The NPC Athletes of The Month have been selected for the month of April. Seven athletes – John Blatz, Lequida Sanders, Amy Allen, Jacklyn Sutton, Ally Baker, Matt Pattinson and Lauren Lessnau – have been selected as the Athletes of the Month in their respective divisions.
NPC Chairman Jim Manion selects the Athletes of the Month in each of the organization’s seven divisions – Men’s and Women’s Bodybuilding, Figure, Bikini, Fitness and Men’s and Women’s Physique – based on the information provided by contest promoters across the country and featured in the NPC News Online Contest Roundups every Monday.
Congratulations to each of the NPC April Athletes of the Month!
(Related: NPC March Athletes of the Month)
MEN’S BODYBUILDING: JOHN BLATZ
When John Blatz first stepped on a bodybuilding stage in 2009, one year removed from an elbow injury that signaled the end of his college football days, a career in bodybuilding was far from his end game.
“I was just doing the show to see what it was like,” Blatz says. “I mean, you do a show to win, but I didn’t walk in there thinking I was going to beat everyone else.”
But that’s exactly what Blatz did, winning the Novice class and placing third in the Heavyweight division of the 2009 Panhandle Showdown at the age of 20.
Fast forward three years, and Blatz was back at the Panhandle Showdown on April 14, having added nearly 40 pounds of muscle to his frame. This time, he won more than the Novice division – he won the Super Heavyweight and Overall titles.
“When they announced my name, it was overwhelming feeling,” Blatz says. “It took a while to set in. I thought about where it all started, and it was definitely a great feeling.”
Next up, the Nationals in November, where Blatz knows he’ll once again be in a much bigger pond.
“It’s going to be hard, everyone else up there is a veteran and it’s my first year. I’m hoping to make improvements in next couple of months and come in anywhere between five and 10 pounds heavier and see what happens.”
AGE: 23
HEIGHT: 6’0
CONTEST WEIGHT: 237.5
LIVES:
Fort Walton, Florida
CONTEST HISTORY: 2009: Panhandle Showdown 1st Novice Heavyweight; 3rd Open Heavyweight; 2010: Excalibur, 2nd Heavyweight; 2012: Panhandle Showdown, 1st Super Heavyweight and Overall
ATHLETIC BACKGROUND: High school football and track, college football.
OCCUPATION: Personal Trainer
ROLE MODELS/INFLUENCES: Phil Heath and Evan Centopani. “I was able to meet Evan at the Olympia and I followed his Arnold Classic prep online. The fact that he’s married with a daughter, and I’m a younger bodybuilder trying to become pro who is married with two daughters – it makes me feel like it could be real, like it’s not just a dream”
PIECE OF EQUIPMENT MY GYM MUST HAVE: Lat pulldown. “Whenever I train back, I do every variation of a pulldown.”
FAVORITE MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE: “I can do all things through Christ which strengthen me.”
WHAT’S NEXT: Nationals on November 9-10.
WOMEN’S BODYBUILDING: LEQUIDA SANDERS
It likely seemed an odd thing to say at the time, with a then-12-year-old Lequida Sanders weighing in at 100 pounds dripping wet. But it was said anyway.
“My grandma used to tell me I had muscles,” Sanders said. “So I said, ‘Ok, I have muscles, I’m gonna compete one day.’”
That day didn’t come until Sanders was 33 years old, three years after she had given birth to a daughter of her own.
“I actually started training with weights when I was 25 years old,” Sanders says. “But when I had my daughter, I ballooned up to 180 pounds. When I got to 180, I told my husband I was gonna do something about it.”
She certainly did. Since 2008, Sanders has competed in at least one contest a year, never finishing out of the top five – a streak that includes two appearances at the Junior Nationals.
Most recently, Sanders won the Middleweight and Overall at the Panhandle Showdown, setting her up for another run at the Junior Nationals in June.
AGE: 39
HEIGHT: 5’3 1/2
CONTEST WEIGHT: 135
LIVES:
Jackson, Mississippi
CONTEST HISTORY: 2008: Southern Classic, 1st Light Heavyweight and Overall; Mississippi State Championships, 1st Light Heavyweight and Overall; 2009: Jr. Nationals, 5th Light Heavyweight; 2010: Mississippi State Championsips, 1st Light Heavyweight and Overall; 2011: Southern Classic, 1st Light Heavyweight and Overall; Jr. USAs, 4th Light Heavyweight; 2012: Panhandle Showdown, 1st Light Heavyweight and Overall
ATHLETIC BACKGROUND: “I was a track star and I’ve been playing softball all my life.”
OCCUPATION: Gym Owner and Personal Trainer
PHYSIQUE ROLE MODELS/INFLUENCES: Lenda Murray. “She was what I wanted to be, when I saw her I wanted to have muscles and be beautiful. I said, ‘One day I’m gonna be that lady.’ I’m not Lenda Murray but I’m still working on it!”
