Katherynne "Kitty Kat" Ramirez is one slippery kitty! Turns out my 5'7", 130 lb, Dominican friend is not just a sexy, fiery girl with a sense of humor, but she's bright and talented, too. Every time we tried to talk she was busy with her job at the Department of Buildings as an Enforcement 
Assistant in New York City. She sends inspectors into the field, reads their violations, and sends the violations to the courts. In fact, she's on call 24 hours a day. Last year when there was a tornado in Queens (yeah, I didn't know about that either) she worked for three days straight without a day off. Apparently several houses were demolished and she was part of the Emergency Operations Team. Sounds pretty important, doesn't it? So how does a figure girl end up with a job like that? Read on.....
RX: Kat, I've been working hard at getting you on the phone, but you're always working! Now that I know what your job is, I'm interested in finding out how a Fitness Chick becomes involved in Code Violations for the Department of Buildings in New York?
Kat: I was going to college for Architecture and got a part time job with them. Once I learned all about Electrical codes, Building codes and Plumbing codes they offered me a full time position and I decided I didn't want to pursue architecture. So here I am!
RX: And when you're not working for the City I hear you're working the Species booth at local shows?
Kat: Yes! That's my FAVORITE job!
RX: I know there are a lot of girls who would love to work the booths at the shows. Maybe you can share your experience with how you became a "booth girl?"
Kat: That's a pretty funny story; Last year when I won the 2008 Figure Overall at the New York Metropolitan Championships, Dave (Palumbo) was supposed to interview me, and instead, he interviewed the Masters Figure Overall Winner. I contacted him and figured I'd ask him if he'd make it up to me by letting me volunteer to work the Species booth and do some networking. He agreed and I'm still doing it!
RX: So you must enjoy it?
Kat: I LOVE it! If I could do it every single day I would. I get such a rush talking to all the people and the competitors at the shows that come up and talk to me about the products! Everyone loves them. It's not like some of these other girls who can't even say they use the products they're promoting. A lot of them don't even know anything about their products. I actually use Species supplements! I can say "...yeah, I take Fiberlyze and it is the shit!"
RX: I love Fiberlyze, too! We'll have to swap some recipes.
Kat: I can give you one right now: I take Fruit Punch Fiberlyze and Cherry Vanilla Isolyze, mix them together and freeze it! Then if I crave anything sweet, I reach in the freezer and spoon some of that up like an Italian ice and I'm satisfied! I don't really crave sweets that much, but when I do, that fixes my craving!
RX: Yum! Sounds delicious. So you don't crave sweets? What's your favorite cheat?
Kat: Hmmm..I grew up eating rice, but I can't eat my Grandma's rice anymore. Her rice is all greasy and stuff. (I laugh. Greasy rice?) Seriously, they actually had to bring me to the hospital one time after eating my Grandma's food. But I love rice so I'd have to say my favorite cheat is probably sushi. Oh gosh...all that rice! Yum! I like to go to China Town or Little Italy...I love pasta, too! Oh wait- there's one sweet that you CANNOT put in front of me and that's Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough ice cream. I can't even be around it!
RX: Yeah, I would think you might want to stay close to contest shape most of the year if you're working the Species booth. How often do you work at the booth?
Kat: Last year I worked at about 8 shows. This year I started with the Arnold Classic, then did the Mets, then this weekend I'm doing the New Jersey Suburban. I don't really get a full schedule, they just contact me when then need me.
RX: And last year was your first show?
Kat: Actually it was September 2007, I did the INBF Novice Figure Division and I crossed over to the Best Body division, which is kind of like a bikini competition. I took fourth in both.
RX: Congrats! Who helped you prep for that contest?
Kat: Like most "newbies," I did my own diet and training. So I went up to the judges after the contest to ask for feedback, and I'll never forget what this one female judge told me. She said that I needed to come in smaller if I compared myself to the other girls. So I went home and looked at the comparison pictures and I didn't have the same body type as the other girls. I just didn't feel like I fit in. I had more muscle than they did - they were just skinny, I think. So that's when I decided to try an NPC show.
RX: I think a lot of girls know that feeling. You enter a show where you've dieted hard and trained hard only to find out it was too much. The softer, skinny girls sometimes seem to get more attention from the judges. It can be very confusing.
Kat: Yes! The girls that I looked at in the NPC shows seemed more like my physique. Then in 2008, I trained for the New York Metropolitan. I did my own diet again and trained with someone else - and won.
RX: Congratulations! What was your diet like for that show?
Kat: It was mostly protein and then every three or four days, I'd have a potato before my workout. Needless to say, after I won the Metropolitan and was working the Species booth, I asked Dave to help me with prep for Team Universe.
RX: Team Universe was your next show?
Kat: No. I was so disappointed. After I read the fine print on the NPC forms, I found out I had to have my U.S. citizenship so I wasn't able to do the Team Universe.
RX: You are not a US Citizen? How long have you lived here?
Kat: Well I am now. I moved here when I was about 6 yrs old and ever since I turned 18 my family has been trying to get me to get my citizenship. It was never at the top of my list with everything else going on in my life, but I am so passionate about this sport that when I read that fine print I went as soon as possible and got it!
RX: So what was your next show?
Kat: Dave helped me get ready for the Eastern USA's where I took the overall and planned on doing Nationals which was about one week later. But I couldn't do Nationals because I missed the deadline for having my citizenship. I got it about five days after the deadline!
RX: Any shows since?
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Kat: Not since the Eastern USA's. I'm shooting for the North Americans which puts me at about 19 weeks out right now. I'll start prepping at 16 weeks. Then I'll do Team Universe which is about 2 weeks later.
When I asked Kat if she minded if I put her show commitments in print, she said: "No. I'm not afraid of committing. Some girls like to keep their show a secret for whatever reason, but I feel a connection or common goal with the other girls I'm competing with. What's the point in any cattiness? I'm my own competition. My philosophy is: I expect the worst and hope for the best.
RX: Do you mind telling me how old you are and when your birthday is?
Kat: No, not at all. I am 25 and my birthday is December 23rd....yeah...I get gypped at Christmas!
RX: Anything in particular that are you looking forward to with your next contest?
Kat: I'm actually freaking out a little bit. I usually come in pretty hard. I don't need any more muscularity. I am focusing on maintaining what I have and I worry about not coming in with the conditioning that the judges are looking for.
RX: I just got back from a level 4 show and all of the girls who won the Figure Competition were not nearly as hard as the second and third place girls. It was pretty obvious that the judges were rewarding the softer, smaller girls. Any thoughts?
Kat: I gotta say, I'm a little disappointed. I've seen the trend, too, and it is confusing to me. I like the harder, muscular look. I thought that's why they were coming out with the Bikini Division. Aren't we supposed to have muscle?
RX: I can't say that I disagree with you. Kat, it's been a pleasure speaking to you. Is there a website that your fans can find you at? How about any shout outs?
Kat: Yes, I'm on Facebook under Katherynne Ramirez or you can see me on Species.com
I also want o thank Dave Palumbo and Collette Nelson. Joel, Rob, Jeff the Producer, Vanessa Colarusso, Melody Chao, Lisa Distefano, PJ Braun & Mike Halpin and Krissy and Troy from ALR.
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