3 years after entering her first bodybuilding competition , Blakelee Ortega is going pro
Story by TYLER HANES
Cullman ’ s Blakelee Ortega did not originally plan on becoming a professional bodybuilder , and entered her first competition just three years ago , but that hasn ’ t stopped her from racking up wins on the way to earning the chance to compete at the pro level .
Over the past few years , Ortega placed first in her class for Women ’ s Physique at three competitions in Tennessee and won the best overall award at two of those contests , and earlier this year , received her International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness pro card after finishing first in her class at the National Physique Committee North American Championships .
Those victories would not have been possible , however , if it wasn ’ t for the years of hard work she put in — both inside the gym and outside — and the encouragement of her husband .
Ortega said she first started going to the gym regularly when the Cullman Wellness and Aquatic Center opened in 2009 , but said she did not go in with the goal to be a bodybuilder . “ I had no clue what I was doing ,” she said . A few years later , she met her husband , Daniel , at the same gym . Daniel , who is also a bodybuilder , was the one who encouraged her to get more serious about building up her muscles .
“ When we got together , I started working out with him and really just fell in love with it ,” she said .
Once she started getting bigger , it didn ’ t take long for people to start asking her when she was going to start entering competitions , but Ortega said she still had no intention of ever doing so .
“ I would immediately say , ‘ Never , I ’ m not going to compete ,’” she said .
With her husband ’ s encouragement for a cleaner diet , she started seeing bigger results in the gym , and decided that if she was going to spend so much time and effort on her body , she should enter a competition to see how it went .
Ortega ’ s first competition was the 2018 Knox Classic in Knoxville , Tenn ., where she finished first in her class for Women ’ s Physique and found that she enjoyed the experience of being on the stage despite the nervousness that she first felt .
“ Surprisingly , once I got on stage , I felt natural up there ,” she said . “ I felt like I was where I was supposed to be .”
In 2019 , Ortega was named the overall winner in the Women ’ s Physique competition at the Flex Lewis Classic in Murfreesboro , Tennessee , and she decided to take the next year off to train and work on getting bigger for 2021 ’ s competition .
In August , she returned to Knoxville to enter into the Knox Classic once again , but this time she had her eyes on a bigger prize after winning her class but not winning the overall prize in 2018 .
“ When I went back to Knoxville , that was kind of like my redemption because I didn ’ t win the whole show in my first competition ,” she said .
The second time proved to be the charm for Ortega , and earning the overall win in her second trip to Knoxville allowed her to enter into the NPC North American Championships in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . The North American Championships took place just six week ’ s after Knoxville ’ s competition , so Ortega said she allowed herself one night of celebrating and eating whatever she wanted before getting straight into preparations for Pittsburgh .
At that competition , she finished first in her class and earned her International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness pro card , which will enable her to compete in professional competitions and earn more money and sponsorships .
“ When you start competing , that ’ s the ultimate goal is to become a pro in this sport ,” she said .
Photo by SEAN NELSON sean-nelson . com
Cullman magazine | SPRING 2022
37