2009 NPC Oregon Ironman
Shellie Duncan - Open Figure 5'3" to 5'4"

Shellie Duncan
It's always nice to find that competitor who seemingly comes out of the blue and makes an impression, most recently Northern California's Shellie Duncan. A 35 year old Physician Assistant, this was her first competition - as a goal-oriented person, she decided to participate in order to motivate herself to achieve a new level of fitness. A lean, sculpted physique but not displayed to its full aesthetic potential onstage, as we were discussing with a couple of the judges after the show. And with a combination 'Amy Fadhli, Denise Richards, Cameron Diaz' thing going on (fill in your own celebrity look-a-likes), we had to include some offstage photography! In her own words, "I have always loved the outdoors. As a kid, I spent a lot of time racing around on my horse and playing in the creek that ran through our property. I was also an avid reader which helped me succeed academically. In high school I enjoyed playing sports and learned the value of keeping in shape. Although I was naturally fairly muscular, I didn't discover weight training until my first semester in college when I took a weight training class. I weight trained sporadically for several years after that. Jogging and hiking have been a regular part of my entire adult life, and I enjoy horseback riding, wakeboarding, skiing and backpacking. However, I didn't become committed to weight training until about 9 years ago. At that time I discovered that weight training was key for boosting my metabolism. It has helped tremendously in my efforts to maintain a healthy weight. Now I train because it is the hardest thing that I do in a day and comparatively, everything else is almost easy! It takes so much effort and determination to work out hard (I believe whole-heartedly in 'no pain, no gain') that the other challenges I face seem easier to bear. I love being strong and fit enough to take on any physical challenge that comes my way, whether it be a new sport or a wilderness backpacking trip. Another motivating factor for me is that as a health care provider and aunt, I want to set a good example for my patients and nieces/nephews by living a healthy lifestyle. Because I have experienced first hand the benefits of a healthy diet and exercise, I can share that insight with others and hopefully inspire them to achieve the same."


(click for full size)


Shellie Duncan - 3rd Place

Next Page



Return

Valid HTML 4.0!