Natural GAINZ Magazine - Chrissy Jack: Military Vet & IPL Pro Athlete - Natural Bodybuilding Competitions - Arizona, California, Florida, Maryland, Virginia & Alaska

CHRISSY JACK:

MILITARY VET

& IPL PRO ATHLETE

“As far as service members gravitating to competing, I think it subconsciously has to do with all the discipline and strict regimentation that we are used to.”

BEN YOSEF: First, let me just say congratulations on an exciting year on stage! I know you have mentioned that you did not feel like you were at 100% this year, but you still have a lot to be proud of! How are you feeling overall about your 2022 competition season?

CHRISSY JACK: Thank you! It has certainly been a year. Although I wasn’t completely happy with what I brought to stage in May, I was still proud of myself for following through after being down and out with Covid earlier in the year. I felt like I had a much better comeback in October.

BEN: I would agree with that! And your energy was awesome. That was probably the most energetic I have seen you on stage. What got you so fired up on stage in October?

CHRISSY: Thank you! It has certainly been a year. Although I wasn’t completely happy with what I brought to stage in May, I was still proud of myself for following through after being down and out with Covid earlier in the year. I felt like I had a much better comeback in October.

BEN: Indeed, you did! I recall, as I was photographing the show, seeing your presentation and just thinking, “Chrissy is going for it!” Love it!

So, you have been featured in quite a few of the magazines since you started competing in the IPL and of course these magazines are health, fitness and competition based. For this feature I wanted to learn a bit more about you and your life away from the stage. What can you tell us about your experience within the military?

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I SERVED IN THE ARMY RESERVES IN THE MILITARY POLICE CORP, WITH ONE TOUR EACH IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.

CHRISSY: I served in the Army Reserves in the Military Police Corp, with one tour each in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Iraq, our focus was on border security. My base was right on the Syrian border. The female soldiers had a special mission of supervising the local Iraqi female security workers who pat down and searched travelers going across the border between Iraq and Syria. They were looking for anyone smuggling contraband and also for any men dressed as women trying to sneak across the border or bring explosives across the border. Additionally, we provided security for the working dogs and their handlers as they checked the tractor trailers for explosives as well.

In Afghanistan, our focus was on training the Afghan police force to be more effective and visible in their respective communities. When we first arrived, the police force tended to stay in their compound all day. But by the end of the tour, they were going on joint patrols with us on a regular basis and responding to reports of roadside bombs placed by Taliban fighters. We even took them to the shooting range to give them formal weapons training so they could be more effective in the event deadly force was necessary.

BEN: Wow, that all sounds pretty serious. Thank you for your service. Did it get pretty scary out there on those tours?

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We did take contact from the enemy in Afghanistan. So we saw some combat. But our training kicked in...

CHRISSY: We did take contact from the enemy in Afghanistan. So we saw some combat. But our training kicked in, and the adrenaline rush made it less scary. My most scary moments over there weren’t combat-related, actually. Early into my Afghanistan tour, I got food poisoning really bad and needed 2 IV’s because I was so dehydrated. They pushed anti-nausea medicine into my IV, and I didn’t know I was allergic. My throat immediately closed up. My boyfriend was deployed with me and they allowed him in the medic shack to be with me. I looked over at him because I wanted his face to be the last thing I saw before I died. I was convinced I wasn’t going to make it, but they gave me an anti-histamine, and I was ok, except my blood sugar was so low I was slurring my speech.

The other scary experience was when my truck rolled over into a water canal that was actually sewage water. My driver and I were trying to push the door open from the inside while one of the other sergeants tried to open it from the outside. He thought he was going to watch us drown, which I honestly think would be worse than being on the inside drowning. Fortunately, the water stopped coming in when it got to chest level, but we had to take all of our gear off and climb past the radio mount to get out. Millions of dollars in equipment ruined. It was a real mess, but thankfully we all got out alive.

BEN: YIKES! Well, we are all glad you made it through those experiences! Blessings. What was the accessible nutrition like during your tours? And were there fitness or training facilities to get workouts in?

