Last January I received an email from Sportsnet Magazine asking me if I wanted to be a part of their Beauty of Sport Issue (released this past Thursday, August 7th). I thought- “what??? really??? me??” There are so many talented and beautiful athletes across Canada, I was (surprised!) and honored that they picked me as one of the 15 athletes to be in the issue. Obviously I told them yes, and the next thing I knew it was May 30th and I was in Lake Louise, Alberta ready to shoot for the magazine.
8 weeks before the photo-shoot, I got injured and was unable to run. Seeing as running is how I stay in shape, and maintain my figure, I was worried that I wasn’t gonna be “in good shape” for the photos. I knew I was going to be wearing some sort of bikini…..which scared the heck out of me. But, just because I wasn’t able to run, didn’t mean I couldn’t work out in other ways. I continued my cardio training by pool running 60-80 mins 6 days a week, and cycling on the stationary bike about 4-5 times a week for 45-60 mins, including lots of interval training. I really pushed myself in the pool and on the bike- it felt good to work hard, get my heart rate up and sweat! Which is also what I was doing at Innovative Fitness 2 days a week. Normally when I’m running 140-150km a week, I come into IF exhausted and really can only do minimal strength work. But now I was full of energy and excited to push myself in the gym. I loved my sessions at IF, working with my trainer Mark. I felt that even though I wasn’t able to run, I was still staying in awesome shape. Thank-you IF for not only keeping me in amazing physical shape, but for also lifting my spirits every time I came in. I was feeling pretty sad about my injury, and not being able to run or race. But every time I came into IF, I felt better. Everyone there is so positive and encouraging. It’s such a great place to workout! The energy in the room is always bumping- especially when they put on 90s music!
So when I was standing in a bikini in front of the cameras, I felt pretty confident with my body. I knew I worked my butt off to stay fit- it was a good feeling. At first I wasn’t sure how to “pose”, but the Sportsnet team were giving me great direction, and it was easier then I thought. The photographer was amazing- super creative, fun and made me feel comfortable and beautiful. The whole crew made me feel like a supermodel! It was a crazy, surreal experience.
The magazine came out last weekend, and it was pretty cool to see the pictures for the first time. But, its weird seeing myself in a bikini in a magazine! Definitely not something I ever thought I would do- but really happy that I did. If you want to check out the Beauty of Sport issue of Sportsnet magazine, you can buy it online, or at any store that sells magazines! http://www.sportsnet.ca/the-beauty-of-sport/#section=6
Natasha Wodak
Innovative Fitness Sponsored Athlete
