SIERRA: I figured that Figure was the best fit for me! No pun intended. [laughs] I think I would have been too muscular for Bikini and not big enough for Athletic. The Figure poses peaked my interest more than Bikini did as well. The way my physique has been built, and the overall focus that’s tied to the Figure division…it just made sense for me. Because it was my first show, as exciting as doing more than one division sounded, I didn’t want to put too much on my plate. But boy did I want to do so many other divisions. In the past, when I talked about competing, I always had Figure in mind. So there was no question when the time came to finally register.

BEN: [laughs] yes! You fit in Figure, for sure! But I definitely want to clarify something. Not just for you, but because a lot of people, IPL athletes and potential athletes will be reading this for sure. There is no such thing as “two muscular” in the IPL. No competitor is too muscular for any division. There’s just no such thing. In the IPL it’s all about presentation. For instance, an athlete with your physique who wants to be a Bikini competitor…in some organizations they would tell you that Bikini is not for you. They may actually tell you that (like you say) you are “too muscular for Bikini.” In the IPL we’re more like, “well then show us. Let’s see…” So a girl like you, with your physique… if you presented it for Bikini and rocked your presentation, posing and model walk and all the rest of it you would dominate. So yes, it’s all about how you present your physique for the particular division.

     As far as not wanting to have too much on your plate, I totally get that! It really goes both ways. Some first time competitors literally try everything just to see where they fit or where they feel the most comfortable or where they place the best. Some competitors just do one division or one class. It really is a matter of the competitor’s choice. At the end of the day though, you rocked it and you were amazing, so that’s what matters. But yes, I would love to see you doing more divisions in the IPL!

     So let’s talk about this photo shoot! You were on fire the day after the show during our shoot. How are you feeling about what you delivered at the photo shoot? [laughs] And how are you liking the cover of VIGOROUS Magazine that you’re on?