I called Suzanne Germano about a week after she won the 2009 NPC Junior Nationals Overall Women's 
Bodybuilding Championships in Chicago, and I asked her to tell me about her incredible life transformation that I'd heard so much about. This woman has overcome so many obstacles and odds in her life that after reading this interview you'll never again doubt that anything is indeed possible. Get ready for a truly inspirational odyssey.
RX: Suzanne, I heard you had severe vision impairment. How bad is it?
SG: I am legally blind. I was born that way. I am also completely color blind and severely light sensitive.
RX: Explain to me what constitutes "legally blind?"
SG: It means that, even with correction, my vision is worse than 20/200 - which is that big "E" on the eye chart. What most people can see at 200 feet away, I can't see until it's 20 feet away. The condition is called achromatopsia.
RX: You said you were born with achromatopsia. How did it affect you growing up?
SG: I've been teased my entire life. From the time I started school, until I graduated, I was mocked. I have to hold a book extremely close to my face in order to read it and I have to wear sunglasses even when most people wouldn't consider the conditions to be bright. So, naturally, that opened the floodgates for teasing. I got teased for wearing sunglasses even when it wasn't sunny. I got mocked for holding a book so close to my face. Kids always accused me of not being blind if I could read. They never understood that there was this "in between" blind state. I tried to play sports once when I was in 4th grade gym class, but after getting hit in the stomach with a softball I decided just to stay away from sports altogether. Besides, kids didn't want me to play with them because I was "the blind kid." And really, who wants to play ball with a blind kid?
RX: Geez... would you say this affected your self esteem?
SG: Oh definitely! I had no interest in joining any sports activities and over years of inactivity I found myself
as an adult at 180lbs. and I'm 5'1". However, in 1984 I tried out for the World Winter Games for the Disabled and had the opportunity to travel to Austria to compete in downhill skiing.
RX: Forgive me for asking this, but how does a blind person snow ski?
SG: For my division they have guides to follow down the hill.
RX: Sounds like an awesome experience. So how did you go from being overweight and inactive to the NPC Jr Nationals Women's Overall Champion?
SG: Well, at first, I really didn't know where to start. I'd always heard that people who were obese and then lost a lot of weight always gained it back and then some. So for the longest time I did nothing, because I figured it was better to be the way I was then even bigger! How's that for logic? Then, in 1995, my aunt convinced me to join a gym with her. I read books on working out, stopped eating out and buying that Big Gulp soda. My goal was always to be one size smaller. I never really followed the scale much; I just measured my weight loss by how my clothes fit. I had pretty good results and then maintained my weight for a couple of years. Then in 1999 I read Body For Life and followed that plan. I started eating six times a day and bought some home fitness equipment. Since I can't drive, I had to depend on rides from friends and family to get to the gym so having equipment at home made working out a lot more convenient and helped me be more committed.
RX: At what point did you decide to compete?
SG: By 2001 I was down to 120 lbs and people were actually asking me if I competed. I think taking a long time to lose the weight actually helped me to keep it off. I did my first show as a Lightweight in March of 2002. Then I also did 2 more shows in April and May and again in 2003. At this point I was equating looking good with being small. I was really unsure about bodybuilding because I didn't know what would happen to my body in an "off season." I was afraid that I'd get big again. So I switched to Figure in 2004, thinking that was a way for me to stay small.
RX: "Stay small?"
SG: Yeah. Basically, I just stayed on a competition prep diet and regimen through 2006. Then I started becoming really frustrated. I hated the gym; I was living on minimum food and too much cardio (due to a trainer I was listening to). I was going through the motions and getting no results. I was actually gaining weight on 1300 calories and 30 minutes of cardio a day. I had managed to screw my metabolism up by living like this for so long. That's when I knew I had to make a change.
RX: Sounds like you were definitely overtraining and under eating. Mentally, it's hard to break that cycle sometimes. What did you do to make a change?
