Trish Lavender is a fitness competitor I have always liked. Always saw a ton of potential in her. And as you can see, she has been living up to that potential. Inspired to compete by seeing the girls in magazines and an ex who said she would never look like those girls, she is proving that to be a false statement more and more with each show. Trish took 2010 off to work on her physique. So soon we get to see an even better Trish Lavender, and that's something to look forward to.
Q: First, Trish, I want to thank you for taking the time to do this.
A: My Pleasure, thank you so much for asking me, I feel honored to be included in the list of women on your site!
Q: Can you start out by telling a little about yourself.
A: Born and raised here in British Columbia, living in the Greater Vancouver area. I come from a pretty large family, Father, Mother, 2 sisters and 1 brother, I am the eldest.
Q: Before the gym were you an especially athletic person? Play any sports or anything?
A: From the age of 3 years old I have been involved in ballet, jazz, modern, lyrical and tap. It wasn't until after high school that I decided to join a gym.
Q: What initially led you into the gym?
A: Reason I joined a gym was because of a few things...1. moved out of the family home and parents were no longer willing/able to pay for classes (extremely expensive, especially the amount of classes I was taking!), 2. I had gotten to a point where a career in ballet was not going to happen ie: working for a company, and 3. A gym was more conveniently accessible before & and after a typical work day.
Q: Was training something you picked up fairly easy? How long before you started to see results?
A: I was actually pretty lucky that I had a Father that had been bodybuilding for years and he showed me the correct way to do a lot of weight training by using proper form, also I relied on Bodybuilding.com a lot and their online exercise videos. So I'd say it WAS pretty easy to pick things up, I think having good form and having already had great posture from years of dance really helped in that area.
Q: What made you decide to compete for the first time?
A: Well it wasn't an instant decision to compete, I had actually picked up my first copy of Oxygen Magazine and read it cover to cover and saw the amazing physiques of Monica Brandt, and Jenny Lynn, Jen Hendershott, and Adela Garcia and thought wow, I would love to look like that and perform on stage again someday. I also had added fuel to the fire once my current relationship went sour and his everlasting words to me were "you'd never be or look like them!"
Q: Is competing something your family and friends supported?
A: My Father obviously was very supportive, and a little proud I think, my Mother wasn't sure what to think about it, I think she thought Fitness was like Bodybuilding and that I would become super muscular, she wasn't even keen on my Father and his muscles (I think she's crazy ha ha), but now she is one of my main supporters, making my routine costumes, bikini's attending all my competitions. As for my friends, well let's just say you really find out who your true friends are once you become an athlete. I have friends that have stood through the good and bad times, for sure and for them I will FOREVER be grateful and appreciative of that, and on the flip side have lost friends that couldn't understand the dedication to myself and my sport, call it selfishness if you want but I prefer to call it passion and I think it’s so important for one to have something you are passionate about in life.
Q: Was competing what you expected or did anything surprise you about it?
A: I didn’t really have any expectations really, I knew what I had to do to compete, or at least the basics, my first show was mostly on my own with help of a friend/trainer on the east coast with diet and weight training/cardio, I choreographed my own routine. I think what surprised me was watching Jen Hendersott perform at my show as a guest and being brought to tears! Or maybe that was the low carbs??? Ha ha...she was sooo explosive I was truly in awe!
Q: Can you share your contest history.
A: Definitely!
*2005 – Sandra Wickham Fall Classic – 3rd Place
*2006 – BC Provincial Championships – 3rd Place
*2007 – CBBF Nationals – 6th Place
*2007 – BC Provincial Championships – 1st Place
*2008 – CBBF Nationals – 3rd Place
*2009 – CBBF Nationals – 5th Place
*2010 – Took my option year to work on my physique
*2011 – CBBF Nationals - TBA
Q: As far as body parts, what do you feel is your best one>
A: Most definitely my quads, I can thank all the years of dance classes for that...I rarely train them with heavy weight, I can put muscle on them SO easily!
Q: Do you have a part you most like to train?
