Are YOU Bikini Ready?

Last year this time I had no choice but to be bikini ready. I was weeks away from hitting the stage in my last figure competition.


Yes I said “last”. I’ve decided to retire from figure competitions. But that doesn’t mean I’ll never put on a bikini again. In fact I’ll be hitting a couple beaches this year and I want to make sure that I can still rock a two-piece with my “everyday body”. So even though I’m not competing, I still have a fitness goal. What about you?

I'm going to challenge you to put on your own “itsy bitsy teeny weeny” bikini for a cause that will not only have you looking good but feeling good too ... and it will definitely have a lot of other people feeling pretty awesome as well.

I’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with Megan Szanik, an amazing woman who owns an amazing clothing store and is doing some amazing things in her community.

Last year Megan created #nakedespy. She got a hundred guys to drop down to their skivvies and line up at her store to get hundreds of dollars worth of free clothes. But first they had to collect sponsors for the Calgary Prostate Cancer Center. This year, it’s all about the ladies ... in bikinis ... and a charity near and dear to Megan’s heart ... the Special Olympics.

Megan’s connection to the Special Olympics is very personal. Her brother Wade has Down’s Syndrome. He’s very special to her and has always been her reality check for what is important in life. Megan has been involved for years in Special Olympics with her family. Her brother has participated in the games and her mom has won female coach of the year. Megan says it is all about the message of the games, “Let me win. If I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” So a fundraiser for the Special Olympics is a natural fit.

Here’s how it works. On July 7 (first Saturday of the Centennial Stampede) 100 ladies will line up outside of the espy store in Inglewood in their BIKINIS and COWBOY BOOTS .... with donations in hand. They’ll get their FREE Stampede outfit valued at $500 and an OFFICIAL Calgary Stampede Cowboy Hat courtesy of Smithbilt Hats ... plus so much more! (Including a chance to meet some cute cowboys!) The ladies who line up for the free clothes will be asked to donate a MINIMUM of $100 to Special Olympics Calgary and are encouraged to collect sponsors beyond that. And if you collect the most sponsors, you get more FREE stuff ... and everyone will get the satisfaction of knowing that they’ve helped out a local charity! Check out www.espyexperience.com/bikiniespy for all the details on how you can get involved in #bikiniespy.

Ok ... I know what you’re thinking. Wearing a bikini in public? Are you kidding me? Well this is where I come in! Join my Fit and Fierce Boot Camp ... to help you get “tight” and feel “right” in your fave two-piece before #bikiniespy! https://www.facebook.com/FitAndFierceBootCamp.

Learning Curve

Very excited now that my Fit and Fierce Boot Camp has actually started. So how was the first week? Good! I think the boot campers had fun and were challenged at the same time. I try to educate them at the same time as I'm making them sweat. It's a learning curve for some of them as well as for me! I love the challenge however I admit that it's a bit scary. Watching and talking to the other fitness coaches at Athlete Factory can be very overwhelming because of the wealth of knowledge. But they are very generous with their knowledge as is my "fitness boss" Nathan. There's so much to learn but I don't have to know everything. What I do need to know is as a fitness coach you should never stop learning. That's what makes this venture exciting, fun, challenging, and so rewarding ... especially when a client figures it out. Now if I could just figure out how to get enough rest to take on my demanding full time job, my part time job, my learning sessions, my own research and reading, my own training ... and my social life.

BREAKING NEWS: Cara's Fit & Fierce Boot Camp is here!!!

It's hard to believe that 5 years ago I was preparing for my very first fitness/figure competition. You followed my blogs for a few of those years as I went through the ups and downs of training, cardio, and clean eating. You hung in there when I decided to try a few different fitness classes around the city and did my 30 day hot yoga challenge. You were there when I decided to get certified in group fitness. And when I took it a bit further and got my personal training certification, you cheered me on. Well now it's time to put all that hard work to good use. I'm fortunate enough to be working as a Fitness Coach with International Fitness and Nutrition Coach Nathan Harewood owner of Define Fitness (www.define-fitness.com). And if that wasn't awesome enough, I'll be training my clients at the most unique gym in Calgary: the Athlete Factory (www.athletefactoyr.net). I get to learn from a some of the best and most passionate fitness professionals in the city. So I'm taking baby steps to get things going. I'm starting my first boot camp this week. It's called: Fit & Fierce Boot Camp! And it's open to anyone who wants to have a fun and challenging work out with ME up to 3 times a week! If you want a piece of the action contact me at carafullerton@define-fitness.com!