SG: A friend of mine had been getting some really good results while working with her trainer, Jeremy, so I decided to give him a try. He increased my food and decreased my cardio. Ultimately he helped me find enjoyment in training again. I was also able to let go of the fear of getting big.
RX: Then you competed again and switched back to bodybuilding?
SG: Initially I was going to stay in Figure, but 6 weeks out from Jr. Nationals in 2007 I went to see Jeremy in Oklahoma and my legs were already shredded. He asked me how I felt about getting a posing suit and switching to bodybuilding. I was like: "sure!" So 6 weeks out of Jr. Nationals I made the switch back to bodybuilding. I came in at 114.8 lbs in the Lightweight Division and placed 2nd. Then we decided to go ahead and do Nationals that year. So I had 8 weeks off and then right back to prep. That time it was a difficult prep. My body was fighting me. It didn't want to prep again. The best part, though, was that Jeremy listened to me and if something wasn't working, we didn't fight it. We made necessary changes. I came in at 114.8 again as a Lightweight and placed 10th at Nationals.
RX: It sounds like you're pretty in tune with your body? What specific things did you notice weren't working for you?
SG: Well, I'm a very analytical person. I keep a spreadsheet on everything I do with my contest prep. I'm over the scale these days. So since I took 2008 off completely and had a 15 month off season, my goal was to put on more muscle for this year's Jr. Nationals. My caloric intake off season was about 3000 calories per day. For my prep we started out cycling my carb days. After a few cycles of charting it, I noticed that after every day that I had a low carb day my weight would go up. I told Jeremy and we decided to drop my low day altogether, go to all high days and cut my protein back. The fat started coming off much easier! It's still a real challenge, however, for me to lose weight.
RX: Well you definitely put on some muscle mass. You're now a solid Middleweight. What's next for you?
SG: I never thought I had what it took to go pro, but I'm seeing myself differently this season. I always felt a little scrawny as a lightweight. I am very pleased with where my body has gone these days. So I'm shooting for my pro card. I'm going to take time off until 2010 and probably shoot for Nationals in Dallas. I think I'm going to just enjoy life for a little while. My daughter just graduated High School. I think I can safely say I was the only one at High School Graduation with chicken in a baggie.
RX: So what does this off season look like?
SG: I will be eating clean 6 days a week and having a cheat meal once a week. I will be trying to add more size to my chest and arms and get a little more detail in my back. I'd like to stay a little tighter this off season than I have in the past.
RX: What was your post show cheat meal?
SG: I had a couple of photo shoots the day after the show, so I didn't want to completely blow my physique. But I did go to the breakfast buffet and ate some granola and pancakes. In between my shoots I had a bacon cheeseburger and fries and then after I had two slices of deep dish pizza and some Arby's beef n' cheddar and curly fries! Haha.
RX: Any motivational advice or tips for our Rx readers?
SG: I'd say when you commit to your goal, know that it takes consistency. Keep moving forward. I set my goals for shows. I always say this time is going to be better than the last time. If I meet my specific goals, like striated glutes or being able to see my abs (I used to barely be able to see my abs), then I've already won before I ever even hit the stage. I met my goals so I felt great going in. I can't control the judging or who's standing next to me. But I can control what I do and I can choose to stay consistent and not cheat.
RX: Who would you say is your role model?
SG: Sherry Smith. She's an IFBB Pro, a full time firefighter, she works part time for an MRI clinic, and she never complains. She never says she's tired. I think she's a robot. Haha. She's always got a positive outlook on everything.
RX: Anyone special you want to recognize for supporting your journey?
SG: Yes - Chase -my biggest supporter and fan! He does whatever it takes to get me through my prep, my daughter, for putting up with me dieting through her birthday and graduation. And Jeremy for helping me love everything I do again.
You can contact Suzanne at: www.fitsuzanne.com
Subscribe to RxMuscle on Youtube