CHRISSY: So, interesting story there. When I was in Iraq, I was on a small outpost the size of a football field. The food was pretty terrible unless we had someone important visiting, like a general. So I ended up eating ramen most of the time. In Afghanistan, the food was a little better, but they made interesting substitutions for common foods that really missed the mark. For instance, they gave us cabbage to put on our hamburgers instead of lettuce and served spaghetti sauce with grilled cheese instead of tomato soup. My mom sent me some pepperoni and flat bread and we made mini pizzas in our room on a hot plate for a treat when the chow hall had less-than-appetizing options.

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...we had a workout tent in Iraq that got really warm in the summer and flooded in the winter. So the free weights were all rusty. The treadmills were pretty cheap and broke easily.

As far as exercise, we had a workout tent in Iraq that got really warm in the summer and flooded in the winter. So the free weights were all rusty. The treadmills were pretty cheap and broke easily. The only other place to run was in circles around the big barn where we lived. But we weren’t allowed to listen to music, so that was super boring. My friend and I went up on the roof of a 14 story grain silo and ran around up there with our headphones on.

When the base commander saw how diehard we were about listening to music when we ran, he dropped the no headphones rule because he didn’t want us to be sniper bait up there. After that, more people went running around the barn because we could listen to music. [smiles]

My most memorable run was about 3 miles long, and I ran through a sandstorm, a downpour, and a lightning storm all during that run. I looked like a wreck afterwards, but it was a good workout.

BEN: Such great stories. You are a trooper, indeed! In more ways than one! What was the time frame of these tours? And were you a competitor at this time or interested in competing?

CHRISSY: At the time I was more of a runner, and I was hoping to work towards another marathon. But my joints weren’t great after I got back from my second tour. So my boyfriend suggested I start weightlifting instead. It wasn’t until four years after my second tour overseas that I decided to compete.

BEN: What caused your joints to give out? Also, it seems that many individuals from military service tend to gravitate towards competing. At your last IPL contest, the West Coast Pro/Am in October, there were a few service women competing. Deseret, Iris, yourself. What do you think it is about competing that has service people gravitating to it? And on that note, what was it that got you into it four years after your second tour?

CHRISSY: My right leg is slightly longer than my left. That’s caused some knee and hip pain, especially after carrying around 70 pounds of body armor and ammunition on a daily basis. I started going back to the chiropractor and that’s helped some.

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As far as service members gravitating to competing, I think it subconsciously has to do with all the discipline and strict regimentation that we are used to.

As far as service members gravitating to competing, I think it subconsciously has to do with all the discipline and strict regimentation that we are used to. I know that since I got out of the Army, my life has been less structured and I miss certain aspects of that.

BEN: Wow, so interesting! What has been your favorite thing about competing? And what has been your least favorite?

CHRISSY: I love being in the gym and building the best version of myself. But my other favorite part about competing is meeting likeminded people and networking within the community. Everyone in this league has been very encouraging and supportive! My least favorite is the water schedule for peak week. I’m either drinking an annoying amount of water or I’m completely parched.

BEN: Well, you are doing what it takes and getting the job done! Happy New Year by the way! I know you had mentioned taking some time off to build. Do you think you will be back on the stage in 2023 or will you sit out the year?

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As for new divisions…maybe Figure? I guess we’ll see how much I can build in the extended off-season.

CHRISSY: I’m going to sit this year out and plan on coming back for 2024. Happy New Year to you too!

BEN: I feel you. Give that body a break. Which is your favorite IPL division that you have competed in and why? Are there any divisions that you no longer plan to compete in? Are there divisions that you plan to enter in the future for the first time?

CHRISSY: I’d have to say that Athletic is certainly my favorite division. I’m not a fan of heels, but love being barefoot. Also, it just fits my personality best. I keep thinking I’m done with the Bikini division because it’s not really my style, but I’ll probably do it again for the challenge. As for new divisions…maybe Figure? I guess we’ll see how much I can build in the extended off-season.

BEN: Chrissy, it is always a pleasure chatting with you and I appreciate you being such a great addition to the IPL community. Thank you for sharing some of your Military story and background with me and Natural GAINZ Magazine. This was a pretty cool interview and different from what we normally do for these features. This was fun, interesting and we will definitely be doing more like this! Thank you, thank you! Any final thoughts?

CHRISSY: Thank you very much for the opportunity to share my experiences, and also thank you for providing a home for truly natural athletes! Everyone I’ve met through the IPL has been so supportive and amazing, and I certainly look forward to returning to competing again next year! GAINZ