Cover Story: IPL Pro Deanna Faulkner
Feeling Fabulous & Fit At 50!
PHOTOS BY BEN YOSEF
"...I have made a point to try new things and step further out of my comfort zone. I’d rather look back and say, 'wow, I can’t believe I did that', rather than 'man, I wish I had.'"
SEAM MAGAZINE: Congratulations on all of your success within the IPL over the past year! What a whirlwind of activity for you! And congratulations on your second magazine cover! How are you feeling about all this action?
DEANNA FAULKNER: Thank you so much! YES! It has definitely been an emotional year for me. I have felt a whole range of emotions…excitement, thankful, disbelief, and a little self-conscious, but not in a bad way. More like, being happy with where I’m at, remembering how far I’ve come, but still knowing there is room to improve and challenge myself.
SEAM: How do you feel about this new, “Chapter 50” in your life?
DEANNA: I’m embracing it! I’m six months in and so far, so good! In the year and a half leading up to my 50th birthday I started digging into why I am who I am and what has led me to where I am in life. The good, the bad, and the all the in between. During that time, I had several people in my life die unexpectedly of different reasons, all 50 and under. It was really a wakeup call that made me ask myself, what am I doing? I only have one life, and I better live it like its mine and no one else’s. And with that, I have made a point to try new things and step further out of my comfort zone. I’d rather look back and say, “wow, I can’t believe I did that”, rather than “man, I wish I had.”
"After each kid I resorted to Weight Watchers to get the pregnancy weight off. But it wasn’t until I started CrossFit in 2010 that I realized food was fuel and that protein was extremely important."
SEAM: How has your fitness and nutrition regimen evolved over the years?
DEANNA: WOW! Over the years? That is a big question for me. You name it, I have tried it, for both things. As far as the fitness part, in high school, my sports were my fitness regimen and my senior year I actually took weightlifting as a class, 32 years ago! From there nothing serious until I joined a gym and hired a trainer after my son turned one. That was in 1998. I did four days of weights, two upper, two lower body, and one day of cardio back then which is very similar to what I do today, 26 years later.
Being a military spouse, we were constantly moving so I was always on the hunt for a new gym in each town we moved to. Depending on what was available, I was trying it. I’ve done weights, kickboxing, Zumba, bootcamps, yoga, Pilates, spin, classes, CrossFit…the list goes on! I LOVE weights and I like working out in a group setting. When I was introduced to Militia Fitness, I knew it was the perfect combination of what I enjoyed…heavy lifting with all the functional training for real life all rolled into a community setting.
The nutrition part, like most teen girls was non existent. After each kid I resorted to Weight Watchers to get the pregnancy weight off. But it wasn’t until I started CrossFit in 2010 that I realized food was fuel and that protein was extremely important. I followed a pretty strict “paleo” type diet for 4-5 years and was really lean, but that went in the toilet after my back injury in 2014. Since joining Militia Fitness in 2020, I’ve tried a few different nutrition plans, but the one I’ve followed for my two contest preps has been what works best for me. It’s mostly protein and fruit. So I eat a lot of eggs, beef, chicken, seafood, blueberries, strawberries, Greek yogurt, honey, and some veggies. Like I said, I’ve tried it all!
"I’ve learned to say 'NO!' a lot. I’m doing the things I want to do and not what others think I should be doing or want me to, and that keeps me pretty well balanced."
SEM: What strategies do you use to maintain balance in your life?
DEANNA: That’s funny…one year I picked balance as my word of the year, because I was struggling with it and I really tried to figure it out. I’ve learned to say “NO!” A lot. I keep a calendar, and I don’t overcommit, or I try not to. I try to keep to a schedule so I know where I can fit other things in. And I’m not afraid to switch or reschedule things so that I’m no doing too much. I also have learned to not care what anyone else is doing and to not have fear of missing out. I’m doing the things I want to do and not what others think I should be doing or want me to, and that keeps me pretty well balanced.
SEAM: Who has inspired you the most in your fitness journey, and how do you pay that inspiration forward to others?
