WOMEN’S BODYBUILDING: TAMMY JONES
Accomplishment: Overall and Heavyweight Winner
Age 33
Height 5’6
Weight 155
Residence Cape Coral, Florida
Contest History/Highlights 2011: North Americans 2nd Heavyweight; Nationals 8th Heavyweight; 2010: Southern States 3rd Heavyweight; 2009: North Americans 13th Heavyweight; 2008: Nationals 7th Heavyweight
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MILITARY TRAINING “I wasn’t your typical rebellious teenager, I was way beyond that. So I did two things – I joined the military and started training. That’s actually when I started training. I was bored out of my mind, in tents living in Hungary for a year, so I put all my time and energy into that. I went to a couple of bodybuilding shows and saw the women up on the stage – I thought it was disgusting at first, there was no way a woman can look like that. But it intrigued me.”
DESIRE FOR DISCIPLINE “When I got out of the military I was trying to figure out how to keep that same discipline in my life. Everything that I had to endure as far as physical training and regimented activities was very similar to what you have to do in bodybuilding. If you don’t do the things you’re supposed to do there will be consequences. It’s basically the same blueprint and guideline. That’s what draws me so close to it. I don’t want to be in the military anymore, but I still want that same discipline.”
FAMILY AFFAIR “My daughter is 12 … she’s my main strength, she helps me make my decisions. I don’t tell her what I’m going to do, I ask her. I did the Nationals one year and wasn’t keeping up with my diet and she was the one that was pushing me through. Now she’s with me in the gym, this is her life now too. We’ve made it work for us so it’s a part of our lives now.”
STRUCTURE “It goes back to the discipline and having a purpose for being in shape. It helps keep everything in check. To know that there is an actual purpose and a goal, something you’re trying to work towards – it makes it easier. If I had no competition date I would still go to the gym, but I don’t know if I would be as structured every single day. “
WINNING IS EVERYTHING “I’m very competitive and want to beat everybody. I’m not nice to people, I just want to win. My short-term goal is to put on a good 10 pounds of muscle and make it to the Olympia stage. I don’t just want to be on the Olympia stage, I want to be in the mix. I want to be in that top-five group. I want to win! So I’m working very hard to do that.”
