Laura Boisacq Interview

Laura Boisacq is much more than just a pretty face. She is an inspirational woman with an incredible physique (highlighted by some of the best legs you will ever see). After taking three years off, Laura returned to the stage at this years Emerald Cup and did what she has always done. She won and showed why she is one of the sports best posers. In fact, Laura and her husband Shawn may be the best mixed pairs posers you will ever see. More amazing is after five children and three years off, Laura looked better than she ever has. My suggestion is that the IFBB make up a pro card with Laura's name on it now, cause soon she is going to be receiving it.





Q: First, Laura, I want to thank you for taking the time to do this.
A: Thank you for your patience in getting this returned back to you. You have the patience of Job! :-)

Q: Can you start out by telling a little about yourself.
A: I was raised by my mom, who was a single parent. I had an older brother
and younger sister that I was raised with. My dad left when I was 2 months
old so I never had a chance to get to know him. We were pretty much latch
key kids, not a lot of supervision. I grew up in Woodinville Washington
which is a small town North of Seattle. Well, I guess it's not so small
anymore. It was a farming community when I was growing up there. We only had
one post office and one gas station. We had to go over to the next town of
Kenmore to get groceries. Now I'm 39, married, with 5 children of my own. I
have 4 boys and 1 girl, they range in ages from 16 years to 17 months. My
husband Shawn Boisacq is the most amazing human being I have ever known. He
is my strength when I'm off and vice versa. We're a great team at
everything.

Q: Before the gym were you an especially athletic person? Play any sports or
anything?
A: I loved track and field and volleyball. I enjoyed playing neighborhood
football with the other kids. Really anything that I could exert my physical
self in was enjoyable.

Q: What initially led you into the gym?
A: I lifted a little when I was around 17-18 and didn't like the size I was
putting on so I backed off. I was trying to tone down, not up. I started
back in the gym after I had my 2nd child Rebekah. I couldn't shake the baby
weight off after 5months so I started attending a power class that combined
step aerobics and weight training. My body changed fast, this time, I liked
it!

Q: Was training something you picked up fairly easy?
A: I think it was fairly easy. I don't recall really struggling with any one form or exercise. How long before you started to see results? I saw results right away. I'm a total meso.


Q: What made you decide to compete for the first time?
A: A gal named Lisa Zehrung Jones. She was training for a show in my gym
and she looked amazing! I wanted to look like that. I always admired the
strong and muscular women that were in Boris Vellejo's paintings and
artwork. I collected his work from the time I was about 12. She had that
look, and I wanted to look like that. Hence, training for my first show in
2003

Q: Was competing something your family and friends supported at the time?
A: Oh there were mixed emotions for sure. My mom still has a hard time with how
lean I get. Her first instinct is to encourage me to eat. "I do eat!" I tell
her, "6 times a day!". LOL

Q: Was competing what you expected?
A: I don't think I went into it with any preconceived notions about what it was or was not. Did anything surprise you about it? Oh yeah, I had a few surprises. I learned alot about what it means to be a good ambassador of the sport. To encourage and lift up my fellow competitors instead of being petty, insecure, and selfish. Those were traits that I had the unfortunate opportunity of experiencing thru out my years competing and it was exactly what I would not be or perpetuate.

Q: Can you share your contest history.
A:
*2011- BSN Emerald Cup-1st Light Weight, 1st Mixed Pairs, Overall
*2008- NPC USA Bodybuilding & Figure Championships- 3rd place Light Weight
*2008- NPC Washington State Bodybuilding, Figure, & Fitness Championships-1st place Light Weight, 1st place Mixed Pairs, Overall
*2007- ABFF Anchorage Pro/Am Bodybuilding, Fitness, & Figure Championships- 1st place Light Weight, 1st place Mixed Pairs, Best Poser, Overall (qualified for Natural Pro card w/ ABFF)
*2005- NPC Alaska State Bodybuilding, Fitness, & Figure Championships*** Competed as Laura C Wing- 1st place Light Weight, 1st place Mixed Pairs, Overall
*2004- NPC Team Universe- *** Competed as Laura C Wing- 4th place Light Weight
*2004- NPC Lee Priest Classic- *** Competed as Laura C Wing- 1st place Light Weight, Overall
*2003 NPC Alaska State Bodybuilding, Fitness, & Figure Championships-*** Competed as Laura C Wing- 1st place Light Weight, Best Poser


Q: As far as body parts, what do you feel is your best one?
A: Shoulders

Q: Do you have a part you most like to train?
A: I love to train legs! Love, Love, Love it! Oh, unless I'm carb depleted, then I
don't like it so much. :-)

Q: What is your normal training routine and diet like, and how do you alter
it for contest prep?
A: I train 5 days a week. I eat pretty clean during the week and then eat what ever I want on the weekends. When it's time for contest prep, I clean everything up and start a cardio progression.

