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Cover Story – New IPL Figure Pro Sierra Scharping

“Oh, it was a dream! I felt ready. I felt excited. The adrenaline was crazy.”

Images captured during April 2023 IPL Arizona Championship weekend in Phoenix. At the Arizona Championship 25-year-old Sierra Scharping took 1st place in Figure Novice and Open. And with that Open win came the coveted IPL Figure Pro Card.

Interview & Photos by Ben Yosef

Oh, it was a dream! I felt ready. I felt excited. The adrenaline was crazy.

John Doe
BEN YOSEF: OK! Here we go! Congratulations! On basically EVERYTHING! [laughs] Where do we even start!? You were phenomenal on the IPL stage in April. What was that day like for you?
SIERRA SCHARPING: Oh, it was a dream! Competing was something my peers, my clients, everyone and their mother encouraged me to do for years. And after a while I thought about it and realized why not? I was in a perfect position at the time to hop on that stage. And finally doing it, I was amazed how smooth the whole day was for me! Stress-free 100%. I’m a worrier and an over-thinker, naturally. But, from the time I arrived, the preparations, the IPL community, the vibe was just amazing. Not once did my mind wander to the thought of something going wrong. I felt ready. I felt excited. The adrenaline was crazy. There were so many of my friends, clients and family in the theater that day. I felt blessed! God stood by me throughout this whole process, from beginning to end. He knew exactly what needed to be done, who’s support I needed. He showed up and delivered. I was nervous the first half, but once I got a taste, a test run, and went to stage the second time I was in my element. I felt unstoppable! Everything went so fast once it was stage time. I thought to myself at times, “It doesn’t feel like I’m flexing”. [laughs] To be honest, I was not expecting to earn a Pro Card at my first show. I was shocked! I’m walking back stage and saying to everyone “wait, did that just happen?” “Is this real?” I felt like I was on top of the world. I didn’t want the moment to end. I can’t wait to do it all over again!
BEN: Wow, Sierra. I love this. All of it. And I am so incredibly happy that you had such a good time at the show and that the IPL experience had such a positive impact on you. It really means a lot to me to be able to provide a community and platform that affects people in this way. Congratulations again to you! So well deserved! At this contest you chose to enter just one division. Figure. Why that division? Explain why it resonates with you…

The way my physique has been built, and the overall focus that’s tied to the Figure division...it just made sense for me.

John Doe
SIERRA: I figured that Figure was the best fit for me! No pun intended. [laughs] I think I would have been too muscular for Bikini and not big enough for Athletic. The Figure poses peaked my interest more than Bikini did as well. The way my physique has been built, and the overall focus that’s tied to the Figure division…it just made sense for me. Because it was my first show, as exciting as doing more than one division sounded, I didn’t want to put too much on my plate. But boy did I want to do so many other divisions. In the past, when I talked about competing, I always had Figure in mind. So there was no question when the time came to finally register.
BEN: [laughs] yes! You fit in Figure, for sure! But I definitely want to clarify something. Not just for you, but because a lot of people, IPL athletes and potential athletes will be reading this for sure. There is no such thing as “two muscular” in the IPL. No competitor is too muscular for any division. There’s just no such thing. In the IPL it’s all about presentation. For instance, an athlete with your physique who wants to be a Bikini competitor…in some organizations they would tell you that Bikini is not for you. They may actually tell you that (like you say) you are “too muscular for Bikini.” In the IPL we’re more like, “well then show us. Let’s see…” So a girl like you, with your physique… if you presented it for Bikini and rocked your presentation, posing and model walk and all the rest of it you would dominate. So yes, it’s all about how you present your physique for the particular division.
     As far as not wanting to have too much on your plate, I totally get that! It really goes both ways. Some first time competitors literally try everything just to see where they fit or where they feel the most comfortable or where they place the best. Some competitors just do one division or one class. It really is a matter of the competitor’s choice. At the end of the day though, you rocked it and you were amazing, so that’s what matters. But yes, I would love to see you doing more divisions in the IPL!
     So let’s talk about this photo shoot! You were on fire the day after the show during our shoot. How are you feeling about what you delivered at the photo shoot? [laughs] And how are you liking the cover of VIGOROUS Magazine that you’re on?

I was impressed by the amount of creativity that evolved throughout. I felt beautiful, confident, fierce!

John Doe
SIERRA: You make some great points! You really did encourage me throughout the first few weeks of preparation and I appreciate the push! For my next show I will definitely be stepping out of my comfort zone and doing more than one division!
     The post show shoot was probably one of the most exciting shoots I’ve had in a while. I used to be really shy and awkward when it came to shoots. Upon arriving, I didn’t know what to expect. But I think because I knew that this was a really important shoot to me I was just able to let loose and have fun!
     You are very good at getting those in front of the camera to just express themselves as themselves. I was impressed by the amount of creativity that evolved throughout. I felt beautiful, confident, fierce! Thank you, Ben! The new VIGOROUS cover is going to be like one of my biggest prized possessions I will cherish forever. I think the photo you selected is a great visual expression of me just being me at my absolute best. Body, soul, and spirit!
BEN: That shoot was all you! [laughs] You were awesome! And we even got a super fire video out of it as well! Such a good time! And yes, lots of creative energy was flowing during that shoot!

I have some growing to do for sure. Working on it now!

John Doe
     As this interview goes live we are just one week away from the 8th Annual IPL Southwest Grand Prix here in phoenix. I am super excited for this show! And you will be there joining us, sitting on the judge’s panel. Congratulations on passing the test and getting your IPL Judge’s Certification! How are you feeling about the upcoming judging position that you will have at the show? And what does it mean for you to be able to sit on the other side of that stage?
SIERRA: Talk about a huge honor! I am so thrilled to be at the judges’ panel. Thank you Ben for allowing me to be a part of it! I’m excited to be along side the IPL team and I’m excited to see what people have to bring to the stage! LETS GOOO!
BEN: Awesome! Sierra, thank YOU for being a part of this league and the IPL community. You are such a great addition. Congratulations AGAIN on your success so far in the IPL and on this cover! I am excited to release this interview so people can learn more about you. Final question…When will we see you back on the IPL stage?
SIERRA: Thank you, Ben! I have some growing to do for sure. Working on it now! So, nearing the end of 2024 is my plan! VIGOROUS

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