Forward Movement Magazine Winter Issue 1 2015/2016 | Page 44

T
U
O
K
L
A
W
I
WHEN I HAVE TO
ON STAGEOUT THERE
GO
I
T
A
H
T
G
N
THINKI OPPING
AM JAW-DURS! I HAVE
GORGEO E DARING
TO HAVE TDHNESS AND
WIL
F
O
E
C
N
E
D
I
F
CON A, THE
LADY GAGY-NESS
FUN FLIRRT SWIFT,
OF TAYLO LSO THE
BUT A OISE
P
D
N
A
S
S
A
CL
.
E
T
A
K
S
S
E
C
OF PRIN

and 2 women. This is my 15 seconds
of fame to show off all of the HARD
WORK that I’ve put into my body
in hopes that it will land me the respect I want so desperately. When
I walk out on stage I have to go out
there thinking that I am jaw-dropping GORGEOUS! I have to have
the daring wildness and confidence of
Lady Gaga, the fun flirty-ness of Taylor Swift, but also the class and poise
of Princess Kate. Trust me, it’s not
like you think. I’ve seen girls walk out
and try to sex it up and pose in stripperesque poses. Those girls DO NOT
place well. The judges are not amused
and not impressed. I’m so nervous
that my smile shakes and even my
legs shake a little bit, and my entire
body is tense. I am hoping the tension is showing off some muscle tone
at least. I keep constant eye contact
LOCKED with the judges. I hit my
poses with as much grace as possible
given that I’m wearing 5 inch heels.
When I’m done I head to the blue
line while I stand there STARING
down the judges, sucking in my stomach and shifting my weight, trading
hands on my hips, all with my most
beautiful, happy smile on my face.
Bodybuilding is so much more
than being able to look good naked.
Remember the Seinfeld episode,
when Jerry tells George about how
there’s “good naked” and “bad naked”. It’s all smoke and mirrors. You
have to present yourself in just the
right way. You CANNOT walk out
on stage with the mentality that you
have a better body than the other
competitors. NO! NO! NO! You will
lose if that’s your thought process.
There will always be someone else out
there to humble you. Really, it is just
as much your mind you are putting
out there as it is your body. I think

- 44 -

anyone that’s competed knows that.
You may be wondering why I do this,
why I put myself through this? What
kind of example am I presenting to
young girls out there about body image? What type of mom am I being
to my children by chasing this kind
of dream? You see, I want to compete
like I want to breathe. I do it because
it pushes me to a new level of physical and mental toughness others only
imagine. It has made me realize I am
1000X more amazing and capable
than 16 year old skinny Leanna ever
thought possible. It has helped me to
accept myself the way God made me.
To love my every flaw and realize that
those flaws are what make me different and special. There will always be
a girl that’s prettier than me, a girl
with a tinier waistline, a girl with
better quad definition, but there will
NEVER EVER be another Leanna
Baucum on stage. I focus on being the
fittest and most beautiful version of
ME possible. It has taught me to feel
enormous amounts of compassion for
others and anyone trying to make a
change with their lifestyle or body. I
want to inspire others to realize their
true potential, especially my children!
I am a bodybuilder. This is my art, my
craft. My body is the clay and I mold
it and sculpt it with my diet and my
workouts. To be able to have this type
of control is an empowering feeling.
I can tell you when it’s over, yes
the high is worth the pain. Again, it
is the absolute hardest thing I’ve ever
done in my life. But when you step
out on that stage, give the judges your
absolute best, stand on the blue line
and wait… AND then you hear the
judges call out your number in the
first round, in that moment, that feeling…there is nothing like it IN THE
WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD!