MY STORY

Come see my PHOTO ALBUM
 

~ A glimpse into the life of Katie Madden ~

So it began in February, 1959 .. a small town in Central Illinois called NORMAL, yes, that's right...Normal, Illinois - my birthplace. I was the youngest of 4 children, 3 girls and one boy, and NO, I wasn't spoiled...although I should have been!

Of the 3 girls, I turned out to be the only Tomboy, in every sense of the word! Instead of playing indoors with dolls, you could find me outside building igloos and forts with my brother and all the neighborhood boys. Always the first one out of the house in the morning, and the last one home at dinner time. I was also the defiant one, which means I was in TROUBLE ... a LOT!

HOW THE IRON CONNECTION BEGAN - I clearly remember, I was probably 8 years old, sneaking down into the basement to find my Dad's smallest dumbbells. I would bring them upstairs when no one was around, and pump my biceps in front of the mirror - how funny is that! It was destiny...this crazy iron connection. I had some pretty amazing little biceps, even way back then. And ARM WRESTLING??? You bet...I never turned down a challenge!

By the time I reached High School, I was sneaking into the boys weight room whenever I could, just to see how much I could lift. I was barely 100 pounds back then, so I'm sure I couldn't push too much weight. My freshman year, I tried out for the Varsity Volleyball team, and THRILLED to say I made it.

Many years passed after High School, and athletics somewhat faded from my life. I paved my way into a full time career in the Financial Industry. In 1986, while on a vacation in Clearwater, Florida, my life would be changed forever. While laying on the beach in Clearwater, out of nowhere appears a muscle goddess. This was the first time I had seen a female bodybuilder in person. She sat down very nearby, and I just remember how amazed I was ... a beautiful sight to behold. I could not stop staring. It was then and there that the dream seed was planted - I wanted to look like that!

This vacation to Florida inspired me to consider a move, so I started sending resume's to Florida that summer, and found an opportunity to take my career to the Clearwater area. October, 1986, I packed up and moved to Florida in search of a fresh start. By February 1987, I had my first gym membership ever, at Golds. Later in 1987, I ended up getting married, and we moved to Asheville, North Carolina in early 1988. The passion I felt for the gym was somewhat stifled, as I settled into married life. Sadly things did not work out in the marriage, and in 1991, I moved out on my own. It was then that I truly put my heart and soul into my workouts. It was an awesome therapy as I went through the divorce! My good friend Maria was primary owner of the gym I trained at, Vision Sports Training Center.

She was my inspiration, and taught me so many things about lifting. I also remember faithfully studying the Cory Everson Book called SUPERFLEX every single day!

This new chapter in my life was paving the way for who I've become today. I changed my eating habits dramatically, and my workouts were a daily commitment.

I stayed in the Asheville area until Fall 1991, then ended up returning to Bloomington/Normal, Illinois in pursuit of a good career opportunity. It was here that I met Ross ... a pivotal moment in my training. He was an experienced bodybuilder and had competed many times. We had a great connection, and soon became training partners. His expertise influenced me a great deal. Sadly he moved away in 1993, and my enthusiasm sort of floundered over the next 6 years. It was in 1999, when he returned to the area, that I decided to take things to a new level. I bought the book called 'HARDCORE BODYBUILDING - A Scientific Approach' By Fred Hatfield.

I consulted with Ross a lot about this book, since it was SO intense. I applied the science of the book to my training, and things really started to change for me. I applied new eating habits, making sure to take in far more protein than I had been. I opened my mind to try some natural supplements (like creatine), something I had never done before. My body responded quite well, and everyone started to encourage me to consider competing. In 2000, I attended my first Arnold Classic, and my inspiration soared to new levels. In late 2001, I decided to go for it. I selected a regional show in April 2002, and the rest is history. I was the overall winner in both the OPEN and MASTERS. This was an incredible high for me, and my entire sense of 'WHO I AM' blossomed. I was 43 years old, but did not let the age thing ever hold me back. It took me so many years to finally get up the courage to stand on stage, and feel I belonged there. I competed 3 times in 2002, which included the Dallas Nationals. It was here that my dream took a drastic change. I did not place well in Dallas, and was briefly devastated...I realized that my body type was just not meant to be a National nor Pro Bodybuilder. I was much more in line with a 'Fitness' physique, and also found the idea of Fitness much more fascinating. So in January 2003, my transition began. I started to learn all I could ... studying tapes and watching Adela Garcia, who I had come to know very well in Bloomington. She and I trained at the same Golds Gym, so I gathered any tips I could, and watched her train at every opportunity. It took me 1.5 years to finally feel ready. I entered a regional show in June 2004, placing 3rd. I was happy, yet challenged because I still had a long way to go in my routine presentation.

Little did I know, another move was on the horizon for me, and in February 2005, after much consideration, I decided to make a move to Scottsdale, Arizona. I had been in the Financial Industry for about 25 years, and felt it was time to seek a new horizon. So in June 2005, I packed up my stuff and moved to Scottsdale. I transitioned into the Personal Training industry, and continue to grow my business today. This move disrupted my plans to compete. However, soon after settling in to my new home, I began to plan for another show, targeting Fall 2005. After consulting with my trainer, Mike Davies, he felt I was ready for Nationals, since I did qualify in 2004. I was terrified, but made the commitment to do it. With the help of my good friend Kaisa off we went to Atlanta, Georgia. I was more nervous than I could have imagined, but afterwards, was so glad I was part of this event. It was a fantastic growing experience. Competition was very tough, and my muscularity was a bit more mature than most the other girls, which worked against my placement. The judges told me my routine elements were very clean and impressive, but that I needed to bring my muscle down a bit. So over the next year, I decided to try and lose a little size. My plan was to compete at Nationals again in one year.

In November, 2006, I did just that. I competed in Nationals in Miami, Florida. My placement in this show improved dramatically, going from 14th in 2005 to 8th, ... I was 7th in physique and 9th in routine. I had succeeded in bringing down my muscle a bit. As I write this biography, my 49th birthday is just 4 days away. I did not compete in 2007, due to a couple of obstacles - most particularly a severe sprain in Sept. 2007 that set me back in my goals. I have fully recovered, and continue to strive toward one more show.

In summary, I have kept my competitions to a minimum, with consideration to my age and recovery. I respect the human body a great deal, and have always listened closely to the signs. I'm so grateful for what I've gained in this sport. Competing is a priceless experience, though it is only a small part of a growth in self value. Competing helped to open many other doors of opportunity for me. As I glance back, it's a decision I will never regret. These past few years have flown by, and I encourage anyone reading this to believe in themselves if they aspire to step on that stage. I wish I had started sooner, but that is what makes this story unique, and hopefully inspiring to many that may hesitate. Don't hold back, so many things are possible if we follow a solid vision while laughing a lot along the way.

All trophies aside, the greatest reward of this entire journey is to hear someone say I've inspired them in some way.