Stephenville -
Tracey Seaward indulged in greasy foods for a couple of days to celebrate her big accomplishment on the provincial bodybuilding stage.
"I am going to take a week off and just eat whatever I want and then I am going to start back at it again," Seaward told The Western Star earlier this week.
She went from bodybuilding champion to take-out queen with one of her days off consisting of McDonald's for breakfast, Mary Brown's for lunch and a clubhouse platter for supper as her six-year-old daughter Jena joined her at the Holiday Inn because mommy was allowed to indulge in grease this week.
It was a welcome break from a daily diet of baked cod, broccoli and rice cakes for weeks leading up to her third appearance at the Newfoundland and Labrador Amateur Bodybuilding Association's provincial championship at Holy Heart Theatre in St. John's recently.
The 37-year-old single mom, who lives in Stephenville, wowed the crowd with a first-place performance in the Masters division (35 and over) in a field of seven competitors before garnering second spot in the Short Class (competitors five-foot-three or shorter). The provincial competition featured a total of 16 women.
Seaward, who finished second last year, has been hitting the gym faithfully since she was 15 years old. She has been following a fairly strict diet for the past eight years in an effort to sculpt her body for shows. It is an activity that has helped boost her self-confidence and motivated her to do something she thought she would never do - go back to school.
Something just came over her when she stepped into the spotlight for her first show in 2006.
"After training and just seeing how hard it was, it gives you so much confidence," she said. "If you can do this or do the training, I think you can do anything. So when I was up on stage I was thinking I can't stop here. So I just thought about going back to school because I felt so good about it."
Full-time student
Seaward was true to her word, becoming a full-time student enrolled in the adult basic education program at College of the North Atlantic's Bay St. George campus. She will be finished the program next month. The college was very supportive of Seaward in her quest to rule the stage, and came on board to sponsor her so things were made a little easier for the native of Corner Brook who grew up in Pasadena.
For somebody who always said she'd never go back to school, bodybuilding has given her a new lease on life and she has been helping others obtain their goals in bodybuilding. She said women who want to dedicate to a fitness program of any kind can accomplish good things if they train hard, eat healthy, and rest accordingly.
"A lot of girls I have been training ... they lose 10 pounds and they want to keep going, so that's the same way I am. I want to keep adding muscle until I get where I want to get," she said.
"If people could let themselves reach their goals and see how good it feels, then they are well on their way to a healthier lifestyle," added Seaward, who has been fully supported by Jena and 18-year-old son Jason through thick and thin.
Two of her friends made the trek to St. John's to watch her strut her stuff, which she appreciated because support from family and friends makes the journey that much easier. She will always remember the excitement of it all, but she was at a loss for words when asked what she gets most out of being on stage.
"It's just a feeling. You got to do it to know what I am talking about," she said.
After the grease has settled, it's back to the gym to do it all over again. She has no intention of slowing down. She hopes to be on the national stage in 2010.
More rice cakes, please.
