Shel Tscherne
It’s about you vs you.
It’s about the sisterhood of this team.
It’s about becoming a better, stronger version of myself than I ever knew was possible.
As they say “you always remember your first”, and while that absolutely holds true for me the first time I competed, this fall, my second prep, truly is my most favorite. I had heard going into it that the second prep was always harder. Or at least that’s what everyone told me. So, like Gail told me to do, I put my blinders on and focused on the road ahead.
This prep I leaned out in ways I hadn’t expected. It totally took me, my husband, my coaches and my friends all by surprise. I was shocked at the changes and progress I saw each week and I think that a lot of that is due to the hard work and determination that I put in during my off-season. I don’t compete during the spring season (two daughters as competitive dancers being the primary reason why). Instead I used the spring as off-season training. I ate clean and trained hard all with the goal of coming into the following fall ready to make some serious gains. Mission accomplished!
When people ask me how long I plan to do this I tell them that “part of what keeps me coming back is not only a love of this sport but also a love for this team.” The sisterhood that is bikini is a strong one. It reminds me so much of my sorority days (Delta Gamma). It wasn’t until I came to FA (two years ago for the Body Challenge) that I found my happy place. Ever since becoming a mama I have had the worst time finding my tribe. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would find it at a gym! And never in my even wilder dreams did I imagine that I would find a sisterhood there too! Getting to compete with so many of my favorite people from my beloved 5:30am bootcamps truly made this season one that I will never forget!
Thank you to Bonnie for creating this amazing gym and this incredible sisterhood of a team. Thank you for pushing us all out of our comfort zones and encouraging us to reach higher than we ever knew was possible! Thank you to Gail for the wisdom/love/support/inspiration/encouragement these past two preps. I couldn’t do this without you! Thank you to Michelle for the expert posing and humor during class. Thank you to all the amazing instructors who kick our asses daily! Mary-Beth, Gail, Helene, Lisa, Rachel, Katie, Caitlin and Ellen, none of us would be where we are without your incredible classes!
As I always say when people ask me about joining FA or the team: “just take the plunge, join us, your only regret will be that you didn’t do it sooner!”
