Cover Story: Haley Lamb – Dominating New IPL Figure Pro Champion
Haley Lamb didn’t step onto the IPL stage just to compete, she stepped on to prove something to herself. From one of the lowest points in her life to earning her IPL Pro Card and capturing her first Pro Figure title in a single day, her journey is one of resilience, self-discovery, and relentless commitment. What started as a way to regain control became a complete transformation, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Now, as one of the IPL’s newest Figure Pro champions, Haley represents what’s possible when you refuse to stay stuck and decide to rise instead.
"STEPPING ON STAGE FOR THE GOLDEN HEART CLASSIC WAS A TEST TO MYSELF. IT WAS ANOTHER CHALLENGE TO PROVE TO MYSELF THAT I COULD DO IT."
NATURALMAG: Congratulations on your incredible success at the Golden Heart Classic! And congratulations on landing the cover of NATURALMAG! What first inspired you to compete on the IPL stage?
Haley Lamb: Thank you! Stepping on stage for the Golden Heart Classic was a test to myself. It was another challenge to prove to myself that I could do it. I started working out at one of the lowest points of my life. I was struggling in my career when an incident left me going home at the end of the day knowing I was physically unable to help my fellow officer. My shift had lost faith in my ability to be reliable backup for them and I was questioning whether they were right. Outside of work, my marriage was falling apart and parenting was becoming tough with my kids entering their moody toddler years. I remember sitting in my closet so my kids couldn’t see me crying and trying desperately to pull myself together some days. I had lost my purpose, lost control of my life, and was suffocating under it all. I felt like a failure as an officer, a wife and a mom. At that point I just had a mutual agreement with life that I needed to just keep trudging along, that something would give one day.
"IT WAS SOMETHING I COULD CONTROL, MY INPUT DIRECTLY AFFECTED THE OUTCOME. IT WAS SOMETHING TO GRASP ON TO AND HELP PULL ME OUT OF THIS PIT I FELT COMPLETELY STUCK IN."
It was a friend at work that dragged me into our work’s gym during our break one day that kicked off my turning point. It was something I could control, my input directly affected the outcome. It was something to grasp on to and help pull me out of this pit I felt completely stuck in. My mind began to calm with every break I worked out on and results were visibly happening. I paid tribute to the iron church through sweat, dedication and physical exertion, slowly finding myself rep by rep.
But now I needed to prove it to myself. I needed to prove I was mentally and physically stronger and what better way than to get on a stage, wearing some rhinestones that barely covered much, totally exposed, totally vulnerable and totally being judged. It took me two years to feel ready once I made the decision to compete. I wasn’t going to step on that stage until I knew I was a force to be reckoned with. Meanwhile, I watched my friend Miranda compete in the 2024 IPL Golden Heart Classic. Her dedication during prep and confidence on stage was inspiring and what I hoped to show. It was her that encouraged me to choose the Golden Heart as my debut into the competitive bodybuilding world. She introduced me to La’net and Teresa and with their encouragement I knew I could achieve exactly what I set out to do.
"...I was going to step on that stage, I was going all in. I was going to give it my all and make sure I left no questions..."
NATURALMAG: Competing in three Figure classes in one debut is bold…what drove that decision to go all in?
Haley: I knew going into the prep last year that if I was going to step on that stage, I was going all in. I was going to give it my all and make sure I left no questions regarding what I had to bring to the table. I also knew that if I did not win and did not give it my all, I mentally would take a hit. My confidence would take a step back and I was afraid to start regressing to how I had felt before.
NATURALMAG: When you earned your IPL Pro Card winning Figure Open, what emotions were you experiencing in that moment?
Haley: Earning that Pro Card just reinforced how far I had come; how hard I had fought to find myself. It was something physical I could look at that proved I had accomplished something truly for myself.
NATURALMAG: After turning Pro, you went on to win your first Pro Figure title that same day. Did you hesitate at all before stepping into that Pro debut, or was it obvious you’d jump right in? And what did it feel like to earn that first IPL Pro title?
"There was no question I was going for the title. I owed it to them to go all the way..."
Haley: There was no question I was going for the title. While on stage, being asked if I was going to go for it, I could hear my kids cheering for me and it made me so proud to show them what I had worked so hard for. They had put up with my prep which could not have been fun for them, so I owed it to them to go all the way and get the title. Man, that was such a proud moment for me to win that title.
NATURALMAG: You described the woman on stage as confident and powerful…how does she represent the journey from the girl you once were?
Haley: That woman on stage represents the girl who once sat in her closet crying, questioning her worth and her strength. She represents every rep, every early morning, every doubt I pushed through. She is proof that the broken version of me was not the final version. She is the product of discipline, resilience, and refusing to stay stuck in a place that tried to define me. The girl who felt lost became the woman who stood fully exposed, fully judged and fully confident.
NATURALMAG: You said, “The war is not over.” What does this “starting point” mean for your goals now?
"...it’s all part of the plan. A plan to come back stronger, bigger and more driven."
Haley: Now I have a completely new battle to fight in this war. People always make the comment about no one talking about what it’s like after the show but then don’t go on to talk about it. I was truly unprepared. I had been so driven and structured leading up to my show that I was scared. The meal plan that was the same thing at the same time, day after day, the gym sessions that took a few hours but were meticulous, the goal in sight to reach.
What was it even like before that? And then trying to find that new balance of work, family life and the gym now that the gym wasn’t priority for a show. Learning to accept my body again during a bulk is a whole new mental struggle, especially after a show. I’m seeing numbers on a scale that I’ve never seen before and having to remind myself it’s all part of the plan. A plan to come back stronger, bigger and more driven.
NATURALMAG: Now that you’ve achieved so much so quickly, what’s the next level you’re aiming to reach?
"Do the things you never imagined you could do because one day you will be doing them like you were born to."
Haley: For 2026 I have 3 shows in my plan, more pro cards to earn and new divisions to try. I have more growing to do physically and mentally. New dreams to reach.
NATURALMAG: Finally, what’s one message you’d share with others who might feel lost but dream of finding their own confidence and power…in competition, fitness or in life?
Haley: At the end of the day, what I hope to pass on to others is do the scary things. Do the things you never imagined you could do because one day you will be doing them like you were born to. NATURALMAG
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New IPL Figure Pro Champion Haley Lamb Lands Cover Of NATURALMAG
“That woman on stage, showing such confidence and power, represents the determination and dedication a small, lost girl once dared to have, and the long-fought battle to find myself again. But the war is not over… With the support and encouragement the IPL family has shown me, dreams can be both big and achievable.”
NATURALMAG Cover Story: Haley Lamb – Dominating New IPL Figure Pro Champion
“Stepping on stage for the Golden Heart Classic was a test to myself. It was another challenge to prove to myself that I could do it.”
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“Stepping on stage for the Golden Heart Classic was a test to myself. It was another challenge to prove to myself that I could do it.”
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