A: I love training shoulders, they will always be a work in progress for me, and I’ve become increasingly fond of training my back now too! The heavier the better for training both!
Q: What is your normal training routine and diet like and how do you alter it for contest prep?
A: Training typically a 3 day split, with cardio and 2 days of routine drills or actual routine practice a week...as for diet, it changes from how I’m looking week to week. I leave it all up to my trainers Sandra Wickham and Ross Webb, I’ve been with them since 2006, they know me and my body and how it reacts and adjust my training and diet accordingly.
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: Always positive, they typically are impressed by the caliber of athletes and finally get a chance to see what I have been working so hard for.
Q: When they see it that first time, what is the one question or comment you are most sick of hearing?
A: “What do you want to eat first?!” Granted after the first couple shows it was all about the food, but now it’s gone beyond that, and I’ve learned that food is there for fuel and although you can enjoy a good meal here and there, it really shouldn’t be the main focus post competition, ESPECIALLY if you have upcoming photo shoots!
Q: What is the biggest misconception about women who train and compete or the one thing you wish people understood?
A: I think for me it would have to be that you can’t obtain a competition physique naturally, and that you have to live in a gym and lift super heavy all the time. Everyone’s body is different, and the saying “my body was built in the kitchen” holds a LOT of truth!
Q: What is the best and worst part of training for you?
A: Not having enough time, having to juggle working full time and training is a constant battle; everything is timed down to the second it seems.
Q: Do you have any favorite competitors or any you admire?
A: Of course my trainer Sandra Wickham, she is a Canadian Fitness Pro, but also the athletes I listed above: Monica Brandt, and Jenny Lynn, Jen Hendershott, and Adela Garcia
Q: Do you have a favorite cheat food?
A: Yes of course! Anything that involves chocolate & peanut butter, DQ Blizzards and Cheesecake are the top two!
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 find a trainer that has been training athletes for a while and has a good reputation for results, and to put 100% trust in them, never pay attention to what everyone else is doing it will only mess with you.
Q: Do you think it’s becoming more common for women to use the weights as opposed to just doing cardio and things?
A: I have been witnessing more and more women getting involved in group weight lifting classes which is think is great, it takes the guess work out of things, especially if you don’t have the money to hire a personal trainer at the gym. However, there are still woman that walk the treadmill and wonder why they aren’t seeing results. I wish I could talk to them all and tell them what they should be doing!
Q: Outside of training, any other hobbies or activates you enjoy?
A: I am also a Make-Up Artist as well, so I try to do that as much as possible too, lately I have been fortunate enough to start doing the make up for a few local athletes on their competition day. It’s always been a passion of mine and if given the opportunity I would love to do it more full time.
Q: Can you describe a typical day in the life of Trish Lavender.
A: Up at 4am, morning cardio, work 7.5 hours for an accounting firm as a Sr. Administrative Assistant, back to the gym to train weights, home to prep meals for the next day and try to be in bed by 9pm.
Q: Describe Trish Lavender in five words.
A: Honest, Hard working, Passionate, Reliable, Friendly.
Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
A: That I’m 31 years old in August – fitness does a body right!!!!
Q: Any set plans for the near future as far as competing or anything else?
A: Yes! I am currently less than 6 weeks out from the CBBF Nationals in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on July 23, 2011!
Q: Anything you want to take this opportunity to plug or promote?
A: Sure! Myself! I would really like to work more in front of the camera and with some of the leading photographers in the industry. I currently have a photo shoot with David Ford of Status Magazine and Arthur Kwiatkowski of Arsenik Photography for Inside Fitness Magazine coming up next month and am extremely excited for these opportunities!
Q: Are you looking for sponsors? If so how can they reach you and what are they getting in Trish Lavender the athlete and competitor?
A: Yes always, I can be reached at plavender80@gmail.com, they would be getting a positive athlete/competitor that lives the lifestyle to the fullest and would represent them and their product with integrity.
Q: Trish, again, I thank you for taking the time to do this. Any last words before you go?
A: Thank YOU for including me in your blog and for allowing me to open up a little bit about myself!
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