Do you ever wonder what motivates people to put on a tiny bikini and stand on a stage to be judged and to be seen by thousands of people? For BodySpace member Kathy Fehringer-Everton, it’s one of the things that motivate her to stay in shape. The 39-year-old mom started competing in 1999, bitten by the bug after watching fitness competitions on ESPN. Now, 30 shows and more than a few trophies later, it’s a performance outlet that lets her use her experience in dance, gymnastics and cheerleading. Kathy says it’s fun, “like a big slumber party” for the girls who have been doing it for so long and have become friends.
She’s always stayed fit and active, part of a prescription for her well-being following a diagnosis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. In college she was asked to teach aerobics and has been working in gyms ever since as a fun part-time job alongside her career as a dental assistant. Whether training people in the gym or working beside the dental chair, Kathy loves the opportunity to “help people make better choices” in their lives. At a show a few years ago Kathy discovered BodyBuilding.com and then BodySpace.
Aside from purchasing supplements from BodyBuilding.com—and she says her amateur-bodybuilder husband buys a lot, so they appreciate the great prices—Kathy found the BodySpace community to be a great resource. Having written in her profile that she suffers from gastroparesis, an unusual digestive disease, she started getting messages from other BodySpace members who suffer from the same problem. They became their own support group, sharing ideas and experiences and learning about their disease and symptoms.
Kathy says she’s going to keep doing shows and hopes to open her own training gym in her hometown of Pocatello, Idaho. Visit Kathy on BodySpace—look for “KathyFit.” While you’re there, start your own BodySpace profile.
—Ian Sitren
Editor’s note: For more BodySpace bodies and info, visit Bodybuilding.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login