NPC News On-Line

JM: What type of sports were you involved in before you got involved with weight training?
MY: Mostly gymnastics, a big chunk in my life, and also track and field I did well at.

JM: When did you start that? About how old were you?
MY: Oh boy, gymnastics was five, and continued that through my junior year in high school,
maybe seventeen, and track and field I started at a real early age too. I think my first competition
was around eight years old, we have a little program here in town that I did. We competed after
high school.

JM: Why did you stop with gymnastics?
MY: I actually had a back injury. I had a stress fracture in my back.

JM: How did that happen?
MY: It was from over exhaustion really. Working at the flexibility moves, the pounding, stress
basically, it wasn't either a movement that did that or a particular . . .

JM: Just from all the years of doing all the movements and everything?
MY: Yes, wear and tear on the body is how that happened.

JM: Were you seventeen when that happened, or was it before?
MY: You know it actually happened before, and I went back to gymnastics, and I just didn't want
it to happen again.

JM: How old were you when you found out about that?
MY: I was about fifteen.

JM: So that must have been kind of scary, right?
MY: Very, very scary. And I think that was part of the reason I decided it was just time for me to
move on with my life instead of really pursuing gymnastics. I had a lot of years left and the last
thing I want to have problems with or complications with is back issues or any type of body issue.
Too many years of life to live to be tied up with an injury that would bother me the rest of my life.

JM: How long did you continue track and field, just through high school?
MY: Just through high school.

JM: When did you decide to get into weight training, or what prompted you to get into weight
training? Did someone introduce you to it, or did you see it somewhere?
MY: Yeah, once you've competed in a sport like gymnastics it's kind of in your blood. I think I
just had the desire to compete again, and I never really did a whole lot of weight training before I
started attending a gym. I had been out of gymnastics, I would say about three years at that time.
I didn't do any sports per say, but I just missed being physical and doing something physical, some
sort of sport, so I went to the local gym here, and the day that I went in there, the owner of they
gym just made a comment to me, and asked me if I had ever done bodybuilding before? He
started a conversation and thought I should at least pursue it or try it if I had an interest, and that's
how it kinda all started.

JM: Now, did you ever compete in a bodybuilding show?
MY: I did. My very first show was a bodybuilding show, it must have been 1995, I competed in
that. I did real well. Ended up winning the light weight division and second overall.

JM: Now, after that, how did you find out about fitness competitions?
MY: Well, fitness I had always known about. I'd seen it on t.v. and it turns out right after that
bodybuilding competition is when my first husband and I were having some issues. It just wasn't a
good situation with personal life. So, I had taken a year and half off before I started training
again. And the second time I went into training, I personally decided fitness would be a better
avenue for me because of my gymnastics background.

JM: Were you concerned at all with the problems you had with your back about doing fitness?
MY: At the time didn't think about it, and at the time it was also healed. I just take things slow,
everything's been fine, I haven't had any problems with it, knock on wood, but ah.........

JM: I'll knock here too.
MY: Yeah, definitely, but so far things have been fine and there are certain movements even in
gymnastics when I went back to it, I just had to avoid a lot of the back bends, I just couldn't do
those moves. And with fitness, I'm able to do different things that aren't quite as rough on my
back. My tumbling paths that I do in my routine I never practice at home, because of the
pounding that it takes, and luckily I've been able to hit it every time I do it at competition or for
show. But I just avoid the things that hurt.

JM: Did you find that your back got any stronger from the weight training at all?
MY: I'm sure it has. Obviously with gymnastics it's not a real weight training type sport, except
for calisthenics obviously. But I'm sure the bodybuilding, you know building up with the
bodybuilding and then working into fitness, it has helped my being able to continue on with
fitness. Absolutely.

JM: So, you found fitness. You thought it was something you could do. Did you set a goal for
yourself, or how did you basically decide what you were going to do with your fitness career at
that point?
MY: Well, I'm kind of a one day at a time type person, and I decided to do the NPC Colorado
State, that would be my first competition, which is normally held in August, so I started training
around February.
I just started training for it and, like I said, take it one day at a time. I've always been a
real competitive person so obviously I went there wanting to win. I don't think anyone competes
necessarily without having that desire to win, that's part of competition. Obviously I did real well
there and decided to take it on to the next level.
I'm not sure I had an ultimate goal, saying I want to win the Olympia one day. I do
believe in the back of my mind that's always been there because I've been motivated to continue to
climb to get to that point.

JM: Did you enter Nationals expecting to go there and get a pro card?
MY: I do want to say yes, but I ......

