TP: Tell us about yourself Sheila. What do you do for a living? Where do you live and how long have you been competing?
SB: Well after about 13 yrs of being a hard laborer, it seemed life sort of forced me to go on my own. Which was fine for I needed to be confident within my bodybuilding career-- to learn, to be on my own, to build business relationships in which that learning never stops. For now, it's internet business; I do work for Eric Davis of HARD CULTURE. It's a clothing line that I do a lot of the fitness designs. I'm also a spokesmodel at trade shows as well as one of his main clothing models.
However, I am pretty low key, and do have projects on the side which will take time before I even think of advertising them. My life is in a closet for now.
I am from Oregon, but have been living in Florida for about 2.5yrs now.
I've been competing in bodybuilding since 1993. Before that I competed in powerlifting for a few years and before that I was into modern dance. I actually entered my own original dance into a contest and won! So I've been on the stage since I was 14 yrs old.
TP: How has life changed for you since winning your pro card at Nationals this year?
SB: Well when I finally turned pro, I experienced a feeling of freedom. Hard to put that into words right now. Nothing has truly changed except now knowing I'm prepping for a Pro stage has put a different feeling in my gut. It's almost like this is the "moment of truth". One more thing is that for years I was always asked if I was pro bodybuilder. I can now say with a very big smile, instead of a crunched up smirk. Yes I am!"
But other than that, like I said, nothing has changed, I am still me, and the game is the same; just a different level and different stage.
TP: What will be your pro debut?
SB: Been training for the Tampa Bay Pro
TP: Has the lack of women s pro shows this year discouraging to you?
SB: It's very bothersome, of course. I'm confused and frustrated. Just to be honest, I sat on this question for two days now. However, I decided that I'm not going to respond, I'm a complete asshole when it comes to standing up for us ladies and that it just doesn't need to be in print. I'll keep this to myself.
TP: You are known for your dynamic routines. What is your dance background?
SB: Most of my dance came from my own living room as a little girl. Flexibility and all the balances I do onstage was all self-taught. The woman I can give a 2 yr credit to is Tina Mattson. She taught at my high school, and I danced my flippin heart out for her. I stayed after school and girls in my dance group come to my house. We spent hours creating transitions, steps, and you-name-it. When Tina left after my sophomore year, I didn't want another teacher and just kept doing what she taught on my own time. By that time I got caught up in weight training and teaching aerobics. She taught me so much about self expression and the freedom of doing what you feel. That's what modern dance is all about.
TP: Did you ever consider fitness when you first started?
SB: No actually, when I began working on my physique I had a bookshelf fat full of bodybuilding magazines along with my rock magazines. I don't recall seeing fitness in there. It was women like 
Erica Kern, Laura Bass, Shelly Beattie, Nikki Fuller ect that guided my training and eating. Even back then, girls like Shelly Beattie put on some dynamic gymnastic style routines. So for me, I thought the whole thing was one. The night show was to perform everything that defined who you were. That's when i realized I could have both. I didn't have to give up dance for bodybuilding, and I didn't have to quit weight training for dancing. I incorporated both.
TP: What is your training like? Is contest prep difficult for you?
SB: First of all, I want everyone to realize that I trained myself back when I was 14 yrs old. I'd break up my training 3 times a day. I'd run from high school right into the Lumber Mill. I'd bust my ass 10-12 hrs a day 5-6 days a week. My body adapted to being under strenuous workloads for long periods of time for years on end. During this time, we had breaks every 2 hrs, so that's when I ate. So I have grown accustomed to this type of schedule.
Now that I'm working on a computer most the time. I go crazy! I actually I create active things to do. When I prep for contests, I go back to a military life style again. The hard part is the last 4 weeks. It's a very important time. Shit can happen during prep. Last year my boyfriend was in the hospital for almost 5 months and the doctors told me he had less than 6 months to live. I was fighting and battling at every angle you could possibly imagine. There's not one word in the dictionary can even express the emotions I went through. Now that's difficult! But we beat the prognosis and we won.
Over the year, you get better at dealing with contest prep; you grow up. Nowadays, I compartmentalize my preparation into. . . this is my workout routine, this is my times for training, and these are my foods. I'm always sort of scared inside and I do have anxiety issues but I've taught myself to stay focused on the end goal.
TP: How long do you usually take to prepare for a show?
SB: Even though I stay relatively lean, I always give myself 12 weeks. I start by breaking down my meals into smaller feedings so that I'm eating 6-8 times a day. That takes 2 wks to adjust to. If I'm really lean at 6-8wks out, then I focus on getting even harder. At 4 wks out I kick it up a notch or two, until the last week when I relax and get rid of my water. It's taken most my career to get it right, so I like to take my time.
TP: What do you like and dislike about bodybuilding?
SB: What I like? I use to say this years ago. Bodybuilding is a gift I can give myself that no one can ever take away.
I had a crappy childhood. I wanted a home, a building that I was the architect of, that only I could tear down. I feel the same way about dance. It's a form of art! There's nothing there to hate.
What I dislike about bodybuilding? Whenever something goes wrong its always blamed on steroids. I'm very sick of that. The other thing is, outsiders are quick to point fingers at us, but they're also the first to come to our Internet threads or to come up to us in person for a free consultation or free information. In that respect I'm sick of being taken advantage of.
TP:What is your favorite...Music?
SB: I'm a serious 80's rocker. I grew up on Twisted Sister, Kiss, Dokken, Iron Maiden,
and it stretches to Killswitch engage
TP: Food?
SB: Catfish, Lean ground beef, white meat salads, yukon gold potatoes
I don't have a big variety, I eat what I need and I enjoy it.
TP: TV show?
SB: If I can catch it, Law in Order. Mariska and Vince or my favorite characters.
TP: Movies?
SB: Ok, I'm a horror film fan. But I don't have a specific favorite. I get jazzed to watch any of them.
Been watching Rocky since I was little and sometimes I do a marathon on a weekend watching all of them.
TP: Who are your role models in and out of the sport?
SB: Rocky. I know its movie character, but it did something for me since I was a kid. I didn't have a male role model so I look to him and it's never changed.
Outside the sport? I wish I had one.
TP: Tell us something about yourself we would be surprised to know.
SB: Oh geez. Well you know I love 80's rock so I've been known to dress up in my home, blare the music loud and play the air guitar as if I was still 10yrs old fantasizing that I was a rock star! Also, if you walked into my home, you'd see Rocky Balbao photos hangings throughout. The lagging part of me, is I do suffer from anxiety and high stress issues. I work on this every day of my life. It's not easy but I do my best.
One last thing, for those who don't know, I'm an Identical twin. Yes we look alike and yes she also works out. In fact, she used to be a female boxer for several years. If I didn't have my identical twin sister I have no idea how my life would of ended up. As a matter of fact, I don't wanna know. I'm just blessed to have her; she is my gem. She's also very beautiful and a pain in my ass. I have a fake front tooth because of her! Damn it! Yeah, I was her heavy bag when we were kids. Boy those were the days, we loved to street fight. It was happening when we were kids!
TP: Thanks Sheila, and good luck with your pro career! RX MUSCLE will be watching!
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