Cover Story: Kelley Duncan-Halford
Images captured at April 2024 IPL Virginia Championship Weekend in South Hill, Virginia.
Four Pro Cards On Her Fortieth Birthday!
PHOTOS BY BEN YOSEF
"As we all know, turning the big 40 can be uncomfortable if we let it claim our attention. My mindset is 40 gonna have to catch me! Let's ride!"
SEAM MAGAZINE: Congratulations on your recent successes at the IPL Virginia Championship, where you earned multiple Pro Qualifications and celebrated your 40th birthday! How did this milestone competition impact your journey in the IPL?
KELLEY DUNCAN HALFORD: Earning three Pro Cards on my 40th birthday impacted my journey by motivating me to compete as a Pro moving forward. It was a peak moment in my life. As we all know, turning the big 40 can be uncomfortable if we let it claim our attention. My mindset is 40 gonna have to catch me! Let’s ride!
SEAM: Landing on the cover of SEAM Magazine for the second time must be incredibly gratifying. How do these cover features impact your visibility and effect within the health and wellness community?
KELLEY: Earning the first SEAM cover, and now the second, is setting the bar for achieving a third one in the future, with each feature being better than the last. Seeing the SEAM cover was actually what got me to register for the IPL. I knew I wanted that moment in my story, so I went and made it mine through strategizing my nutrition and daily body strengthening. It’s crucial that your mental and emotional come with you on this journey as they are essential to your self-care. My hope is to inspire others to set consistent goals and never compare themselves to anyone. Comparison steals joy!
"My passion for each division is birthed from the fact that I am most confident with the stage being mine to perform and capture the audience with my own energy flow..."
SEAM: You’ve achieved Pro status in IPL Bikini Masters, Fitness Angels Open & Masters, and Evening Gown Masters. How do you maintain peak performance across these diverse divisions, and what drives your passion for each?
KELLEY: As a Pro in Bikini, Fitness Angels, and Evening Gown I utilize daily morning workouts that I call “10 minute bursts.” They actually take 20-25minutes. But the mindset of 10 minutes gets me on my yoga mat before I do anything else. Most of the workout is no-weight calisthenics and stretching. This maintains my core and definition, so I don’t lose progress between shows. As I near a competition, I will add 25lb weight to the same workout to gain muscle preshow. I am very particular in eating clean, organic, non-gmo, non-chemical produce and local farm eggs and meats only. I also filter and hydronize my water daily. Lastly, I do regular detox (specifically parasite) cleanse for purity of the internal body functionality.
My passion for each division is birthed from the fact that I am most confident with the stage being mine to perform and capture the audience with my own energy flow versus exact poses. Although I do enjoy the challenge of the coveted Bikini title which requires specific poses versus organic movements like Fitness Angels and Evening Gown stage guidelines.
SEAM: The IPL Podcast recently featured you discussing the impact of spirituality. Can you share how spirituality has played a role in your own journey and achievements?
KELLEY: Spirituality has played a major role in my journey as ‘I Am’ a child of God, the most high, one and only, our curator of life. My continued finding of Self has come through recognizing who I want to Be as a self-driven, successful, authentic, and kind human. The journey inward is a direct reflection of your outward life. Our non-physical thoughts become things. One should guard and tend to the mind like a sacred garden. In other words, my success on stage is directly connected to my spiritual work of inner battles overcome, mentally and emotionally.
"Family always comes first, but they respect my focus and achievements, so it's important they see me sacrifice too."
SEAM: Being a mother of three and a leader in the health and wellness field, how do you balance your competitive career with your family and professional responsibilities?
KELLEY: As a mother of three under 9-years-old I balance my life with time alone to recharge and manifest. I drink clean water and eat clean food so I can respond to my children’s demands of learning and needing emotional support with energy. Family always comes first, but they respect my focus and achievements, so it’s important they see me sacrifice too. Often times they are working out with me or eating the same meals.
I get my discipline (10min burst workout, water, meditate) in most mornings before they wake when I need to share my full attention to ensure they start each day with encouragement and positive mindsets. How we treat our children is how they developed their inner voices. My children and husband are my greatest life gifts. That doesn’t mean it’s easy, but it’s always worth it.
SEAM: Reflecting on your journey with the IPL over the past two years, what have been some of the most memorable moments, in addition to the Virginia show this past April?
KELLEY: Over the past two years I’ve been blessed to travel to Sacramento, California (my first trip alone without kids after pregnancy), competing in Maryland my home state where my kids were screaming “go mom” in the crowd, winning three Pro Cards on my 40th birthday at the VA show and landing the cover of SEAM magazine were the most memorable moments I’ll never forget. So grateful for the IPL team and the efforts that go into presentation of each athlete’s journey.
“The advice I'd give to aspiring individuals is never think this is outside of your capability…Claim your life right now and do all of the things you dream of…Life is a gift, embrace it, right now.”
SEAM: What advice would you give to individuals aspiring to excel in both competitive sports and holistic wellness practices, like those you advocate for?
KELLEY: The advice I’d give to aspiring individuals is never think this is outside of your capability. Do not compare yourself to others, ever. Claim your life right now and do all of the things you dream of because there is no time to waste. Most importantly, Do Not Quit. To achieve optimal real wellness, start the mental offload of a lifetime of trauma (every one of us has it) by seeing a talk therapist, getting energy work on chakra, vagus nerve. Also be aware of your nutrients and hormonal balance. Protect your environment and mind like a scared garden. Life is a gift, embrace it, right now.
SEAM: Looking ahead, what are your goals within the IPL and beyond? Are there specific competitions or personal milestones you’re aiming to achieve in the near future?
KELLEY: My goals moving forward are to compete in the CT and VA shows upcoming in 2025 March and April. They will be my first stage presentations competing as a Pro. I would also like to top off a third SEAM cover in the future. Thank you, IPL, for creating and managing a professional platform to challenge oneself, reflect on accomplishments and be featured as a Pro athlete. SEAM
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