PIECE OF EQUIPMENT MY GYM MUST HAVE: “Has to have that stepmill.”
FAVORITE MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE: “Start today for a healthy tomorrow. And I always end it with ‘Have a fit and fabulous day!’”
WHAT’S NEXT: Jr. Nationals on June 15-16
BIKINI: AMY ALLEN
She didn’t move to Temecula, California to train with one of the best in the business. It just worked out that way for Amy Allen.
But when the mother of two relocated to the west coast for professional reasons and found herself slowly slipping out of shape, a simple internet search brought her to Kim Oddo’s doorstep.
“I got consumed prepping everyone at my old job for me to leave and prepping everybody [in Temecula] for me to take over,” says Allen, who works as an Education Program Director and college professor. “So I went from working out seven days a week to nothing. I had always been an athlete, so I wanted somebody who was gonna push me like a coach.”
Soon after that, the changes to her physique convinced Allen she was ready to take it to the next level – NPC Bikini competition.
“I started with Kim towards the end of June, then ended up stepping on stage in October,” Allen says. “I didn’t go to him thinking I would compete, but once I got to that point I decided ‘Let’s try this’.”
Allen’s placings have run the full spectrum so far, from winning her class at her first contest to placing out of the top 10 at last year’s Nationals to – most recently – winning her class and the Overall at the Amateur Grand Prix on April 14.
In all, Allen has competed a total of 5 times in less than a year, with no signs of slowing down.
“I’m hooked,” she says.
AGE: 35
HEIGHT: 5’6
CONTEST WEIGHT: 117
LIVES:
Temecula, CA
CONTEST HISTORY: 2011: Titan 1st Class E; Sacramento Championships 5th Class E; Miami Nationals 12th Class E, Governor’s Cup 4th Class E; 2012: Grand Prix 1st Class E and Overall
ATHLETIC BACKGROUND: “I played softball, ran track, was a cheerleader and played basketball. I always ways did something sports oriented.
OCCUPATION: Education Program Director and College Professor.
PHYSIQUE ROLE MODELS/INFLUENCES: Amanda Latona and Dianna Dahlgren
PIECE OF EQUIPMENT MY GYM MUST HAVE: “At this point, because of the type of training, it would be a stepmill. Cardio is such a huge thing for me and it seems to be the one that kicks your butt the most.”
FAVORITE MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE: “I always joke around and say the whole Nike thing, ‘Just Do It.’”
WHAT’S NEXT: Junior Nationals on June 15-16 or USAs on July 27-28
FITNESS: JACKLYN ABRAMS
Jacklyn Abrams has always been a fast starter. How else do you explain a 16-year-old high school student cheerleading for a professional sports team?
“My high school stunt coach told me I would do really well cheering for the Colorado Rapids [Major League Soccer team],” says Abrams. “I was like, ‘But I’m only 16’. But I tried out and they loved me. The next youngest cheerleader was 22, so I was the youngest by far.”
Abrams ended up working with the Rapids cheer team for three years. It was during that time that she found her other passion – weight training.
“I took a strength and conditioning class all the way through high school,” Abrams said. “Even after high school I was still working out like five times a week.”
That eventually led her to fitness competitions, where she eventually hooked up with 1997 Fitness Olympia Carol Marzetta. So far, in less than a year of competing, Abrams has won the overall at both of her fitness competitions.
She’ll look to continue that streak – and get a pro card in the process – at this weekend’s Junior USAs.
AGE: 23
HEIGHT: 5’1
CONTEST WEIGHT: 107
LIVES:
Parker, Colorado
CONTEST HISTORY: 2011: Colorado State Championships, 1st Fitness Short Class and Overall; 2012: Emerald Cup Overall Fitness; 1st Mixed Pairs Bodybuilding
ATHLETIC BACKGROUND: Tennis, rugby, volleyball, cheerleading. Professional cheerleader with Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer
OCCUPATION: Fitness competitor
ROLE MODELS/INFLUENCES: My coach, Carol Semple who won the first Fitness Olympia in 1997.
PIECE OF EQUIPMENT MY GYM MUST HAVE: Free weights.
FAVORITE MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE: “Train insane or remain the same.”
WHAT’S NEXT: Junior USAs this weekend
FIGURE: ALLY BAKER
When Ally Baker returned to the after more than a year away, a lot had changed for the former figure competitor. Most notably, the division in which she was competing.
“I was competing in bikini, and I really did enjoy it,” says Baker.
At first glance, the results were great – Baker placed second in her class in her first bikini competition before winning her class in her second. But the judges had just one not-so-small critique that Baker couldn’t get away from
“I was carrying too much muscle,” Baker says. “I had to stop weight training or a while, but it still didn’t work – I was still pretty muscular. I did OK at the regional level, but I probably wasn’t going to do well at a higher level.”