Q: When someone sees your physique or hears you compete for the first time, what is the most common reaction? More positive or negative?
A: So far positive. It's funny because I am always being mistaken for a figure
competitor. Not sure what that is all about. When I tell people I'm a bodybuilder they are like "Really??" Yes, Really! LOL

Q: When they see it that first time, what is the one question or comment
you are most sick of hearing?
A: "How much can you bench?" I get that all the time.


Q: What is the biggest misconception about women who train and compete or
the one thing you wish people understood?
A: Most people think that a woman who has muscles is partaking in some type of supplemental help. Fact of the matter is, these women work their asses off (almost quite literally), and diet like fiends! Please do not assume that just because a woman has muscles that she is taking something to give her those muscles. She is training and dieting and cardioing consistently every day of every year to keep herself in such awe inspiring shape. Just appreciate it, and if you don't have
anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

Q: What is the best and worst part of competing?
A: Towards the end, right before the show, the dieting gets pretty intense. I think the worst part are the moments I feel like a raging witch because I'm exhausted, hungry, and sore. The best part is the number of lives you touch when you show people that you can overcome adversity and that if you believe in yourself you can
accomplish anything.

Q: Do you have any favorite competitors or any you admire?
A: Elena Shportun, have so much respect for her. She seems like a very classy lady. I would love to meet her. Her style is so elegant and inspiring.

Q: Do you have a favorite cheat food?
A: Hmmm, it's a tie between pizza & chocolate


Q: If another woman told you she wanted to start training, what is the one
piece of advice you would most want to give her?
A: To surround herself with positive loving people who are going to be there to help her during high moments and the low moments. Having a support network is paramount to success.

Q: DO you think it s becoming more common to see women in the gym training
and lifting as hard as men?
A: Not up here so much. I don't know about in the lower 48.

Q: Outside of training, any other hobbies or activities you enjoy?
A: Love to cook, sea kayak, crocheting, scrap booking, skeet and sporting clays.

Q: Can you describe a typical day in the life of Laura Boisacq.
A: I get up at 6am and get my son up and off to highschool with lunch in
hand, do my cardio, get my other children up for school around 8am, make
our breakfast and lunch and get everyone, including my husband who is an
elementary P.E. Teacher off to school. i stay home during the day with my 4
year old and my 17month old, cleaning house, paying bills, preparing chicken
& rice for the day (we go through alot of chicken! My husbands a big man!)
When Shawn gets home from school I leave and head to the gym to train
clients from 4 to 7. We workout from 7 to 8 or between 4 & 7 if there is an
open slot. Come home, make dinner, help kids with homework, get kids into
bed, clean kitchen, and pose before we pass out around 10:30 - 11:00pm.

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
A: I use to compete in Sporting Clays & Skeet. I did quite well. :-)

Q: Describe Laura Boisacq in five words.
A: Loyal, Loving, Sincere, Protective, Determined

Q: Any set plans for the near future as far as competing or anything else?
A: Heading Nationals in South Beach!

Q: Anything you want to take this opportunity to plug or promote?
A: I want to thank Debbie Fowler for lighting a fire under my butt to get out there and go after my Pro Card. I also want to thank Powerhouse Gym here in Anchorage,
Jackie's Place (best egg whites in town), Max Muscle, The Sevillo Family,
The Carr Family & PhotoArts for sponsoring us for the Emerald Cup.
Everyone's help made our journey just a little bit easier. I also want to
thank Gerri Davis for taking such good care of Shawn and I at the Emerald
Cup. She has a heart of gold that one!

Q: Are you looking for sponsors? If so how can they reach you and what are
they getting in Laura Boisacq the athlete and competitor?
A: Yes we are looking for sponsors for Nationals. They will be getting a determined mother of 5 who wants to be an ambassador of our sport and represent woman in a positive image. I would hope that I have a look and an image that a sponsor would be
proud to represent. I'm here to stay. There will be no more off seasons to
get pregnant. 5 kids is enough! :-) If anyone is interested in sponsoring me
they can e-mail me at SNLB@gci.net or call me at 907-227-3515. Thank you in advance!


Q: Laura , again, I thank you for taking the time to do this. Any last
words before you go?
A: I wanted to say a quick thank you to two very important men, my husband
Shawn Boisacq and Steve Wennerstrom. Without Shawn's support and shared
passion for the sport of bodybuilding, I probably wouldn't have come this
far. I met Steve at a time when I was just getting started and he was so
encouraging at a time when I needed it the most that I will never forget his
kindness.