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Athletes Moms – Tri-Fitness Featured Athletes

By Bernadette Rosen

Photos by: Ed Johnston, Rick Schaff, Greg VanderWel, Jay Ronca, Marianne Johnston

Each month we will feature Tri-Fitness athletes who have competed and performed at the highest level. What is an athlete? Well, a Tri-Fitness athlete is one who demonstrates strength (bench press), speed (obstacle course , true grit challenge and shuttle run), flexibility (routine), agility (shuttle run and obstacle course), and endurance (box jumps, obstacle course, routine, shuttle and bench). Through a healthy diet (eating as an athlete) and extreme training, these athletes achieve a fit, athletic physique which enables them to succeed in our event.

This month we will feature sisters Blondina Polazzo (Missouri) and Tracy Goodwin (Tennessee) who achieved success at the 2015 Tri-Fitness World Challenge.


Blondina Polazzo – Tri-Fitness Featured Athlete

Athletes Moms - Blondina tackles the True Grit obstacle course, at the 2015 Tri-Fitness Challenge, Tampa, FL.

Athletes Moms – Blondina tackles the True Grit obstacle course, at the 2015 Tri-Fitness Challenge, Tampa, FL.

Please tell the readers about yourself and your past: 

Blondina: I am 41 years old and I live in Wentzville, Missouri.  I was born in Germany but I moved around a lot since my father was in the Air Force for 20 years.  I am married to the love of my life, William Polazzo, and we have two girls.  Olivia who is 17 years old and Bella who is 11.  This is my 23rd year in the Fitness & Nutrition industry.  I can remember at the age of 14 I knew my purpose was to inspire and motivate people to be their best physically!  My journey started when I joined the Air Force and became the Physical Conditioning monitor for my fellow soldiers.  In 2009 I received the “Healthy Woman Award” of St. Luke’s Hospital for inspiring others to take action with their health.  I have owned my own personal training company for over 10 years and I am leading a team of thousands that desire to help others as an Independent Distributor of AdvoCare International.  Fitness and nutrition has been apart of my life for a long time and I live to pay it forward to others.

 

How long have I been doing the Tri Fitness and what got me started:  

Blondina: May, 2015 was my first time competing in the Tri-Fitness World Challenge.  I love to compete and I was looking for something that would “fit” me.  So when my fellow fitness expert and AdvoCare leader, Liz  Cort, mentioned on Facebook that she was going to train a team of women to compete in the Tri-Fitness Challenge, I knew that this was exactly what I wanted to do to challenge myself.  I threw my hat in the ring and started training.

 

Sisters Athletes Moms - Blondina Polazzo who achieved success at the 2015 Tri-Fitness World Challenge, climbs across the Monkey bars.

Blondina Polazzo who achieved success at the 2015 Tri-Fitness World Challenge, climbs across the Monkey bars.

 

What do you like best about the Tri-Fitness Challenge:  

Blondina: I absolutely fell in love with this competition.  I truly haven’t felt this encouraged and motivated about competing in many years. Al Rosen, the founder, has done it right.  He has not only made this a competition that will challenge you physically, he has made it about life.  Fear No Obstacle is something that one can live by.   Six weeks into my training I injured myself and I almost quit  but something inside me said take some rest time but don’t quit.  I am so thankful I didn’t quit.  The feeling of accomplishment after finishing each competition with all the other athletes shouting “Good Job” is a memory that will be forever in my heart.

 

Would you like to add anything else for our readers?:  

Blondina: If you are in your 40’s, heck any age, and would like to challenge yourself and feel empowered, then Tri-Fitness is for you.  The Tri-Fitness Challenge 2015 experience was one of my best accomplishments for the year and I look forward to doing it again in 2016.


 

Athletes Moms - Tracy Goodwin (Tennessee) who achieved success at the 2015 Tri-Fitness World Challenge, climbs over the 10 foot wall.

