A couple weeks ago I attended the 2012 IDFA World Championships to support my client JP Castillo and some other friends competing at this show. The IDFA President, Shaun Campbell, was kind enough to grant Strong-Athlete some media passes to capture all the amazing action where my team met so many other great competitors.

One standout was the beautiful Jill Pasma, winner of the Novice Fitness Tall Division, who just narrowly missed winning the overall Fitness Division. Being so new in the industry, we had to get an interview with her because she is definitely one of the rising stars in fitness and we expect her to be winning a few more shows in the near future.

Jill Pasma: From 2007-2011, I lived in England and worked as a fitness instructor.  During this time, I battled food intolerances, low self-esteem /confidence & an unsupportive husband. I almost lost my life weighing in at 95 pounds (sitting at 5’10). At the same, I found out that my husband was having an affair. Within a short period of time, I moved back to Canada, got a divorce, and started my life over again, all at the age of 25! I remember the sadness I saw in my father’s eyes and knew from that day on, I was going to make him proud and in turn, I would learn to love myself again.

I felt that by competing I would be able to manage my food intolerances (celiac, lactose and fish), put on the weight I needed, and gain the confidence I was lacking. It means everything to me to go up on stage and feel alive again. I feel that when I go up on stage, I represent women who have been through similar situations, and prove to everyone that we can fight back! In 2012, I successfully opened my own fitness business called Fit Bunnies Fitness, put on 50 pounds, ran a marathon, won 2 fitness competitions and Pro Card, started a fitness modeling career, and met my new partner & best friend, whom I love dearly.

Jill Pasma: Fit Bunnies Fitness is not just a business to me. It is my life’s passon and savior. I opened up the business when I came back to Canada. My mission is to help women and men of all ages, abilities and backgrounds enjoy all of life’s opportunities by focusing on 3 key aspects: nutrition, training and counseling. I am honored to be able to offer a wide variety of services that include: nutrition, personal training, boot camps, Pilates/yoga and corporate training that are FUN, effective and supportive. We are also closely linked with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. We continually raise money for our annual Run for the Cure campaign! I owe my life to dedicated training and excellent nutrition. Through Fit Bunnies, I plan on reaching out to help others the same way!

Jill Pasma: It would be an honor to be a trainer / counselor on the biggest loser because I feel that my story is relatable and I could make a difference in the lives of both the contestants, and also the audience. However, my real dream would be to create my own show, called the Biggest Gainer! We see the struggles that people, who are overweight, face and the associated health risks. But, we never stop to think about the other side of the coin: the severely malnourished, underweight individuals. I would love to create a show dedicated to helping individuals gain muscle & at the end compete in a fitness competition! Now that would be great TV, and inspiration to many!

Jill Pasma: The training for the 2013 season has already begun: trying to put on more size. After 4 months of hard eating & training from July to November, I was only 2 pounds heavier on stage. It shows that it takes a significant amount of effort for small gains. I plan on increasing my food intake, and lifting heavy in the gym, once again! So the plan is to train 1 muscle group a week, with minimal cardio until dial in time. We will see if I can get my long limbs a little more defined!