Commitment to health and fitness yields state-wide recognition

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Melissa T. Copeland
  • 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Two individuals from Davis-Monthan were recognized earlier this year for fitness excellence while competing in state-level competitions across the state of Arizona.

Tech. Sgt. Tracy Thompson, 355th Medical Support Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of communication management, and Nerissa Atkisson, 355th Aerospace Medical Squadron Health and Wellness Center health and fitness technician, both took top honors in the Arizona Copper Classic held in March and America's Natural Body building and Fitness Championship's in May.

Mrs. Atkisson will compete Sept. 10 for the title of Ms. Fitness USA in Las Vegas, Nev., while Sergeant Thompson will compete in the Team USA competition in October. If chosen, she will advance as a member of the USA team to compete in the Natural "O" competition in November, which requires all qualifying athletes to have a five-year minimum drug-free commitment.

Mrs. Atkisson, a group fitness instructor for 17 years, was crowned as the second-place winner in the fitness category and first-place winner in the swimsuit categories in the Arizona Copper Classic competition.

Considering it was her first competitive event, the results were outstanding.

"I have wanted to compete for years," she said. "Last year I was at the Ms. Fitness USA competition during a conference and made the decision that it is now or never. I started my training program as soon as I got back from my trip."

During the competition, contestants were evaluated on a 90-second fitness routine to demonstrate strength, flexibility and talent, on their swimsuit physique and a short speech and gown segment.

To prepare for the competitions, Mrs. Atkisson participated in various training regimes, to include cardio and cross-training workouts, yoga, weight training, dance routine practice, gymnastics training, poise, walking and public speaking training.

The results of her next competition, the America's Natural Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships, yielded her a first-place finish in three different categories - fitness, sports model and swimsuit.

"I was so grateful and happy to know that hard work does pay off," Mrs. Atkisson said.

When asked about her plans for future competitions, she said, "Well, my first goal was to someday compete, and I did it. Now I will do my best and reach for the best placement possible."

Her advice to those wanting a healthier lifestyle is to set daily, short- and long-term goals that are attainable for you to know which direction you want to go.

"It's important to stay strong mentally and physically," she continued. "My family is military and I work with the military. I know how important it is to be fit for the mission and also be fit for life. You never know what is going to happen, and we always have to be prepared mentally and physically."

Sergeant Thompson also participated in the Arizona Copper Classic and brought home numerous recognitions.

She placed first in the Overall Women's Open, first in the Women's Open, first in the Open Middle Weight, first in the Women's Jr. Masters and second in the Ms. Physique category.

In the second competition, America's Natural Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships, Sergeant Thompson received first-place honors in the Overall Women's Open, first in the Women's Open, first in the Women's Jr. Masters and first in the Ms. Physique category.

She has also competed in several power lifting competitions and has received two top lifter awards and a first place honor in her weight category.

"I started lifting about eight years ago, more so for the enjoyment," Sergeant Thompson said. "A fellow lifter talked me into Power lifting, which I did for about one and a half years. I then started to focus on body building again about one to two years ago with the hopes to compete in my first competition before I turned 40."

Sergeant Thompson accomplished her goal just three months shy of her 40th birthday.

To prepare herself for the competitions, she immersed herself in reading, spoke to other body builders that had competed and who assisted her with her posing. She also focused on the type of lifting she did, and endured a great deal of cardio in addition to ensuring a clean diet for every meal.

On a normal workout day, Sergeant Thompson can be found doing cardio workouts for approximately 60 minutes and 25 minutes of abdominal exercises, six days a week. She also lifts weights five days a week for at least 90 minutes.

"Fitness is a way of life," she said. "It is really important to do something, even if it is only for 30 minutes a day. Once you start, and get into the routine, it may be difficult to stop. Exercise is a great addiction."

"I would love to see more people in the gym and (taking) exercise more seriously," she said. "Lifting weights and aerobics is not just going through the motions."

She stressed the importance of working out using the proper physical form to ensure maximum benefits and to reduce the likelihood of injury.

There are a variety of fitness improvement classes available at the Benko or Haeffner Fitness Centers, such as, cardio kick boxing, step aerobics, abs and lower body, Get Fit, Stay Fit and cross fitness.

For more information on the aerobics schedule, visit http://dmservicesonline.com/Fitness%20New/Fitness%20Class%20Schedule.html.