August Female Athlete of the Month-Libertine Grace Venzuela

Female Athlete of the Month

Libertine Grace Venzuela

There comes a time in all of our lives when we are faced with a turning point. We see the direction our life is going and we either give in to the acceptance that “this is it”. Or we look around, realize that we are better than this and begin to the make the necessary changes to live the life that we want to live. It’s a road often less traveled because it requires change and work; the two things majority of people are not willing to do. Our Female Athlete of the Month Libertine, chose the path less traveled. She forged a new path after looking at the life she was living. She changed her habits, she changed her friends, and she changed her life.  As you read her inspiring story I want you to think about your path, your life and to know that if you are not happy, regardless of age you like Libertine can change it.

From the ages of 32 to 36 years old you could find Libertine at the bar. She would be the girl out partying, smoking and took pride in her ability to out-drink a man. She was a sailor at the bar and she loved every minute of it. She was free, she was on her own and she could do anything she wanted to. If she wanted to go out on Monday night and get drunk, well hell that’s what she is going to do. It didn’t matter; she was a cardio queen that would spend hours on that elliptical working on her fitness to offset these habits, so she thought.  For four years this was the life she lead, no one was going to stop her or get in her way of having a good time. However at the age of 36 she began to notice a few things about her body that were not quite right. First her face didn’t look 36 it looked 46. Her clothes weren’t as hot as they once were. The elliptical was no longer keeping her body tight and her belly from coming over her jeans.  It wasn’t  just looks either; she felt old, a lot older than 36 years old should feel. It was at this point that after four years the lifestyle of bar fly had caught up to her.

This is a point many women Libertine’s age come to. This is point where they need to make a hard decision or an easy decision. You can guess what most women do, they go out and by bigger clothes, they start to dye their hair and they keep the local makeup shop in business. They pretend nothing is happening and go on with their unhealthy lifestyle. Libertine is not most women. She looked at her closet and said hell no, I’m not going to spend money on new clothes. Hell no am I going to continue waking up in the morning with headaches and move slowly. No, this life was over. Libertine made three life changing decisions at this point. She quit smoking, cold turkey, never again. She slowly started to ease herself out of the bar scene no longer going out every single night. She also purchased P90x to begin her journey to fitness. Admittedly she was not ready for the free weight area, the big guys and big weights were intimidating. She was for now content to train herself in her living room. As she progressed through P90x she moved on to Insanity all the while seeing great weight loss results. During this time she eased her out of the bar life styling knowing that she couldn’t change her life in just one night. She started training herself for local 5ks and half marathons for it was time to replace one vice with another healthier vice.  However this cardio queen got bored with cardio and got bored with her living room. She wanted something more.

In January of 2013 she joined X-Sport gym where she met a very special person who was going to have profound influences in her life changing goals. That person is our Male Athlete of the Month Ed Honn (I hope you’re catching on to the tie in here). In Part 2 of these Athletes story we will focus more on the training that Ed and Libertine did together.

Ed took Libertine right to the dreaded and feared free weight area. Where like the quality trainer he is, he broke her of her fear of free weights.  During their training Libertine noticed her body was getting leaner and tighter. Her muscles were starting to show definition. She felt she was ready for a challenge, to test herself, to push herself harder then she pushed before. Accepting her challenge to herself she began to prep in August of 2013 for the Fall Ironman Bikini competition.  It was at her 1^st competition she placed 1^st in Masters and 2^nd in the Open. She was flying high and couldn’t believe that her number was called out. With that she competed in the Kevin Noble Grand Prix 3 weeks later, Jr. USAs that late spring and finishing off her competition season at Jr. Nationals. At Jr. Nationals I had the pleasure of meeting Libertine. I met a strong woman who reached her goal of competing at the National level regardless of how she placed she knew she earned her spot on that stage. To her, Nationals was the Cherry on top of the very tasty and satisfying cake.

Libertine is a woman who at the age of 36 turned her life around. She didn’t like what she saw in the mirror and instead of feeling sorry for herself and accepted defeat. She changed everything. Now in her mid-thirties she is healthier and has a better body now then she had at 20. In fact as you can see from her pictures she can put many other girls in their 20’s to shame. Libertine in her own words says she was able to achieve this goal because of balance. She kept a balanced life. She never starved herself; she never gave up friends and family to spend hours and hours in the gym. She kept a balance that allowed her to enjoy what she was doing while loving her life instead of hating it. Thanks to that balance she doesn’t miss the bar lifestyle and can’t even remember the last time she wanted a cigarette.

We all have the power to change our lives at any point. We just have to be willing to put in the work. Libertine is proof in the flesh that regardless of age, regardless of situation you can become the best you; while staying happy, positive and balanced. That is why we have selected Libertine as our Female August Athlete of the Month. Please join me in congratulating her on all of her victories; changing her life, competing and making it to Nationals in less than a year and of course as our Athlete!

Libertine welcome to the Fitastic Family

Please be sure to check back Mid-Month to see Libertine and Ed’s story as Trainer and Client.

W3