Athlete Mom – Tracy Goodwin (Tennessee) who achieved success at the 2015 Tri-Fitness World Challenge, climbs over the 10 foot wall.
https://trifitnesschallenge.com

Tracy Goodwin – Tri-Fitness Featured Athlete

BSR: Please tell the readers about yourself and your past:

Tracy: I get to be a wife to an amazingly supportive husband, who is an avid runner, and mom to three beautiful boys. My oldest is 12, my middle son is 9 and my youngest is 4. I am passionate about Jesus, love, and all things about life. I always try to remember we aren’t promised tomorrow, so seize the day and make the most of every moment. I’ve always lived a somewhat healthy lifestyle, but I didn’t get serious in my training until about 5 years ago.  My health history is quite unique and a big part of what motivates me to just keep pounding it. In 1995, at the age of 20, I was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called Takayasu’s Arteritis. TA causes inflammation of the great vessels coming from the heart which can lead to blockages. In severe cases, like mine, it also causes damage to the heart valves. For me it was my aortic valve. By the time we discovered what was going on, I had 99% blockage in my coronary artery and my aortic valve was barely functioning. While having a stress echo test done in a cardiologist office, I went into cardiac arrest. Once revived, thank God, I was rushed to the hospital and had emergency open heart surgery. I had a double bypass and became the proud new owner of a mechanical aortic heart valve. My surgery and recovery went well until three years later. We discovered the wrong size valve had been placed and I was facing a repeat surgery. This is where things get complicated. In 1998, I went in for a second valve replacement. During the beginning of the procedure it was discovered that the original valve had not been put in correctly. Therefore, before I was on the bypass machine, the surgeon sliced into my aorta with catastrophic results. I went about 20 minutes without any oxygen getting to my brain. I was not expected to wake up, and if I did, it was predicted I would most likely be comatose. However, by the grace of God, I WOKE UP. Several of my major organs had failed, I was paralyzed on my left side, and I was having seizures. I spent two weeks in the ICU and I had to have dialysis for a short time. Slowly but surely everything started functioning properly again. I had a long road of recovery, but every step and every breath was worth it. I was, and still am, thankful beyond words to be here. Life is such a gift. I try to live to show others to never take life nor health for granted. This is why I pound. This is why I fight. Because I CAN.

Athletes Moms - Tracy Goodwin (Tennessee) who achieved success at the 2015 Tri-Fitness World Challenge. https://trifitnesschallenge.com

Athlete Mom – Tracy Goodwin (Tennessee) doing 50 jumps on the box jump event at the 2015 Tri-Fitness World Challenge. https://trifitnesschallenge.com

 

BSR: How long have you been doing the Tri-Fitness and what got you started?

Tracy: My first Tri-Fitness competition was in May of 2015. I had the time of my life participating in the fitness skills, obstacle course and true grit events. Talk about feeling alive! That course will do it for you! I was introduced to Tri-Fitness last year by my close friend and neighbor at the time, Danielle McGlynn. She had been competing for a few years and really encouraged me to try it. I kept watching her videos and asking her…are you sure I can do this? Then, I spoke with Al. After that, I knew I had to do it!

 

BSR: What do you like best about the Tri-Fitness?

 

Tracy: My favorite thing about Tri-Fitness is the feeling of accomplishment. A close second is how encouraging everyone is to everyone else. I was blown away by all the strangers cheering me on and rooting for me. Danielle kept telling me how you are treated like family once you become a Tri-Fitness athlete. But, you really have to see it to believe it. The camaraderie is incredible! There is nothing else quite like Tri-Fitness!

.

BSR: Would you like to add anything else for our readers?

Tracy: I would encourage others to grab your life and enjoy what God has given you! Start wherever you are because it is never too late. You are worth it and being healthy is a gift you give yourself.  Anything worth having requires work. Don’t be afraid of the work. Sometimes it’s in agony where we find exactly what we’re made of! Tri-Fitness is an event anyone can do. Trust me, if I can do it , you can too! No time like the present. Train!

 

Feature Athletes – Whitney Gladden and Chantel Schultz

Feature Athletes – Whitney Gladden and Chantel Schultz

Whitney Gladden

 

ATHLETES OF TRI-FITNESS

By Bernadette Rosen

Photos by: Ed Johnston, Rick Schaff, Greg VanderWel, Jay Ronca, Marianne Johnston

Each month we will feature Tri-Fitness athletes who have competed and performed at the

highest level. What is an athlete? Well, a Tri-Fitness athlete is one who demonstrates strength

(bench press), speed (obstacle course , true grit challenge and shuttle run), flexibility (routine),

agility (shuttle run and obstacle course), and endurance (box jumps, obstacle course, routine,

shuttle and bench). Through a healthy diet (eating as an athlete) and extreme training, these

athletes achieve a fit, athletic physique which enables them to succeed in our event.

