Latest News

When Did Amy Turn Pro?

One day our CFO said, “Amy, you’re the oldest Pro I know.” She quickly clarified “Not the oldest in age.” She meant I’d been Pro longer then anyone she knew. So I thought, “hmmm… maybe a lot of people wonder the same thing, when did Amy turn Pro?”

I started competing in Figure in 2002 primarily to promote my nutrition business and because so many people told me I should. Despite enormous stage fright I discovered I really enjoyed competing. In the beginning, I took it one contest at a time. I decided after doing four shows in Texas, I wanted to go to the national level. My first national show was the 2003 Figure Nationals in New York. Out of forty girls I placed tenth. I had achieved the goal I had set for myself. It was from that point that I knew I wanted to turn pro. I had a lot of work to do before I stepped back onstage in 2004. I worked on improving my trouble areas such as my glutes and hamstrings. I worked on creating a better V-taper. Most of all I tried to perfect my presentation and quarter turns since being extremely nervous onstage is my biggest challenge. Stage fright has always been a huge issue for me. At the 2004 Junior Nationals, I came in a lot harder, with more muscle, a different hairstyle, different makeup and different suits. I placed ninth out of thirty-five girls. I was a little disappointed since I felt like I had brought a whole new physique and package to the Junior National stage. I guess I expected to move up more than one placing. I failed to realize that though I had gotten better, the judges may not have thought so, and all the other girls got better too.

I competed at the Figure Nationals and placed eighth. I was disappointed my placing was improving one digit at a time. I thought, hell at this rate I’ll be pro by the time I’m fifty! I decided to do one last show and end my competitive year in with a bang. At the 2004 North Americans, I finished in fourth place beating Jenn Gates by one placing. Despite finally winning a trophy at a national show and beating Jenn Gates, honestly I was disappointed because there were only eight girls in my class. I had beaten more girls at the state level. I never thought this would be the first of two times I’d place ahead of Ms. Figure Olympia, nor did I realize that unless you win you’re never really happy.

I thought long and hard about what I would do to make myself better and how I would do it. After each show, I reevaluated myself, making physique changes, wearing different suits, changing my hair and makeup as well as working on my presentation. Yet in my mind, my placings weren’t improving as quickly as I wanted. However, I was grateful I was improving and my placing weren’t slipping because at any time placings can change.

In the beginning of 2005, I only planned on competing at the national level shows. I didn’t want to wait till June to do Junior Nationals. I have always hated the off -season and loved precontest. So I decided to do the Ironman, which was in February. I wanted to do the Ironman for many reasons. First of all, for fun, I had never visited or competed in California. I wanted to try to come in a little softer and fuller to see if that’s what the judges wanted to see. I also changed my hair, makeup as well as my presentation. It was a good warm-up show. I placed third. The two girls that placed ahead of me, especially the winner of my class was very lean and conditioned. So there I was, confused as to what to do with myself. Harder, softer, smaller, bigger, fuller, I questioned all of it. I decided to watch the next few shows to see how the girls were coming in. I came to the realization that each person has to do what is best for their physique and it really doesn’t matter how hard or soft anyone else is. I could only worry about me, and improve myself.

I started preparing for Junior Nationals, eight weeks out, which is two weeks earlier than I normally start. I did more cardio, I trained harder and heavier than I ever had and I dieted harder. I worked with Jeff Dwelle on my presentation, working with him for two hours each week on quarter turns and posing. We totally changed my presentation and tried to perfect and fine-tune how I presented myself onstage. Only time and experience could help me get over my stage fright but presenting my physique in a way that was smooth and flowed well with my body was the goal for the Junior Nationals. In the past I had a tendency to over pose or flex too hard on stage. Jeff helped me change that. I was fairly muscular so we just toned down my presentation. My suit sponsor Crystal Corner and I spent a lot of time deciding on new ideas. We spent the most time deciding on the cut, color and rhinestone pattern. I never scored well in the one-piece. I always did better in the two-piece but I chose a one piece for this show.

Along with doing everything mentioned above all I did was eat, sleep and breathe Figure. I watched old tapes. Yep, I said tape, as in VCR tape. Back in 2002 and 2003 when you purchased a video of the contest you got a VCR tape they didn’t even put them on DVD back then. I also watched Ms. Figure Olympia 2003 and 2004 over and over. For eight weeks every minute of my day was consumed with thoughts of training, dieting, being onstage and competing in this show, as well as trying to turn pro. Before the Junior Nationals, I booked fl ights to Vegas for the USA’s and New York for Figure Nationals, expecting it would take all three national shows to turn pro. I told myself that being my third year on the national stage this would be my year.

