Figuring A Way To Win It All Again

Christine Gardner. Dan Ray photo / courtesy Christine Gardner

In 2009, Christine Gardner entered the Paradise Cup figure competition so that she could cross it off her bucket list. She ended up winning, and has been competing regularly in various figure competitions ever since.

“It was something I wanted to do before I was 30, but I was already 33 and decided it was time,” she recalls. “When I first started I just wanted to do one contest. Now, I’m taking it one contest at a time.”

This week, she’ll fly to Las Vegas to compete in the National Physique Committee USA Bodybuilding Championships July 27-28 at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. It’s an IFBB Pro Qualifier event, and she hopes to not only do well but also earn her pro card.

A 1994 graduate of Aiea High School, Gardner works as a hair and makeup artist and is the owner of Flaunt Makeovers. She also keeps busy taking care of her five dogs, and designs accessories and bridal hairpieces for her Attached hairpiece line.

She works out at 24 Hour Fitness and in preparing for the upcoming USAs has added private pilates classes at HI Performance Pilates, TRX, outdoor incline sprints, and occasional swims in the ocean ,and

hikes.

“Also, one of my main focuses in preparing for the competition this year is knowing that my mom, who just passed away in January, is going to be shining down on me,” she says. “When she passed away I was completely lost and had to refocus my thoughts and be reminded that she is always with me.”

Gardner also credits boyfriend and workout partner Jake Woolley for keeping her on track in and out of the gym. “Having a partner to train with really helps, especially with dieting because he eats the same food,” she says.

When she’s gearing up for a competition, Gardner is in the gym six days a week, and then twice a day when it’s 12 to 16 weeks out. She eats six meals a day, including a post-workout protein shake.

“The biggest thing for me is that because of my job I’m always on the go, so I would go to places that were convenient like McDonald’s or any drive-thru,” says Gardner. “Instead, I had to learn to prepare all my meals and have it with me. I had to measure everything out and pack it in a cooler. It’s a lifestyle change.”