another deep breath in, and then exhale again. I try to remember that while there is much to do in the next 5 weeks, I have already put in a lot of work that will get me there if I can trust myself and trust the process. The doubt is just one part of the roller coaster ride - think of that knot in your tummy as the moment at the top of the coaster ride - a heightened anxiety where you wonder what you got yourself into - but the next four weeks is the wild ride down the track. It will be challenging but exciting and thrilling all at the same time."

"And no little voice is going to keep me off that ride. So time to breathe and strap in!"

Fitness Universe Weekend competitor Abby Huot is a 30-year-old bikini/figure competitor, fitness model, and regularly featured writer in Natural Muscle Magazine. Once 190 lbs., Abby began her fitness journey in 2007, widdling down to 127 lbs. for her first show in just 12 months. Abby says, "I was terrified. But then again, if you don't do something that scares you a little bit, your goals probably aren't big enough!"

With 10 shows under her belt, Abby is now a veteran in the competition world and admits she is a continual work in progress. Her love for writing and passion for teaching people about the true meaning of health and wellness have given her life new meaning. "I was a little lost on what to do with a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature after college", she admits, "I'm so grateful I found a channel for my writing skills! It was really cool to go to do the Universe and get so much positive feedback from people. I definitely have found the industry I belong in."

With plans of completing her personal training certification and taking on clients by the end of the year, Abby is looking forward to where her fitness career takes her in the future. She will be competing for the first time at Fitness America Weekend in Las Vegas this November with her boyfriend, Michael Duffy, who will be stepping on stage for the first time as well.

 Around Christmas last year, Kelley Tyan set a new goal for herself.

“I was turning 38 in February. I needed a new step. I'm always looking to do something better,” she said. So the Massachusetts native decided to sign up for a fitness competition in April at the Fitness New England show at Foxwoods. A lot of training would be needed to get in perfect shape to impress the judges (and everyone else watching) in the Ms. Bikini New England Classic Class for women 35 and older. “It's all about training and nutrition,” she said. Judges are looking for “a lean look. Your posing. Your walk. Your stage presence. Your body and tone.” There were more than 30 contestants in her category. She won! “It was unbelievable. I was a rookie coming in. I was just so happy to be on stage because of the training I had put in. When they called my name it was overwhelming. All the hard work paid off.”

Last month Tyan went to Miami to compete in the Ms. Bikini Universe (in the same Classic Class, though this time for women 35 to 45). Her field this time had some of the fittest and most beautiful women from across America and around the world. And, it would be another classic victory for Tyan! “I just went there to compete with all these girls, and then they called my name out again. I'm still celebrating,” she said. Next up will be Ms. Bikini America in Las Vegas in November.

Tyan is not unfamiliar with challenges and setting goals for herself - and others. For one thing, the mother of two runs Kelley's Bootcamp for Women at CrossFit Center. When she formerly did makeup and makeovers, she said, she saw a lot of women had low self-esteem about their bodies. Kelley's Bootcamp combines exercise with teaching good nutrition (“eating clean,” as Ms. Tyan puts it) in a four-week program that many women repeat. “I've always loved making women feel good about themselves,” Tyan said.

One of the impetuses, in turn, for Kelley's Bootcamp, which Tyan opened in 2009, was an “out of the blue” diagnosis of breast cancer in 2008. “As I went through it, I wanted to put the focus on something else. I put the focus on fitness,” she said.

Tyan was studying to be a fitness trainer when she “felt a lump. I found it myself. I never thought it was anything. I put off (going to) the doctor for three months. Then I went.” The bad news came in a phone call. “I was absolutely devastated. My whole world stopped,” she said. “I only let it stop for a moment, though. I had my cry and said, 'OK, I'm not going to let this get a hold of me.' ” She had a lumpectomy and then radiation treatments. As she dedicated herself to fitness and also studying nutrition, “I developed a business plan for Kelley's Bootcamp. That's what got me through everything. Kelley's Bootcamp started and is still going strong today.” She is clear of cancer.

Tyan graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a degree in early childhood education and Spanish. She taught at an elementary school, and with her husband, Tony Tyan (an insurance agent), also opened a tanning salon.

“I always did the gym thing. I always liked to work out. But it wasn't until I had my second child in 2006 that I made some big changes.” One of the results, as she became increasingly fit and ate better, was that migraines that had bothered her since childhood went away.

Karon Shea of La Femmina Modeling Training Center/ Karon Shea Model Management said that Tyan was a student of hers more than 30 years ago. They stayed in touch. “I've seen her develop into a beautiful and amazing woman over the years,” she said. After finding out that Tyan had been sick, some of Shea's friends took the “boot camp.” “At 5 a.m. they would drag themselves in because they said 'If she can work that hard with her cancer, so can we,' ” Shea said. Actually, the first class of the day for Kelley's Bootcamp for Women is at 5:15 a.m. “That's my busiest, believe it or not,” Tyan said. Women range in age from 18 to 60. She's never had anyone over 60. However, “I'll take them.”

