About the contest

If you can’t be an athlete, be an athletic supporter” — Grease

I am a sucker for change. I love makeover shows, no matter how crappy and trite. I love renovations. I even kind of like cleaning my bathroom. I love any kind of transition where the aim is positive change — something about the process of taking on a big mess and tidying it is deeply satisfying.

It’s time to celebrate change. I present you with the first ever Stumptuous fitness model contest!

The objective is simple: I want to hear from women who have changed their lives through fitness and nutrition, who are willing to share their stories and journey with other site readers in order to inspire, educate, and provoke them into action.

Now, this contest is slightly different than most. First of all, let’s talk about the term “fitness model”. I do not mean an 18 year old in a bikini. In fact, here’s rule #1: I DO NOT CARE WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE IN A BIKINI. Send me a photo of yourself in a snowsuit if you want.

Um, so what is a Stumptuous “fitness model”? ‘Cause, like, I can’t think of anything other than a chick in a skimpy outfit on the cover of a magazine!

Well, that’s the problem. There are plenty of “fitness models” out there, but not many “models of fitness”.

A Stumptuous “fitness model” is a woman who lives a fit lifestyle; who struggles in spite of life’s challenges to stick to good habits; who picks herself up when she falls down; who keeps on truckin’ towards wellness and strength. In short, a Stumptuous fitness model DOES THINGS. A SFM ACTS. A SFM is not an image or a look or a size or a shape or any other kind of inert object whose general purpose is to be seen and judged. A SFM can be any age or ability. A SFM doesn’t have to be a super-achiever. Most of us will never be gold medalists or superstars. What SFMs share is:

• An ongoing commitment to active living and the pursuit of strength, health, and wellness in all areas of life
• A desire to learn and grow as a physical being and as a person
• The ability to meet life’s obstacles and challenges, and to survive them through a commitment to fitness. A SFM lives the Confucian saying “Fall down seven times, stand up eight.”
• Toughness and resilience; SFMs don’t need to be heartless badasses with a chip on their shoulder but rather women who persevere in the face of that last squat rep, the scary new weight, the desire to quit
• A desire to collaborate with other women, to pass along the gift of strength, to help other women learn and grow too, and to share the joy of fitness
• A sense of fun in the gym, or wherever else they train

What’s fitness?

Fitness as I define it, and as it’s defined in many sports science arenas, is the “power to do”. It’s not a look; it’s a lifestyle. And it’s context-dependent: in other words, what are you fit to do? Daily life activities? Getting out of bed? Running a marathon? Carry a couch up the stairs? Do the Eco-Challenge? Tell me what you can do and have accomplished. Again, it doesn’t have to be an Olympic gold medal. Maybe your accomplishment is just carving out 30 min a day to stay fit, every day, despite intense pressures to do otherwise. Maybe your accomplishment is trying something physical that scared the pants off you. Maybe it’s managing an illness or an injury. Maybe it’s your very first pullup, or passing a firefighter fitness test. Maybe it’s passing along your strength to other women — a daughter, a mother, a sister, a friend, students, a random stranger at the bus stop, etc.

Whatever it is, if you feel good about it, and it’s an action rather than a look, I want to hear about it.

How do you judge?

The winners are determined by a group of like-minded strong grrls (see our Judges section for more info about them). We base our judgements on the following criteria. I made them all As, cause that seemed cool.

• Assbustingness - how have you busted your ass to get to where you are now?
• Accomplishments - what are they? (see above for how that’s defined)
• Adversity - how have you dealt with it?
• Actions - what can and do you do?
• Activity - how do you stay committed to it (or how have you re-committed to it)?
• Awesomeness - why are you awesome? Toot your horn!

All ages, abilities, fitness levels, sizes, etc. are encouraged to enter.

How do I enter?

The 2008 contest is closed, but this is a great time to start working on your 2009 entry!