This month we will feature athletes Whitney Gladden and Chantel Schultz who achieved

success at the 2015 Tri-Fitness World Challenge.

 

BSR: Please tell the readers about yourself and your past:

Whitney: I’m a 39 year old mom of 7-year-old Tucker and 5-year-old Macy. I am a

former attorney and now Diamond Distributor with AdvoCare. I have never been

particularly athletic, but I have always enjoyed fitness; in high school I played softball

and was the captain of my cheer leading squad. Through college I taught fitness classes,

but had to stop upon admission to law school due to time constraints. It was exciting to

find a company like AdvoCare because it allowed me to have health and wellness back

as a focus in my life after putting it to the side for several years.

 

Whitney - monkey bars

BSR: How long have you been doing the Tri-Fitness and what got you started?

Whitney: 2015 was my first competition! I didn’t know much about it until my friend

and fellow AdvoCare Diamond Liz Cort invited me to participate with her. I fell in love

with the training right away. After I was introduced to it by Liz, I found out that my

personal trainer, Laura Lord, was a multiple time Tri-Fitness Competitor and has been

featured in this very magazine! She helped so much with the training for that first event.

I could not have done it without her.

 

BSR: What do you like best about Tri-Fitness?

Whitney: I love that Tri-Fitness is all about personal empowerment. It’s not about being

the best or beating everyone else. It’s about being your best self. It’s about being better

at competition than you were at the beginning of training. It’s about commitment,

consistency, being brave and overcoming the seemingly insurmountable. It’s everything

I try to stand for in my own life!

Chantel Schultz

BSR: How did you go about training for the Tri-Fitness?

Whitney: I leaned on the experience of those who had gone before me! I followed a

training program written by Liz, which called for more athleticism than I had ever been

asked to deliver. It was a challenge for sure, with sprints, pull-ups, box jumps, bench

presses, many many plyometric exercises, dive rolls – truly things I had not done since

high school and possibly even elementary school. It really awakened the athlete in me

and I loved every minute of it. I stuck with it and pushed my own limits 6 days a week. It

was worth it, because at the competition I performed better than I ever had in practice

and was stronger than I’d ever been in my life. At 39, that is a real treat.

 

BSR: Would you like to add anything else for our readers?

Whitney: After completing Tri-Fitness, I was in awe. I couldn’t believe the things I was

able to do as a result of consistent training and proper nutrition. I couldn’t believe I

conquered an overwhelming fear of heights and not only jumped a 5 foot wall, but also

scaled a 10-foot rope wall and even climbed a 15-foot cargo net wall…and flipped over

it! The feeling of accomplishment was real and cannot be overstated. The support from

Al Rosen, my fellow competitors, and friends in attendance encouraged me to do things

I was sure I couldn’t. They believed in me until I believed in myself. I am proud to be a

part of the Tri-fitness family.

Chantel - over the wall

 

BSR: Please tell the readers about yourself and your past:

Chantel: I am a 38 year old mom of 3. I have a step-daughter who is 18, a daughter who

is 14, and a son who is 6. We are a household of Athletes and are always on the go! I am

a personal trainer at various gyms in NY and a group fitness instructor at Fitness Fusion

of the Hudson Valley (FFHV) in Red Hook, NY. I teach bootcamps, TRX, CRT Method, Real

Ryder Cycle, and Kickboxing. I am a coach for Team Fit Mom/Team Fit Girl. I coach

hundreds of girls all over the United States with our online prep program. I have done

multiple fitness competitions, Tri-Fitness (my favorite), The  NPC and The WBFF, where I

won my ProCard in back in April of 2012. I have always been athletic. Fitness is truly my

PASSION! I think the most rewarding part of what i do is watching my clients make

change….. The journey starts out with physical changes, but socially and emotionally my

clients grow as well and I love seeing them break out of their shells. I am also an Advisor

with a company called AdvoCare. We are a wellness and performance supplementation

company that focuses on clean eating with supplements to fill the gaps with nutrition

that our bodies need so that we can perform at top levels.

 

BSR: How long have you been doing the Tri-Fitness and what got you started?

Chantel: I did the Tri-Fitness Worlds Challenge for the first time last year in May 2015.

