BEN YOSEF: Anna! First, I want to say a big congratulations for landing the cover of SEAM magazine’s first issue! This is kind of a big deal! [laughs] How are you feeling about the cover?

ANNA CARRANZA: First, I just want to say thank you, Ben and the International Physique League for giving me this opportunity! I still get this huge smile on my face every time I see this cover. I feel like I have come a long way, and this makes the blood, sweat and tears all worth it for me!

B: Well, you look amazing on this cover. Thank you for being a part of it all. These are certainly exciting times! So, you are a mother to a beautiful little girl, Jaclyn. And, she competed at the IPL Arizona Championship this past may! What is it like raising Jaclyn, and what was it like having her join you for that contest?

A: I am extremely blessed to be Jaclyn’s Mother! I feel like I got lucky with her because she is low maintenance. [laughs] Polite, strong, adventurous and she is always ready to cheer for her Momma on stage!

     I get a lot of compliments on how she is such a good kid and a great friend and that makes me so happy because I feel that I am doing a great job raising her! We have a special bond and we sometimes act more like best friends rather than Mother and Daughter. [laughs]

     When I first started competing she was my biggest supporter! This sport is very demanding and time consuming and not once has she complained about time I’ve spent in the gym, at practices or locked up in a room doing squats. [laughs]

     She has always been a part of my journey, so it was not a surprise when she asked me if she can be in the show with me as well. Hearing her say those words was like music to my ears and I immediately started planning her first ever IPL contest! Prepping for the show with her was so much fun and standing with my team watching her onstage was the greatest feeling ever. She is a future Bikini Competitor in the making!

B: I love it! What a great thing you two have. So inspiring. What advice would you give to other mothers out there who are also fitness competitors? And even for those who are not competitors?

A: My advice would be to remember you are always being watched. Whether it is by your own children, other children, family and other adults. This is a standout sport and not many people participate in it, so you do catch a lot of the public eye. I know my daughter watches my every move, so I always try to conduct myself in a way that will not only show her what it means to be a strong independent woman, but also to inspire her to follow her dreams.

     I juggle motherhood, a love life, home life, a big family, full-time job, school and now I am a fitness competitor. I am like the modern day Wonder Woman. My hands are pretty full right now, to say the least! [laughs]

B: I love the blue dress you are wearing. And, you look amazing in it. What can you tell us about it, as well as your passion for fashion?