West coming west for Pro Natural U.S. Cup bodybuilding/figure competition

September 1, 10:37 PMSF Fitness ExaminerJim Evans

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Toni West doesn’t like the stigma associated with being a female bodybuilder, and she is doing everything she can to change it. “Most people in general have a very poor understanding of the sport and have harsh views on the women who compete,” she says. “I am willing to try to change the face and body of women’s bodybuilding one show at a time if I can. I want to bring to the stage my personal best, a healthy attitude, and great confidence in the way I look and make a path for others to follow.”

West, 30, has been competing in bodybuilding and figure competition since 2003 and has won a host of titles along the way counting the 2003 NABBA WV states 1st place Women’s heavyweight BB and Overall with a string of major wins this year including the 2009 NPC Natural Lakewood Ohio 1st place Women’s heavyweight BB and Overall; 2009 INBF Natural Buckeye Classic, Columbus, OH: 1st place Women’s Heavyweight BB and Overall; and the 2009 INBF Mid American Pro/Am Women’s BB Overall to earn her WNBF Pr o Card. She will be traveling from her home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to compete in the upcoming WNBF (www.wnbf.net/) Pro Natural U.S. Bodybuilding and Figure Contest at the Crest Theatre in Sacramento on September 26.

Toni competed in track, volleyball, and soccer in high school and went on to play junior varsity soccer at West Virginia University and graduating with a BA in marketing. She is a stay-at-home mom now to her 4-year-old daughter Allie. “Healthy living is something that I am instilling in my children and family and setting the example for others that it can be done,” explains Toni. “I want my daughter to know that it is a great thing to be an athlete, powerful, fast, and smart. Living healthy only adds to self esteem, and a girl who is comfortable with herself has the world at her finger tips.”

 “Allie thinks everyone goes to the gym every day, and she enjoys the time we get to spend as a family actually doing things and moving together. We like to take walks together and she loves to run around at the track. Biking and roller skating are becoming very fun as the weather breaks, and she is getting more and more coordinated. She is my number one fan, cheering me on in the crowd at bodybuilding competitions, and helping me choreograph my routines. I am married to a very supportive husband who is a competitive triathlete, and we help keep each other motivated when events get near, giving each other that extra push to get through tough training and dieting.”

Toni was on bed rest with her pregnancy and gained over 65lbs! “It took a long time to get my pre-baby body back, but I did it. I wanted to do it, and I did it! It was hard work, and it took serious focus to put myself first again. Becoming a mother pulls you in many different directions. I found great joy in being a Mom, and now an even greater joy knowing that I am providing a model role in health and fitness for my daughter, whether she knows it or not!”

Shopping, baking, and traveling are some of Toni’s pastimes. “I love to lift weights, bike outdoors, run at the track and on the trail too,” says Toni. “Along with bodybuilding I have been competing in Pump and Runs for the past 2 years. I love them because it shows my athletic ability beyond lifting weights. A pump and run is usually a bench press and 5k together. You bench first, women 70% of their weight for reps and men 100% of their weight for reps, and for every rep you get 30 sec off of your 5k run time. So you have to be strong and in great cardio shape. I have won my age group in both the amount of reps and overall run time, as well as winning the overall pump reps for men AND women last year, and then finished 2nd in my overall run/pump time.”

Toni has entered and consistently placed very well in “untested” shows and organizations, but “I am a 100% natural athlete no matter what show I enter. The natural shows I have done have given me the opportunity to lead by example and clear a path for women and mothers to achieve great personal goals. I am glad that the INBF/WNBF created an environment where like minded athletes can compete on a level playing field and I am excited to continue a healthy image for the sport.”

Says Toni, “I work out and compete for MOTIVATION not VALIDATION. I don’t need to win, I need to move. I don’t need to diet, I need to be healthy. I love how I feel after a hard workout, and I know that a clean diet is fuel for a great body. It is hard to have one without the other. It is all about a healthy balance.”

Words to heed for women, mothers, and athletes everywhere.

For tickets to the WNBF Pro Natural U.S. Bodybuilding & Figure Championships, refer to:

www.uscupnorcal.com/