So Baker decided to make the switch back to figure, where she feels her physique is much more at home. The result – first in her class and the Overall title at the Empire Classic on April 28 – is proof she made the right decision. Plus, she’s having more fun.
“I like to be able to lift heavy and see my body grow and change in that way,” Baker says. “I was kind of bored not being able to lift and running two hours a day.”
AGE: 27
HEIGHT: 5’3
CONTEST WEIGHT: 120
LIVES:
Kennewick, Washington
CONTEST HISTORY: 2005: Seven Feathers Classic 4thClass B (Figure); 2008: Emerald Cup, 3rd Class B (Figure); USAs DNP; Iron Mountain Classic, 2nd Class B (Bikini); Northwest Championships, 1st Class B (Bikini); 2012: Empire Classic, 1st Class B and Overall (Figure)
ATHLETIC BACKGROUND: Soccer, volleyball and softball. “I ran a little track too, but softball was always my main focus.”
OCCUPATION: Gym owner and personal trainer/contest prep coach
PHYSIQUE ROLE MODELS/INFLUENCES: “I still like a little harder, a little leaner look. I feel like maybe my physique looks better when I’m like that. So Ava Cowan more recently and Jamie Eason just for being smart, healthy and fit.”
PIECE OF EQUIPMENT MY GYM MUST HAVE: Hammer strength shoulder press
FAVORITE MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE/SAYING: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
WHAT’S NEXT: USAs on July 27-28
MEN’S PHYSIQUE: MATT PATTINSON
As a high-level athlete, Matt Pattinson knows that having a goal helps keep you motivated. It’s what earned him all-conference honors in high school, a starting job as a linebacker for the UNLV Running Rebels, and a job on the Buffalo Bills roster after making the team as an undrafted free agent in 2008.
But NFL teams don’t typically wait on undrafted free agents who get sidelined with injuries, and that’s exactly where Pattinson found himself shortly after signing with the team.
“I’m very competitive,” Pattinson says. “When football didn’t work out for me, I didn’t have anything to train for.”
After watching a friend compete in the newly-formed Men’s Physique division last year, Pattinson found that something.
Most recently, in just his second competition, Pattinson won his class and the Overall at the Empire Classic on April 28.
“I love competition,” he says. “I love everything about it and that’s kind of how I got into it. I always thought about bodybuilding, but this is more of a look I pride myself on having.”
AGE: 28
HEIGHT: 6’3
CONTEST WEIGHT: 208
LIVES:
Bellview ,Washington
CONTEST HISTORY: 2012: Emerald Cup, 2nd Tall Class; Empire Classic, 1st Tall Class and Overall
ATHLETIC BACKGROUND: “I played football and ran track in high school. I played college football at UNLV and was signed by the Buffalo Bills.”
OCCUPATION: Personal Trainer
PHYSIQUE ROLE MODELS/INFLUENCES: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Steve Cook. “Arnold’s the man. Steve Cook is kind of a guy I look up to, I think I’m close to his physique and I try to model my body close to his.”
PIECE OF EQUIPMENT MY GYM MUST HAVE: Hammer Strength Power Rack. “You can do anything in there.”
FAVORITE MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE: “I have quite a few, but my best is ‘It ain’t easy being great.’ Meaning you have to work your ass off to be great.”
WHAT’S NEXT: USAs on July 27-28
WOMEN’S PHYSIQUE: LAUREN LESSNAU
Close your eyes and imagine a 21-year-old McDonald’s manager, and it’s likely you’ll come up with someone who looks entirely different from Lauren Lessnau.
But Lessnau, who’s father was once a McDonald’s Regional Manager who now owns five of the fast-food chains in Colorado, isn’t really your typical 21-year old.
When someone at her gym approached her last December and told her she should think about competing in bikini, she decided to give it a try. One month later, however, those plans changed.
“I started training, and I just started getting bigger,” says Lessnau, who attributes her tendency to put on muscle from playing soccer and running track in high school. “So in January I realized I was going to have to do Women’s Physique.”
The decision worked out well, as Lessnau won her class and the Overall at the Northern Colorado Championships on April 14.
“I love Physique because you can actually show your personality,” says Lessnau, who will compete at the Junior USAs this weekend. “The posing and the routine is really fun.”
AGE: 21
HEIGHT: 5’2
CONTEST WEIGHT: 120
LIVES:
Denver, Colorado
CONTEST HISTORY: 2012: Northern Colorado, 1st Class A and Overall
ATHLETIC BACKGROUND: “I played all kinds of sports, but soccer and track mostly.”
OCCUPATION: Personal Trainer, McDonalds Manager
PHYSIQUE ROLE MODELS/INFLUENCES: Dana Linn Bailey and Marlina Echohawk
PIECE OF EQUIPMENT MY GYM MUST HAVE: Leg Press machine. “My favorite exercise.”
FAVORITE MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE: “Thoughts become things.”
WHAT’S NEXT: Junior USAs this weekend