Going into the Junior Nationals my goal was to finish in the top five and then go on to the other two shows turning pro by the end of the year. I put a lot of pressure and unnecessary stress on myself by doubting myself more then I ever had. At that point in my life, turning pro was all I had and all I wanted. I knew I was training and dieting harder, yet at times it was difficult to see the changes and progress I was making. I broke down with constant worry wondering how I would place and how I would look onstage. Leading up to the show I received numerous e-mails, phone calls and messages from friends, family and others telling me this would be my show. I reminded them I had prepared to do all three contests and it probably wouldn’t happen at the Junior Nationals. Everyone reminded me, things happen when you least expect it and sometimes when you doubt yourself the most is when you’ll end up looking and doing your best. The last week before the show I did my best to stay calm, stop doubting myself and just go into it with a positive attitude.

Contest color has always been an issue for me, since I do not tan in tanning beds and do not start with a base tan. Back then I thought you had to start painting several days before the contest. I started getting sprayed with Protan on Wednesday night and got sprayed with four heavy coats before I left Dallas. That night I noticed I was starting to turn green in some places. A few friends confirmed that yes, I was looking like the Incredible Hulk. I went to the competitor’s meeting and tried to scope out the other competitors to see what I was up against but it was difficult since most of them were fully covered. All I knew was that there were around thirty figure girls in my class and from what I could tell they all looked great. Almost every girl I competed with in the last year was there, including Jenn Gates and Karen Zaremba the two girls I was most concerned about in my class.

Right after the competitor meeting I made the decision to shower off my Protan and start over. I woke up extra early on Friday to start painting. I had four friends in and out of my room painting me. Not all at once, they rotated and with their help I was able to get four coats of Protan on before the evening show. The one-piece round was first on Friday night. This is usually not my best round. I usually don’t even make the first group of callouts. My goal was just to be called out somewhere in the top five. I spent a lot of time with Crystal Corner designing my one-piece suit and it was absolutely beautiful! To quote Jeff Dwelle, “That suit is the best thing to ever happen to your Figure career.” After group quarter turns and model turns, I waited as the judges got their numbers together to start the callouts. I heard, “When I call your number come to the center stage.” Then I heard, “Can I have competitor number 18 in the center.” I was competitor number18! I almost started crying right then and there! I could hear my friends, family and others in the crowd going crazy. I could hear them cheering, “Number 18 is number one!” And “Go 18!” I was standing there in the middle of the first round callouts, overwhelmed with excitement. Then anxiety set in. I had to work hard to hold it together because the contest had just begun. After the one-piece round, I was already getting congratulations from everyone. For fear of getting my hopes up, I reminded them only half the judging had been done. There was still the two-piece round, which was my best round but I knew anything could happen.

Saturday morning came along with more Protan. I must have had ten coats at this point. I was more nervous that morning then the night before, knowing that round could make or break my score. Onstage, our group quickly went through ten quarter turns, did our model turns and then we were precisely and tightly packed together for callouts. Then I hear the same words from Sandy Ranalli, “When I call your number please come to the center of the stage. Can I see competitor number 18.” Any competitor knows that first callout in both rounds, solidifi es your final placing. The judges’ quarter turned us twice and then moved me over one spot. That move had me a little nervous since I wasn’t moved in the one-piece round. At that point I thought worst case, I was in second place in two-piece and I thought it would be between Karen Zaremba and I.

After prejudging, I was congratulated backstage by many girls, photographers, several Pro’s who were watching and competitors in my class, including Jenn Gates. I went back to my room to call some friends and get a pep talk from Jeff . I let it all soak in and took a nap. That one-hour nap was the most peaceful, restful sleep I’d had in the last eight weeks. I woke up with plenty of time to touch up my hair, make-up and Protan. I went downstairs for the competitor meeting. Even as I listened to J.M talk to the competitors about the scheduled photo shoot the following morning for the winners of each class, I didn’t really have much thought as to what the outcome would be or that I would be there, doing the photo shoot for NPC News magazine.

The show started with Fitness, then Women’s Bodybuilding, with Figure taking the stage last. As I went onstage in the group of top fi ve girls, I was overwhelmed with emotion. The judges called out placings and it seemed as if time stood still. Once they called every girls name and second place was called, I realized I was the only name left. Then it was announced, “First place winner and new IFBB Pro, Amy Peters.” I started crying, I was so happy. My dream had fi nally come true! After five regional shows, five national shows and three years of competing I was finally a Pro.

After the show I went back to my room to have a piece of Oreo cheesecake and a much needed shower. We ate pizza and went to the Soundbar for a little dancing and only one drink. I got back to the room, set the alarm on my cell phone, set the alarm clock and called down for a wake-up call. I wasn’t going miss my 8:00 am photo shoot with J.M. Surprisingly I was the first one downstairs for the shoot. As I waited for the other competitors and J.M. to arrive I thought about how I felt at this time the year before. I remembered seeing the 2004 winner IFBB Pro, Abby Duncan having breakfast and wondered how she felt eating breakfast as a new Pro. After the photoshoot for NPC News magazine I went and had breakfast as a Pro!

When I got home I got the, “I told you so” from all my friends, family and others that had told me this would be my show to win. It was the only time in my life that I actually enjoyed hearing “I told you so!”