Oxygen USA – July-August 2019

oxygenmag.com 117

No More Mom Bod. Sheri Griffi n was

a competitive fi gure skater and softball

player in her youth, but in 2016, she was

the heaviest she’d ever been. “I was los-

ing my breath when climbing stairs and

couldn’t stand back up if I squatted down to

get something off the fl oor,” she says. “Plus,

I was just tired of having a ‘mom body!’”

She and her husband Mike decided to team

up and get into shape.

A Family Aff air. While on vacation —

and still working out — Griffi n visited an

aunt who was preparing for a fi gure com-

petition and immediately wanted that for

herself. Her aunt introduced Griffi n to her

trainer, Lisa Schirok, and soon after, Griffi n

rediscovered her athletic groove. She lost

15 pounds, got into her best-ever shape and

followed her aunt onto the stage in 2018,

earning fourth in an Open Fitness Model

class and third in a Masters Bikini Model

class. “I learned so much about my body

and how hard I can push myself,” she says.

Early Bird. These days, Griffi n trains fi ve

days per week in the off season, starting

at 4:30 a.m. “That way, I have no excuse

not to work out, and I feel great the rest of

the day,” she says. Griffi n follows a body-

building-style training split and does cardio

two to three times weekly. “Running is my

favorite, hands down,” she says. “I think I

like it because it’s so measurable, and I’m

always working toward a faster pace.”

Sheri Griffi n

Delta, British Columbia, Canada

Stats: 41 • 120 lb (off season), 109 lb

(contest) • 5’2”

Gig: Senior project manager, con-

struction

By Michael Berg, NSCA-CPT

Ups and Downs. A basketball and volley-

ball player growing up, Rae-Ann Dodd fell

out of shape after a bad breakup, gaining

20 pounds and spiraling into unhealthy

behaviors. Once she realized her path, she

put herself in check and learned all she

could about nutrition and exercise. Over the

course of three years, she lost all that extra

ballast. “I learned how to be disciplined,

what my body is capable of, and how train-

ing and nutrition can truly transform your

physique,” she says.

On Physique and Failure. The married

mother of one used to be a “cardio queen,” but

she shifted to weight training at the suggestion

of her husband, Shayne. She has since done

fi ve fi tness and bikini shows and earned her

pro card in the Natural Physique & Athletics

Association in 2017. These days, Dodd teaches

rowing classes and trains fi ve to six days a

week using a standard bodybuilding split,

pushing to failure in her working sets.

Life in the Balance. Dodd’s secret to suc-

cess was fi nding balance. “That means eating

healthy most of the time but still enjoying din-

ners, wine and events with family and friends

— without guilt,” she says. “It means not being

stuck in a stringent plan and stressing over

missed workouts. Now I can be with my family

and volunteer as a trainer for my 12-year-old

son’s hockey team, work a full-time job, coach

clients and still feel energized.”

Rae-Ann Dodd

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Stats: 33 • 125 lb • 5’7”

Gig: Contracts specialist

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Sarah Hoots

Atlanta

Stats: 28 • 138 lb • 5’8”

Gig: Marketing director

Ballet to Bikini. Sarah Hoots was a

ballerina, gymnast and equestrienne growing

up, which satisfi ed her competitive nature. But,

like many young women, Hoots gained the

dreaded “freshman 15” her fi rst year in college,

but instead of giving in, she fought back and

hired a personal trainer. “Within two months

of working out and weight training, I wanted to

compete,” she says. In 2010, she began to com-

pete in bikini shows in multiple federations,

and her most cherished victory was winning

fi rst at the 2011 NPC Teen Collegiate & Masters

Nationals Championships.

Training Cycle. After six years of com-

peting, Hoots shifted gears — literally — to

cycling. “I struggled to fi nd balance with

my nutrition after years doing bikini shows,

so I took a break from the gym and got into

endurance sports where fueling your body

properly is crucial,” she says. “It brought me

back to a mentally healthier place.” Hoots

now cycles six days per week and does two or

three functional-training days in the gym.

Mole-tivation. “In 2017, I was diagnosed

with stage III melanoma,” she says, adding that

she is all clear now. “After surgery, because I

was unable to walk for three months, I was

more driven than ever. I told myself that never

again would I miss a workout because I was

too lazy or tired to do it, and I cherish each and

every day that I’m healthy.”