She works out six days a week, an hour to an hour-and-a-half each workout. As for eating clean, “Just clean foods in their natural state. Not canned and processed. I just like to eat pure foods. I shop in the perimeter of the market. I don't shop in the aisles.” That means “fresh veggies and meats.” She's not a vegetarian. Furthermore, “I have two kids so I'm not 100 percent perfect.”

By the same token, “Some people feel that after they have kids it's all over, and I change that all around,” she said. “Once you turn 35, life's just starting in my eyes.”

Fitness Universe™ star Jessica Halbert continues her weekly blog as she prepares for Superbody™ next month.

"Back again - and here we are just 6 weeks from the Superbody™ show. This is where the anticipation starts to build and I can't decide whether August 25 feels like it is SO far away or right around the corner. It changes at least three times a day."

"But for me - 6 weeks is where the real excitement begins in show prep. Now I know that prep is a very personal journey - but for me a few things happen around the 6 week mark that really build those "ohmygosh" show butterflies. This is where I start to pull in my nutrition and see some real changes in my physique. Cardio usually inches up a bit and this is also where my routine practice takes center stage - cleaning up little details and tweaking elements throughout. While some of my hardest work comes in at the 6 week mark, I also feel like this is the time to get PUMPED. I try to celebrate the small changes that I see throughout the next several weeks knowing they will add up to a great show experience."

"I also make a special point at this time to carve out a little 'mental health' time each week. Rather than a dinner out with my husband, we'll go for a long hike or watch a movie that we've been swearing we would watch together for months. I go places where the focus is fun and company not food and drinks. It's not that places with food and drinks can or should be avoided (I refuse to be that person that abstains from even attending events because - egads! - there will be cheeseburgers that I have to turn down) - but I do make a point of seeking out fun and new things to do that don't revolve around temptation. And because it is summer time there are so many options! I'm lucky enough to spend a lot of my time at the Jersey Shore in the summer so that means reading in the beach breeze, mini golf, and my favorite pass time - beach mansion window shopping! I'll smack on the sunscreen and take a relaxing walk with my mom through some of my dream neighborhoods at the shore - each of us deciding which fabulous ocean front mega mansion we will be taking today. I have my eye on a big Mediterranean style house - now I just need to come up with an extra 6 millions dollars or so . . ."

"For all my fellow competitors prepping for Superbody™ - Congrats! We are one more week down and it is going to be a great show! Looking forward to checking in with you all next week. Until then, thanks for reading."
Photo: FU star JESSICA HALBERT continues her weekly blog as she prepares for Superbody™ next month. "Back again - and here we are just 6 weeks from the Superbody™ show. This is where the anticipation starts to build and I can't decide whether August 25 feels like it is SO far away or right around the corner. It changes at least three times a day." "But for me - 6 weeks is where the real excitement begins in show prep. Now I know that prep is a very personal journey - but for me a few things happen around the 6 week mark that really build those "ohmygosh" show butterflies. This is where I start to pull in my nutrition and see some real changes in my physique. Cardio usually inches up a bit and this is also where my routine practice takes center stage - cleaning up little details and tweaking elements throughout. While some of my hardest work comes in at the 6 week mark, I also feel like this is the time to get PUMPED. I try to celebrate the small changes that I see throughout the next several weeks knowing they will add up to a great show experience." "I also make a special point at this time to carve out a little 'mental health' time each week. Rather than a dinner out with my husband, we'll go for a long hike or watch a movie that we've been swearing we would watch together for months. I go places where the focus is fun and company not food and drinks. It's not that places with food and drinks can or should be avoided (I refuse to be that person that abstains from even attending events because - egads! - there will be cheeseburgers that I have to turn down) - but I do make a point of seeking out fun and new things to do that don't revolve around temptation. And because it is summer time there are so many options! I'm lucky enough to spend a lot of my time at the Jersey Shore in the summer so that means reading in the beach breeze, mini golf, and my favorite pass time - beach mansion window shopping! I'll smack on the sunscreen and take a relaxing walk with my mom through some of my dream neighborhoods at the shore - each of us deciding which fabulous ocean front mega mansion we will be taking today. I have my eye on a big Mediterranean style house - now I just need to come up with an extra 6 millions dollars or so . . ." "For all my fellow competitors prepping for Superbody™ - Congrats! We are one more week down and it is going to be a great show! Looking forward to checking in with you all next week. Until then, thanks for reading."

Reigning Fitness America Champion Leigha Hervery is training to take the gold at Fitness Superbody next month in Atlantic City. The 26 year old fashion designer has been competing for only a year and yet has never lost a show. Leigh says she will have a whole new routine and wants to continue her dominance on the fitness scene. At 5'3", 114 lbs., she lost over 40 lbs. before taking up competitive fitness. Now besides being a fitness star, she designs and makes custom print suits and sportswears costumes for fitness competitors.