My friend, Liz Cort whom I also work for at FFHV had taken a group of ladies down the

year before. Unfortunately, I could not make it that year but every single person had

raved about what an incredible experience it was. I started following the founder, Al

Rosen on Facebook. His dedication to this Tri-Fitness challenge and his competitors is

like NO OTHER you will find out there!! I was blown away last year when I competed….

the Rosen family is incredibly inspiring and they have a heart of gold.

 

BSR: What do you like best about the Tri-Fitness?

Chantel: I love how personal Tri-Fitness is. IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU……even though there

are a hundred other competitors. This competition is YOU vs. YOU. You leave there

feeling beyond accomplished. The friendships you make, the tears of joy you have, the

memories you make, the obstacles you overcome makes it an incredible experience! . As

far as the challenge itself I have 2 favorites, I loved the stage (it was so different than my

past experiences with other federations) and I had a love/hate relationship with The

Bench Press (this was by far the biggest challenge during training but the most

rewarding when I finished it on competition day)!

BSR: Would you like to add anything else for our readers?

Chantel: I challenge anyone to “friend” Al Rosen on Facebook and turn down his Tri-

Fitness Challenge …. haha! ….it just won’t happen! You will be so inspired and intrigued

at the level of professionalism, commitment, and dedication that him and his family

have. The friends that I made while in Tampa, Florida and the group of girls I went down

with – we just have a special bond that no one can understand, unless you have

experienced Tri-Fit. I refuse to miss another year! I cannot wait to see everyone and

beat my placings from last year! I have a feeling the competition is going to be extra

hard this year!!! I can’t wait for June 2016…. BRING IT ON!!

Sisters Act!

Sisters Act!

ATHLETES OF TRI-FITNESS

Sisters-Cari-&-Angie

Sister’s Act!

By Bernadette Rosen

Photos by:  Ed Johnston, Rick Schaff, Greg VanderWel, Jay Ronca, Marianne Johnston

Each month we will feature Tri-Fitness athletes who have competed and performed at the highest level. What is an athlete? Well, a Tri-Fitness athlete is one who demonstrates strength (bench press), speed (obstacle course , true grit challenge and shuttle run), flexibility (routine), agility (shuttle run and obstacle course), and endurance (box jumps, obstacle course, routine, shuttle and bench). Through a healthy diet (eating as an athlete) and extreme training, these athletes achieve a fit, athletic physique which enables them to succeed in our event.

This month we will feature sisters  Angi Ishak and Cari Schlauch who achieved success at  the 2015 Tri-Fitness World Challenge.

 

 

BSR:  Please tell the readers about yourself and your past:

 

Angie:  I am 43 years old and live in Helena, Montana.  I was born in Kissimme, Florida but moved to Montana in 1990 and married my middle school sweethear Mike Ishak after we graduated high school.  We recently celebrated our 25th anniversary.  We have 6 children ranging in ages 24 years down to 12 years old and have 5 grandchildren with another on the way!    I have always been into fitness in some way or another, starting with gymnastics and ballet.  I was on the gymnastic and cheer leading teams in high school and cheered at Montana State University; cheer leading was my passion.  After starting a family, my sister Cari and I decided to start our own competitive cheer team, the Pink Panthers, in Montana.  After 3 years, it became too time consuming and we passed the team on.

Cari-Schlauch---Grace-&-Physique

BSR:  How long have you been doing the Tri-Fitness and what got you started?

 

Angie:  Even though I wasn’t coaching anymore, I still enjoyed going to the gym and lifting weights.  I had always wanted to do a fitness competition, but to be honest, I didn’t think I would be able to get on stage with other women, who were passionate about exercise and fitness, and feel as confident as I should.  I was more nervous about the diet part of it.  My sister Cari and I had done a lot of talking about training for a fitness competition but never committed until Cari saw a post from one of her fitness friends and fellow AdvoCare teammates, Liz Cort, that said she was going to train a team of women for the 2015 Tri-Fitness World Challenge in Tampa, Florida!  Cari and I jumped in with both feet and committed to each other to train for Tri-Fitness!

 

BSR:  What did you like best about the Tri-Fitness Challenge?

