WILLIAM LITZ
WILLIAM LITZ
MUSCLES & MILESTONES: A FAMILY FIRST IN THE FIGURE DIVISION
A New Chapter in Canadian Bodybuilding History
At the upcoming VDC Natural show in Winnipeg, Christina Gaudette and her daughter Alexis will do something no mother-daughter duo has done before in Canada: stand delt to delt in the Figure division.
Yes, Mother and daughter will become rivals, both vying for top honours. It’ s not exactly a steel-cage death match. But it is the kind of story that makes you pause between sets and think about what this sport is really all about. Recently, we had the pleasure to sit down with the duo to discuss this incredible first for Canadian bodybuilding. To look at the peaks and pitfalls of family members who train and compete together.
The Roots of Rivalry
Christina Gaudette isn’ t new to the bright lights, spray tans, and the meal prepping of the competitive fitness scene. She once called the competition stage home— until 2013, when life, as it tends to do, threw her other priorities. She took a hiatus.
But like any good protagonist in a story worth telling, she came back. In 2020: Wiser. Hungrier. Still armed with the same restless energy that had once driven her into swimming pools, onto horseback, into taekwondo rings, and to quote Christina,“ A lot of baseball.” She was born to move, and a return to the stage was long overdue. Her daughter, Alexis, inherited that same drive. Dance. Gymnastics. Rugby. A childhood spent defying gravity and pushing limits.
Weightlifting?
It was there. Lurking in the background. An occasional friend, but not the main focus of her endeavors.
Then came the rugby injury— a broken fibula. Suddenly, the relentless forward motion stopped. Sitting still. Watching from the sidelines. Not exactly a young athlete’ s dream scenario.
She wasn’ t getting out much, and couldn ' t enjoy the activities that had become such a huge part of her life, it was around this time that she decided to step out of her comfort zone and join her mother full time in the gym, dedicating herself to the weights as she had previously done with her other athletic endeavors.
With her mother already back in the game, Alexis joined her, not just as a family member supporting another, but as a training partner. She traded the rugby pitch for iron plates, the chaotic teamwork of sport for the solitary discipline of lifting.
And now? They’ re both aiming for the 2025 VDC show in Winnipeg, Manitoba. When Christina returned to the stage, she did it her way. No coach. No guru. No BS. Years of training in the trenches and battle scars were enough. She had learned a lot and paid her dues in full. In addition to Alexis, she had also picked up another new training partner, one she would rather have done without. Christina had been diagnosed with Lupus.
But she was a fighter and was determined to continue on her fitness journey. She wasn ' t about to let this challenge sideline her dream.
Training
They train together sometimes. Morning works for Christina. Night owls like Alexis need darkness and loud music. They spot each other when the other needs it, but they’ ve both learned a fundamental truth: bodybuilding is a solo mission, synchronized swimming it is not. While having a team to support you is great, in the end it ' s you Vs you,