Cover Story – Rochelle Rocks MD!

“I’m still on a cloud from it! I knew this competition was going to be a little more challenging…”

Interview & Photography by Ben Yosef

Rochelle Kelly delivered an amazing package at the June 2023 IPL Maryland State Championship. And much improved since her 2022 IPL outing. In Maryland 50-years-young Rochelle would take the Masters 50+ win, in a stacked class. Then won the Overall Bikini Masters title, which earned her the coveted IPL Bikini Masters Pro Card.

"I’m still on a cloud from it! I knew this competition was going to be a little more challenging..."

BEN YOSEF: Congratulations on an amazing IPL Maryland State Championship showing! How are you feeling about the show?

ROCHELLE KELLY: I’m still on a cloud from it! I knew this competition was going to be a little more challenging with so many friends competing along side of me in our hometown. I really didn’t put a whole lot of pressure on myself other than I wanted to see a huge difference from the first time I stepped on stage. So I worked super hard off stage and stayed super focused. It’s hard to know what your package looks like prior to stage. Megan just kept me focused and kept telling me I was on track. I’m very happy with my hard work and dedication this time around. It definitely paid off, that’s for sure!

BEN: Awesome! Well, you definitely made some significant improvements since your last IPL show! Why was it so challenging competing in your hometown and with so many friends? I thought you were going to say it was easy breezy this time around, not having to travel and having so many who are close to you by your side. Also, what were some of the main differences with prep this time? What do you attribute your updated physique to?

"I think it was challenging in the sense that it was my second year competing, versus their first. So the pressure was on me to bring more to the stage."

ROCHELLE: I think it was challenging in the sense that it was my second year competing, versus their first. So the pressure was on me to bring more to the stage. I saw so many girlfriends killing it in their prep and what they were achieving weekly that it kept me pushing forward harder.

When you travel to a different state you don’t necessarily see your competitors until the day of competition. So you’re not focused on who you are going against necessarily. So that was definitely a challenging aspect of it for me.

Some of the main differences this prep… The first year I competed, I had to change my lifestyle and lose a good amount of weight first . It was a longer prep for me for that reason and a lot of unknown. But after the first competition, I was able to maintain my weight which made it easier to build on. So I was able to focus on gaining muscle from the start.

Also, seeing those changes happen just gives you more drive and purpose to keep going. It’s now a lifestyle for me and my husband. Which is kind of cool. I also learned to grace myself a little more this prep. You will have ups and downs and not be perfect. And that’s ok. There has to be a balance.

"After I got past the initial shock of being the one selected…I’m completely honored to be on it."

BEN: Love this! All of it! And great perspective! So, what do you think of this Natural Bikini Magazine cover?

ROCHELLE: After I got past the initial shock of being the one selected…I’m completely honored to be on it. The IPL has been nothing but a positive thing in my life. Sharing my journey the first time around with so many friends and seeing them succeed has just been super cool for me.

I worked really hard and it makes me even happier to have made my coach Megan Roark and my trainer Stacy at Unique + Fit proud of everything we all achieved! Teamwork makes the dream work!

BEN: Awesome! So, as this cover story interview goes live, we are just a couple of months away from the IPL Sunshine Classic in Destin, Florida. You have informed me that you’re going to be there supporting Megan and the team! Super excited for that and excited to see you in Florida! When will we be seeing you back on the IPL stage, especially for your Pro Debut? And finally, any final thoughts for Natural Bikini Magazine?

"Keep moving forward and never look back, right? I love change, so I’m excited to see where this all goes and what my next package might look like whenever that might be!"

ROCHELLE: Yes! So excited for Destin, to cheer on the team! I’m excited to be on the other side of the stage and get that perspective. Sadly, as of right now, I have no plans yet to compete. We have just decided to make some big life changes with moving from one state to another, permanently. Which also will involve our business. Hopefully all by Jan 1. So my focus is to get through that at the moment.

30 years in one home, you sure do collect a lot of stuff. [laughs] I’m going to keep building in the meantime, cheer all my friends on and see where this crazy life takes me. I’m so glad to have the building blocks IPL has taught me to utilize and keep me sane through all these changes coming my way.

I’m excited for the magazine to come out. It definitely is a huge accomplishment for me. It’s going to keep me focused having that laying around for sure! [laughs] Keep moving forward and never look back, right? I love change, so I’m excited to see where this all goes and what my next package might look like whenever that might be! In the meantime, I cannot say enough about this league. I am very grateful to be a part of it. It’s life-changing! BIKINI