DEANNA: My fitness journey has been in the works off and on for 30 years! For me, there are two parts to this. I think watching my kids overcome challenges in life and pursuing their fitness and sports goals in high school and beyond has been a great teacher for me. I’m not sure if they watched me face my fears or listened to me when I believed in them or how it all came to be. But I saw both of them achieve amazing things in their young careers because they believed in themselves and they were willing to fail in order to succeed.
My other inspiration has been me facing my fears. There have been several things I was scared of doing or didn’t think I could do, and I’ve done all of the ones I’ve attempted so far. Mostly to prove to myself that I can do whatever I put my mind to. I’ve always been a doer. I put my head down and do the work. I’ve always just pushed through whatever it is. I believe by doing what is hard is how you show others that it is possible.
" I think beauty is confidence, vulnerability, taking care of yourself…mind and body, being interested in others, being a good listener."
SEAM: As the cover girl of this issue of SEAM Magazine, how do you define beauty at 50? And what message do you hope to convey to women about aging?
DEANNA: My idea of beauty has changed so much over the years. It’s definitely not physical appearance alone and it comes in all sizes. I think beauty is confidence, vulnerability, taking care of yourself…mind and body, being interested in others, being a good listener. Beauty is using all of your experiences to help others grow and show them that they are not alone. I hope that other women will see that our experiences have made us who we are, and that we have the ability to be role models for both women our age as well as younger women in the way we handle life and the aging process. There is no reason we can’t walk along side other women as mentors and also learn from them. Age is just a number!
SEAM: You often advocate for health and fitness in the community. What initiatives or causes are you currently passionate about?
DEANNA: I am all for whatever type of fitness keeps you active and going back for more. That’s what it’s all about. But I really love seeing people, girls and women especially, lifting weights and learning about weight training and proper nutrition and what it can do for you. It’s amazing to see not only what weights can do for your body physically by changing your shape, but also to see everything else improve too. Weightlifting as an “add on” is definitely a bonus for any person or athlete wanting all around improvement. I think it all goes hand in hand. I work out for the physical and mental health benefits. I’m a total believer in taking care of your mental health and am an advocate for whatever method you use, from journaling and meditating to therapy or life coaching. Whatever you do, I think it definitely has its benefits.
"...I journal, I cold plunge, I find a creative outlet, I limit alcohol, I get out in nature, I watch a lot of sunsets, I look for beauty in the ordinary, and I go to therapy!"
SEAM: What advice would you give to women who may feel intimidated by starting their fitness journey, especially as they age?
DEANNA: Just start! Doing anything new can be scary and it’s important to find the right thing that you will stick with and enjoy. Don’t let the fear of judgement stop you. Find someone knowledgeable to help you map out your goals. You’ve got to be more concerned with your own health than what others will think about you.
SEAM: As someone in the public eye, how do you prioritize self-care and mental wellness? What practices keep you feeling fabulous and fit?
DEANNA: Prioritizing self-care has become one of my top goals in recent years. And this encompasses everything from what I eat, what supplements I take, how much tv I watch, to how much sleep I get. I realized I was running on fumes taking care of everyone and everything and I wasn’t leaving anything for myself.
"It’s looking like there’s going to be some great shows in 2025 and I’m really excited about that. And I’m looking into some other things outside of fitness to reignite my creative side! Stay tuned!"
Like I said about maintaining balance, I’ve learned to say NO a lot. And like most things I’ve had success doing, when I schedule them into my day like an appointment, I feel I am better able to keep to my goals. Some things I do to keep my head on straight and feel my best besides going to the gym are, I try to get outside daily, especially when I first get up. I journal, I cold plunge, I find a creative outlet, I limit alcohol, I get out in nature, I watch a lot of sunsets, I look for beauty in the ordinary, and I go to therapy!
SEAM: What’s next for IPL Pro and Cover Girl Deanna Faulkner?
DEANNA: Well, I will definitely be competing again, and I can’t wait for my next time on stage. I’m looking forward to visiting some new places in the next year, for vacation and with the IPL to compete. It’s looking like there’s going to be some great shows in 2025 and I’m really excited about that. I’m looking into some other things outside of fitness to reignite my creative side! Stay tuned! SEAM
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