The Woo Interview: The Life of a Bikini Competitor
Two perspectives of the fitness industry, from two siblings with the same goal in mind: to help others be the best that they can be.
My short story: I played sports all of my life and loved the competition aspect - maybe a little too much. My dream was to go pro in baseball and become one of the first Asian-Americans to do it. Obviously, I didn’t make it. After being cut from my college baseball team I was devastated and didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, so I decided to pursue singing. That also didn’t happen, so I had to find other ways of making people happy.
Shortly after, I dislocated my right ankle playing basketball, one of my many injuries due to basketball - I’ve been told by multiple people that I shouldn’t play, but that’s another story. Due to my injury, I started to do physical therapy which then sparked the idea of me wanting to help others, specifically athletes, prevent or recover from injuries. My interest was to always be around sports and exercising, which is what initially brought me to P4L.
There are many paths to take in the exercise/fitness world, and my sister Marisa Woo (Nationally Qualified NPC Bikini Competitor), joined me in an interview to discuss her path and the reason why she chose it.
B: What is it that you do?
M: I am a highly ranked Bikini Competitor in the NPC, and through social media and one-on-one coaching I have been influencing others, primarily young women, on their fitness journeys! I am a fitness and health coach as well as a bikini posing coach!
B: What got you into this type of career? What was your motivation behind it?
M: Just like you, in fact probably stemming from you, I have always been competitive! I played basketball my whole life and love the thrill of pushing myself to my limits to achieve a goal! Whether it was a team-related or individual goal, I pride myself in being able to put my head down and work towards accomplishing it despite the obstacle or hardships put in my way!
B: What do you love most about what you do? Is there anything you don’t like, such as the diet?
M: I love that I can use my experiences to help others. There was a time that I didn't think bodybuilding or shaping my life into what it is today was possible. I love that I can have an impact on just one individual to show them that they are in control of their lives, that they can make a difference in their health and fitness as long as they are willing to work for it! Of course I don’t enjoy the dieting aspect, it is hard at times but I make sure to balance it. when I’m in an improvement season, I make sure to spend time with family and loved ones and make sure that “dieting” does not consume my whole life!
B: Our careers are totally different in the fitness industry, but what do you think are the similarities? Also, how have competitions evolved your knowledge of exercise and the body as a whole?
M: I think our careers differ in terms of what the end goal is - you work in a field with agility, body mechanics, and rehab/injury prevention, whereas bodybuilders focus on essentially building our body for aesthetics. This in turn comes with a lot of manipulation in foods, rep range, and weight range when training specific body parts.
B: What does it really take to look the way that you look - the dedication, the diet, the workouts that you do? What are the big challenges that affect your lifestyle?
M:I think the MINDSET is what it takes to be competitive in bodybuilding. As cliche as it sounds, MIND over MATTER plays a huge role, lifting in the gym, doing my cardio, and prepping my food has become so normal and second nature to me, so when I become tired or feel like I have 0% in the tank, I just keep telling myself that I can keep going or I can push harder.
B: How has training affected you mentally as far as trying to achieve a certain look or aesthetic?
M: I have started to really focus on my execution. You hear a lot of people preach “mind to muscle” when performing an exercise, but I have dialed into a lot of isolation exercises so that I know I am activating the correct muscle while using proper form!
B: You have many viewers. Is there a certain criteria that you want to broadcast to them and why?
M: I just want to show them what is obtainable through hard work - despite age, gender, or current life situations (being in school or working full-time).
B: To lighten up the mood... who has the better hair? Me or you?
M: To be honest, you right now…...you whip your pony better than me hahaha!
B: I obviously have the bigger butt which means I can squat more weight! How much is your 1RM squat because there is no way you can lift more than your brother :)
M: My 1RM squat is 245 lbs I believe. It has been a while, but I’m sure I’ll get back to that haha! But who has better abs hmm?
B: Lastly, what advice can you give to those for their diet, aesthetics, and lifestyle?
M: My best advice is to first do your research. Don’t just fall into the fad diets - understand how the body works, know what to consume to build muscle, understand portion sizes, and don’t be afraid or carbs or protein. I say everything is good, in moderation!
All in all, it’s safe to say we’re both are passionate about what we do, and we found it in our own way. Our passion allows us to create opportunities for others to push their limits, achieve their goals, and have a healthy lifestyle.
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Contact Marisa:
Email: marisaluzwoo@yahoo.com
Team Affiliation and Posing Information: www.teamctn
IG: @mwooo23
