Blazing a Trail Where None Existed

In small-town Alaska, bodybuilding—especially for women—was almost unheard of. “It was ruled by the guys,” Teresa says. “But I did it anyway.” With no roadmap, no local role models, and minimal acceptance, Teresa kept training. And over time, people began to notice. “Even now, people tell me I paved the way. They call me a legend,” she laughs. “Though I feel more like Gandalf!”

     She didn’t set out to compete, but that changed in 1992—while eight months pregnant. “A woman told me I’d never get my body back after having my son. That lit a fire in me.” By May of 1993, she was on stage for the first time. Though competition came and went over the next two decades—sometimes with breaks as long as ten years—her dedication never faded. After a difficult breakup in 2011, she turned to bodybuilding as a form of healing. “Training gave me purpose and helped my mental health. In 2012, I got back on stage and was hooked.” She competed consistently until 2018, when life threw her another curveball—family loss, heart issues, and a battle with cancer. “But I never stopped believing in the power of fitness,” she says. “At 64 this November, I’m still doing it. It’s the one thing that truly heals me.”