JM: Well, no that's fine. That's good confidence.
MY: (laughs) I guess so. I remember my gym owner telling me maybe I shouldn't do the
Nationals right away because it is such a hard competition, and I'm sure he didn't want me to get
disappointed if I didn't fare as well, but the attitude that I came in there with I honestly believe.
Looking towards an Olympia, or competitions in the future, that if I wanted to do it, I knew that
I could. I knew that I would work hard and I would get there, because I've always been very self
driven and very motivated and confident that I can make that if I really want to, I could do it.
And honestly, going to Nationals, I felt I had a good chance. I did know that I didn't have a
whole lot of exposure behind me, obviously I'd only been to one competition here in Colorado.
Never been in an NPC magazine before, and going into a field of about fifty girls, that's a big field.
These women, some of them have competed two, three years before I have, and it's kind of a
crazy thing for me to go in there and actually get a pro card . But I honestly felt that I could.
Then again, I am pretty optimistic and looking at the whole picture, and if I didn't get the pro
card, that's o.k., I'll just work towards the next one. I feel confidence is real important in these
competitions. And that has really carried me where it has today and I'm pretty happy about the
whole thing.
So I kind of jumped in to Nationals head first, and if one of the things that inspired me, I
don't know if it's a good thing or not, but an ex brother-in-law of mine, told me that it was a one
in a million chance for me to ever make pro. It was almost that comment that wanted me to do it
even more. So, I don't want to try to sound cocky or over confident or what not, but I just really
felt confident myself, and some of the abilities that I've worked hard on the past fifteen years with
gymnastics and toning my body. Why can't I be that one in a million?

JM: So, after you got your pro card and then your first pro contest is at the Arnold Classic, what
was that like?
MY: (laughter) I'm not sure it quite hit me by then yet, but then again, I just relied on what I had
in previous shows going in there training as hard as I can, bringing my best physique to the
competition. Certainly not knowing what to expect, to jump from the NPC to the IFBB is a
whole other story, you have another fourth round you've never done before, and don't know how
to train for.
It's also intimidating to compete with the women you see in the magazines on an every day
basis that are professionals. So it's a little scary at first. But, I focused on the fact that I trained
hard, I was confident in my routine and my skills and that's what I presented to the judges. I
knew it would be a little bit difficult getting into the first pro shows, because I'm the new kid on
the block, and it takes time for people to know who you are. Again, I still didn't have that much
exposure. So I went in the show pretending like it was a normal contest and going in there to
learn and to watch the other girls.

JM: Every contest after the Fitness International, you just kept placing higher until you won the
Jan Tana.
MY: Yeah, you know, first year as a pro, it's unbelievable! I look back at it and I look at how
much I've progressed in such a short period of time, and it's almost a miracle quite honestly, but
then again I have to give myself credit for working hard and training like I have, certainly that's all
part of it.

JM: This year's been pretty good too?
MY: Yeah, this year's been great! I just hope I keep my streak that I've started this year from
second to first, and you know if I can continue I'll be really, really happy. (laughs)

JM: Then you also secured an endorsement contract with Weider Nutrition.
MY: To be one of few fitness competitor's that Weider has hired, obviously they've only had,
what is it, three all together, and to be one those three is something in itself. And Weider's a
fantastic organization, certainly their magazines, its been a privilege to be in both of them, both
Muscle & Fitness and FLEX. Yeah, Weider's been fantastic.

JM: As far as people who have helped you along the way?
MY: In the past I've choreographed my own routines. Right now I'm working with a gentleman,
Mike Rieckert, who is helping me to fine tune my routine so that its sharp, and crisp, and clean,
and also help me with facial expressions out towards the audience. And I think presentation is so
big and so important in fitness or at least should be. This year we're going to work on some new
moves.

JM: And as far as training, do you work with anyone on that?
MY: I don't work with anyone particular right now, that may change before the Olympia. I
haven't got things set in stone yet, but really I train a lot on my own. Most of my motivation
comes from within. However, I do have, the very first gym that I trained at, and the gentlemen
who got me into this, Scott Lemaster, has helped me with my training and will help me with my
diet as well.

JM: OK, and what about anybody else, as far as support group or things, anybody you want to
thank or anybody you want to mention?
MY: I have to thank Ed Rust.
You know one of my biggest inspirations has been my mother. She passed away about
three years ago, and I know that she is with me, you know, not in a physical sense, but certainly in
a spiritual sense that I just know that she's here with me always no matter what I do. And if she
was alive, she would be right here by my side. I think that inspires me as well. She was such a
neat lady. We were best friends. You know I certainly miss her so much, but every competition
that I do, I always honor it to her, she's just kind of my little angel, helping hand.

JM: What's your dad think of the competitions?
MY: My dad seems to be pretty excited about the whole thing, which is contrary to what I would
think he would be. The first competition he went to, was the Colorado State, and he recently just
went to the Arnold for the Fitness International last year, with my stepmother, and absolutely
loved it. He's been so supportive of my career and in fact most of my family's going to be at the
Olympia this year and since I've been doing so well, and he get's every single magazine that I'm in.
He's followed me all the way through. He's very, very supportive. At first I was a little
apprehensive on how he would take this whole thing. But he's always asking me how I'm doing
and he's following my career all the way through.

JM: You know, it's great to have family members behind you.
MY: Oh, it makes all the difference. Your support system is so important. Then I have to
mention Rick Kasten. He has been just a really good friend. He helped me out with a couple
connections when I was just getting started.

JM: Alright, anybody else, or anything else you can think of?
MY: I don't think so, mostly you know my family, and of course Ed, Rick and Scott, and then my
new trainer Mike.

Ed. Note: Mary Yockey can be contacted for appearances exclusively through JMP Management
at P.O. Box 293; Presto, PA, 15142-0293, by calling (412) 257-4555 or by Fax (412) 257-1337 or visiting www.jmpmanagement.com