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New IPL Bikini Masters & Open Pro Kari Miller

Interview & Photography by Ben Yosef

In the exciting world of the International Physique League (IPL), Kari Miller has just burst onto the scene. Fresh off a stellar performance at the Grand Prix, where she dazzled with her peak physique, Kari’s enthusiasm is as infectious as her stage presence. As a newcomer to the IPL but an experienced competitor, Kari’s journey is a testament to the thrill of new challenges. We caught up with her to dive into her recent victories, the adrenaline of sharing the stage with her coach, and her passion for the sport.

"It was one of the best experiences in my bodybuilding career. It was smoothly ran and very organized. The competition was amazing and I brought in my best physique yet!"

BEN YOSEF: OK, here we go! Congratulations on your big wins and Pro Debut at the Grand Prix last month! What a show for you! How would you summarize that contest?
KARI MILLER: Thank you! I had never competed in the IPL before this, but I’m so glad I did! It was one of the best experiences in my bodybuilding career. It was smoothly ran and very organized. The competition was amazing and I brought in my best physique yet!
BEN: For how long have you been competing and how many shows had you done before the IPL?
BEN: Awesome! I am glad you did as well! The IPL has been around for almost ten years and we are based in Arizona, although we have events around the country. So I’m surprised you had never heard of us! But again, glad you eventually found us and I am glad you are here! With the physique that you are bringing to the stage I could totally see you entering other divisions, such as Women’s Athletic. What are your thoughts on this? Do you have your sights set on additional IPL divisions?

"I’m just not as familiar with the other divisions as I am with Bikini. But it might be time to look into those as well."

     Obviously coming into a contest, heading into the Open, you never know who you’re going to be up against in terms of age. There could easily be women decades younger and of course your age as well.
     In the IPL we have top Masters athletes who hesitate to enter Open classes. Even athletes who are barely 40! They just don’t want to compete against the younger girls. Is this something that you struggle with? Or is it like obvious that you’re going to enter the Open classes? What is it like being on stage with younger girls? And how does it feel winning 1st place in an Open class? What advice do you have for women who might be 40+ who are scared to enter Open classes?

"...I like to see how I compare with the young ones...I have the attitude of well, let’s see how I do!"

KARI: Yes, I was super reluctant to enter. I even asked my coach, Alex Hackett, why she doesn’t enter in the Open and she said exactly that. She can’t compete with girls years younger. But I like to see how I compare with the young ones. I NEVER have high expectations when I enter the Open. I have the attitude of well, let’s see how I do! So, when I was standing there in the top two and the judges announced there was a one-point difference between 1st and 2nd, I automatically thought it would go by age. It was a complete shocker to me when I won!
     Being on stage with the younger girls can definitely be intimidating. Some that have never had children even. But I’m going to continue working hard to bring in the absolute best physique that I can! My advice would be to enter with that attitude! Like, I’m going to see how I compare to girls way younger, and you never know what will happen! Winning the Open and getting my Open Pro Card is a huge game changer for me! It was definitely the confidence booster I needed. I think we all go through with the attitude of, “I’ll never be good enough to even step on stage.” You know, the whole mental aspect of it. So, winning this was huge for me!
BEN: Well, you looked amazing up there in both Open and Masters! And those 1st place wins, and Pro Cards were very well deserved! Ahhh, yes…Coach Alex! [laughs] What can we say about Alex? I’m always shocked by her hesitancy to go for the Open. She even has an Open Bikini Pro Card. We had a great conversation on an episode of The IPL Podcast where she kind of explains her perspective on it. But she can totally hang in the Open! And she is one of those who is barely even 40 years old! Anyway… [laughs]
     That’s a great segue with regards to Alex. With earning the Masters Pro Qualification at the Grand Prix, you were able to enter the Pro class and actually compete against Alex who coached you for the show. Did you hesitate at all to agree to hop into that Pro class? And what was it like competing against Alex, your coach?

"So, when I did win both Pro Cards, it was huge! Not expected at all! I was honored to take stage alongside my coach!"

Kari: [laughs] I’m glad you asked! When I found out she was doing the same show I did hesitate and ask her, “What if I earn my Pro Card and we compete against each other? Will there be a conflict of interest at all?” And she replied that there would not be and she would love it if I beat her! Honestly, it was kind of in the back of my mind the whole season but I knew she would coach me to the best of her ability! I knew if I did get that card though I would not hesitate to jump into that class. I was a bit surprised when I did get it as the whole season was super mental for me.
     Coach Alex definitely worked for me with all my freak outs. [laughs] I was 15 pounds over my last stage weight, so seeing the scale not go down was a huge stressor for me! I kept telling her to slash my calories. When she had me down to 1,100, she’s like, “Nope. Won’t go any lower.” I FINALLY just gave up and decided to trust the process. So, yes, I probably went off on a tangent there. But if there’s ONE thing coach Alex taught me, it was not to rely on the scale. This was huge for me! I’ll forever be grateful to her for that! So, when I did win both Pro Cards, it was huge! Not expected at all! I was honored to take the stage alongside my coach! Oh, and what was it like? I knew I couldn’t compete with her posing for sure! Her posing is flawless and totally natural! She is my posing role model!
BEN: Love it! Right now, you are registered to compete at APEX VIII. At APEX you will be returning to the Pro Masters Bikini stage and competing in Pro Open for the first time, making your Pro Debut. How are you feeling as we are just ten weeks away from APEX and what can we expect to see you bringing with regards to your physique and presentation at that event?

"Thank you so much for organizing such a fun league! I can’t wait to see what the future holds!"

KARI: I’m so honored to be part of this league and a Contracted Athlete! I’m so excited to see what’s to come from all the athletes. I’ve met some really great people so far! Thank you so much for organizing such a fun league! I can’t wait to see what the future holds! NATURAL BIKINI

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