 

Angie:  There are so many things that I love about Tri-Fitness.  Al Rosen (the founder and president of Tri-Fitness) was informative, encouraging, and supportive!  He made it a point to know me by name and make each athlete feel important.  I can’t imagine another competition being run with more passion and love!  He made everything seem so easy and fun!  The event is designed for “you verses you” kind of competing; a friendly competition with other people trying to better themselves and accomplish a fitness goal never thought possible.  Everything and everyone is so positive!  Although there is an optional swimsuit round, it just wasn’t a bikini contest because there were 6 fitness challenges for each athlete to challenge themselves!  It pushed me beyond my limits and tested my endurance; when I thought I couldn’t jump another hurdle or sprint another step, there was someone right beside me yelling for me, cheering me and encouraging me to KEEP GOING!  I absolutely loved it!

Cari---Obstacle-Course-(1)

BSR:  How did you go about training for Tri-Fitness?

 

Angie:  The workouts were intense with track workouts, a carb cycling plan and 2 a day cardio for the last 4-6 weeks.  It really challenge me and showed me what I was made of!  But, I completed the 12 week program that included a meal plan, the workouts and an amazing Facebook group with tons of support from other competitors!  Upon arriving for the event in Tampa, I have to admit I was nervous.  But, I was so excited to start meeting the people I had connected with on Facebook; I was put at ease immediately as these women were amazing, encouraging and helpful.

 

BSR:  Would you like to add anything else for our readers?

 

Angie:  I honestly believe the Tri-Fitness Challenge is one of the best all around fitness competitions and if you ever get a chance to do this competition, I would highly recommend it.  It was worth every sore muscle and every piece of broccoli!  I can’t wait for June 10, 2016 and the 19th Tri-Fitness World Challenge!  My sister and I will both be there!

 

————–

 

Angi-Ishak---Grace-&-Physique

 

BSR:  Please tell the readers about yourself and your past:

 

Cari:  I live in Helena, Montana and have been married to my husband Brian for 16 years and we have 2 beautiful kids,  daughter Saylor (14 yrs) and son Jaxsen (12 yrs).  Both of them are very active in sports and keep us busy.  I have owned my own personal training business for the past 15 years and over the last 4 years I have enjoyed helping others achieve their health and fitness goals as an independent AdvoCare distributor.  Lastly, I have had the privilege to serve as a worship leader at our church for the past 12 years.  Fitness and Music have been passions of mine since I was a little girl and it is so rewarding being able to help others and do what I love!

 

BSR:  How long have you been doing the Tri-Fitness and what got you started?

 

Cari:  May 2015 was my very first Tri-Fitness Challenge!  I have always “talked” and “dreamed” about competing, but never had the courage to step on stage.  At 37 years old and being a mother of 2, I made the excuses that maybe I was too old?  Do I have what it takes to conquer this?  What will people think?  When my friend Liz Cort said she was competing and taking a group, I decided it was time!  I then told my sister Angi that she was going to do it with me.

 

BSR:  What did you like best about the Tri-Fitness Challenge?

 

Cari:  I absolutely loved the Tri-Fitness Challenge event!  The people, the encouragement, the physical challenge itself and the atmosphere were amazing!  Al Rosen, founder of the event, truly has a heart of gold and it shows in every detail.  He was there cheering on every athlete and making sure everyone knew the event was about you versus you!

Angi---True-Grit-Challenge

BSR:  How did you go about training for Tri-Fitness?

 

Cari:  We trained for Tri-Fitness with a group of awesome ladies across the country, through Team Fit Mom!  Our daily workouts consisted of cross training with weights and HIT cardio!  We had daily meal plans full of egg whites, lean proteins, lots of veggies and whole grain carbs….and we incorporated amazing supplements!  Everyday had challenges of it’s own, but doing this with my sister Angie, made for lots of laughs (and some tears); when one of us was ready to put our faces in the peanut butter jar or  hide in a closet with some brownies…the other would be the voice of reason…lol.  We made it through and we truly enjoyed the entire process!

 

 

BSR:  Would you like to add anything else for our readers?

 

Cari:  If you are reading this and thinking about competing again or maybe you’ve never competed before…. Tri-Fitness Challenge  is a MUST!  You are capable of anything you put your mind to!  “Whatever Your Mind Can Conceive And Believe It Can Achieve”  – Napoleon Hill

 

For more information on Tri-Fitness, see trifitnesschallenge.com

Article appeaers in Natural Muscle Magazine www.naturalmuscle.net