Dusted off my Bikini Heels

Now, if at the beginning of the year 2022, you told me I would be competing again in bodybuilding in the Bikini Fitness category, I would have laughed in your face. I had took the stance that I was never competing again and had retired my show heels. Here I am in the last quarter of the year and I competed in 3 different competitions and represented Barbados on the National team in the sport. You are probably wondering two things, 1, why I took the stance I would never compete again and 2, how on earth did the show heels come back out.

I first stepped on the stage in 2013 and I competed yearly up until 2016 just before I left to do my Masters. I had a great time on stage and the highest placing I received was 3rd place. I have to admit, I developed a bad relationship with food and my weight ballooned quite quickly between off season and competing season. I also suffered with binge eating. While doing my Masters I gained a lot of weight and I was the heaviest I have ever been. When I returned home to Barbados in 2018 I decided to work to get my body back to a point where I felt physically and mentally like myself. I started working out on my own in the gym but I realised I needed more. I then joined a series of bootcamps with Leslee Reynolds and my body changed tremendously! In this period I developed a great relationship with food and understood giving myself grace and not being too hard on myself. It was here I decided I would never compete again as I was afraid it would trigger my binge eating and bad relationship with food taking me back to that mental state. I didn’t want to be back there again.

This year (2022), after 3 years of doing PT with Leslee and growing strength by strength and hitting my personal goals I was loving the body I developed and was looking forward to working to hit new personal goals. Seven weeks out from the Formula Inter Gym show Leslee asked if I would be interested in doing the show. Without hesitation, I flat out said, no! However, I went away and gave it some thought. Deep down, I wanted to give the stage one last try once again. I was also ready for another fitness challenge. With these new thoughts in my mind, I went back to Leslee and told her I would definitely give it a try. I was ready to dust off the show heels.

Each competition I did this year I learned so much about myself and I unlocked new levels within me each and every time. Stay tuned to this page as I walk you through each competition in Vickz’s Bikini Fitness series.

Originally written September 10, 2022