BY CHRISTINA RIFO
NEVER GIVE UP
BY CHRISTINA RIFO
I first started competing in 2013 . I was going through a divorce , was anorexic , and had turned to working out at home to deal with the stress . I had started transforming my body pretty quickly , & one of my friends convinced me to compete at a show she was doing . I entered the bikini class and fell in love with the sport . I started going to a gym afterwards and started taking training seriously and continued to compete in the bikini category for 6 years . In 2019 , I did my final show in the bikini category . I competed at Olympia Amateur Spain , and I came in last place . It was at that moment , I realized I had finally outgrown the bikini category , as my legs wanted to grow . In 2020 , I did 2 competitions in the figure category and placed in the top 10 , but my legs still kept stealing the show . In 2021 , I decided to finally give the wellness category a try . I quickly realized that was the category for me , placing top 3-5 in most of my competitions in that category . My last competition in Canada with the CPA this year was at the Vancouver Pro Qualifier where I won my class but was not able to win that elusive IFBB Pro Card . This inspired me to hit the North Americans to give it one more try this year . It was the right decision , I was fortunate to not only win my class but also the overall and the IFBB Pro Card in the wellness division .
My family has continued to support me over the past 11 years as I competed , always telling me to keep going and not to give up . My sons have come to most of my competitions with me , cheering me on . My Dad would FaceTime me before & after shows , telling me how proud he was of me , and reminding me not to give up when I felt defeated . When I would go through a tough time , my Dad would tell me to use it as fuel to push harder . I wouldn ’ t be where I am today if it weren ’ t for God , my family , & my coach who never stopped believing in me & pushed me to reach my full potential- he told me from day one : “ I see a lot of potential in you .”
This win ; is OUR win < 3
Your support system is so incredibly important . You MUST surround yourself with people who want that win for you , as bad as you want it . It took me 11 years , and 28 competitions to finally win my pro card .
Don ’ t give up on yourself . No matter how defeated you feel , keep pushing . The hard work WILL pay off eventually . Have faith .
Sincerely , Cristina Rifo