JENNIFER ROBERTS; Daily Routine and Planning, Family Traditions, Lifetime Commitment, Staying Present Confessions of a Bikini Pro

​Host Celeste Rains-Turk speaks with Jennifer Roberts, wife, mother, full-time school district principal, and lifetime athlete who just turned pro at North Americans! 

​Celeste begins by asking Jennifer what rituals she has immediately before her heel hits the stage. Jennifer says she gives herself reminders of what she’s been working on with her posing and she gives herself a physical cue to help ground her and keep her arm relaxed. She used to remind herself to “Own the stage”. This year she has focused on transforming nervous energy by saying “It’s showtime.”

Jennifer worked hard on the energy she brings to the stage. Because she got to a point with her posing this year where she moved beyond making corrections, she could focus on doing the things that make her stand out. Eight days before the show, her cousin passed away. Jennifer explained how she wanted to honor him some way during the show and how she thought about her grandfather calling her a ray of sunshine that lights up the room. Celeste talks about not posing as someone else, but as you. Ask yourself, what energy do you bring to the stage?

Celeste asks Jennifer about the unconventional set up of this year’s North Americans and competing in a tent. Jennifer says she enjoyed it even without an audience, because it allowed her to focus on the judges. She had no problems with the stage and the organizers did a great job. 

Jennifer started in natural shows in Canada, though the IFBB was always in her mind. She did local shows to keep fit and competed back in 2000, before bikini was a division. She came second in her first competition but realized she was doing it because of deep-seated insecurities. This led her down a personal development path, away from fitness. This contributed to who she is today. 

Jennifer talks about when she first met her husband, he asked her if she ever read any books for fun instead of all serious, non-fiction books. She tells the story about how he helped her see her beauty, and that was her pivotal movement. Celeste relates by explaining if you aren't willing to look in the mirror and change something, nothing will change. You have to do the hard thing. 

Currently, Jennifer has a much healthier body image, even though she says it’s not perfect. She does shows to stay healthy and because she loves them, instead of trying to attain a certain body. She still has moments, but she doesn't go to a dark place anymore. Recognizing our growth shows us that we can continue to heal. 

Celeste asks Jennifer what she would say to people who think they are too old to reach certain goals. Jennifer says it’s never too late to work on yourself or do a show. She talks about her young family and demanding job, and how you have to recognize your priorities to reach your goals. Jennifer wakes at 5 am to stretch and practice posing. Then she completes her workout and is done just after 7 am when her family is waking up. 

Jennifer says she does sometimes feel overwhelmed but acknowledges that you just have to fit in things where you can. At one point, she thought she had a good family balance, but her husband explained how she isn’t always mentally present for her family. Jennifer says she didn't realize how much it was affecting the family and focused on creating quality time for her family this year. In order to do this, Jennifer preps her food for weeks at a time. When her family gets home, she stops what she's doing and is present for them. 

Celeste asks about Jennifer’s demanding job as a principal. Jennifer explains how she has to travel quite a bit for her job and that she never cheats on her prep. Being super organized allows her to maintain her schedule. She just makes it work. Even on a trip to France last summer, she stayed on track 100 percent. There’s nothing you can’t do if you want it badly enough. During an improvement season, Jennifer still works hard but is less rigid with her schedule t