If you are having a hard time finding the drive and motivation to live a healthy fit lifestyle, I HIGHLY recommend attending a fitness expo of some sort. I CAN.NOT.EVEN. put into words how much motivation and inspiration those places are full of.
So, the Olympia comes to Las Vegas every September. September is my birthday month. And it just so happens Las Vegas is only about a 3 hour drive from where we live in California. I have been telling Jimmy [my hubby] since 2011, that ALL I want for my birthday is to go to the Olympia. But for one reason or another, it has never worked out. This year was a different story! I was FINALLY able to go to the Olympia this past weekend and boy was it a dream come true! I left there completely filled with motivation and inspiration!!
My friend, Allie, and I decided last minute that we wanted to go. So we frantically booked a hotel room, and TRIED to eat as clean as can be in the upcoming days before we headed to Vegas. Lord knows we wanted to feel our best walking amongst amazing physiques.
We got to Vegas on Thursday afternoon, stayed in a beautiful room at Caesar’s Palace, and woke up early Friday morning to get ready and head to the Convention Center for the 10 o’clock opening.
The line outside was INSANE. [Like, waiting in line, dripping sweat, in the triple digit Nevada desert heat, for 2 hours before even getting in, INSANE].
The heat must’ve really been getting to us because we were debating whether the wait was even worth staying and going in. Can I just tell you how GLAD I am that we waited in that smokin’ hot line…it was SO darn worth it!
We walked inside and the place was just flooded with fit peeps. Everyone was so nice, friendly and of course, FIT. It just blows my mind how these complete strangers that we “follow” and adore online, just grab you and hug you, smile so genuinely and listen so intently to everybody’s stories. We were handed supplement sample packets left and right, tank tops, t-shirts, bracelets, necklaces, protein bars, energy bites, you name it, we got it. But more importantly than any of the physical things they gave us, the hugs, smiles, conversations and encouragement from some of my favorites has left a lasting impression on my heart and given me motivation like never before.
Let me tell you a little bit about my favorites…
1. Jamie Eason Middleton. The sweetest, most loving, caring, genuine person I have honestly ever met in my entire life. I have been dying to meet Jamie since I started LiveFit the very day it launched back in 2011. She changed my life and helped me achieve an awesome transformation with LiveFit. If it wasn’t for her, I would most likely still be an unhealthy junk food junkie, addicted to cardio only and not know a thing about weight training. Jamie has always been so sweet to me online, has never given me the cold shoulder with all my questions and comments, and always comments back with the nicest answers. She’s always been my favorite and a huge inspiration but finally meeting her in person last week really confirmed that for me. You can just tell that she truly cares. I felt like we’ve been friends for years. We all know she has an amazing physique, but she has a heart of gold and she shines like a diamond. I just love her to pieces and am so thankful that I finally got to meet her!
2. Jessie Hilgenberg. Girlfriend just had baby Sammie 9 months ago and is in phenomenal shape. I’ve been following Jessie for a few years now and have always admired her strong yet feminine physique. She is beautiful inside and out and I just loved chatting with her. She is so sweet, down to earth and seriously motivating. It was so nice meeting her!!
3. Dana Linn Bailey. I have been following DLB since she and Rob first started Flag Nor Fail out of their garage. We ordered several of their first items they printed and always loved them. It has been so inspiring to see how much they’ve grown their business. I have always admired Dana’s strong and lean physique, and seeing her in person at the Olympia made me realize how much more I really admire her. She looked amazing, strong and happy as can be. She and Rob were exactly how they are online. Funny, happy, and loving life. It was so awesome getting to see them up close in real life, and not just on the computer screen. Serious motivation!!
4. Alicia Coates. I’ve only been following Alicia for a short time. But in the short time I’ve been following her, I have really found some big time motivation. I can be totally not in the mood to work out, and I’ll open up her Instagram account and scroll through her posts. After about 5 minutes, I’m ready to get my workout on. Meeting her last week was so awesome, she looks amazing and was so down to earth and funny. So glad we got to meet her!
5. Vanessa Tib. I have been following Vanessa for a few years now. I find it so motivating that she is a full time ER nurse, and still makes time for fitness and health. She is in amazing shape and is just so sweet. You can tell that she is truly passionate about helping people. I loved getting to meet her last week!
I have so much more to write about our experience at the Olympia, but if I don’t stop now, I never will. Bottom line is that if you follow anyone in the fitness industry on social media, you should definitely attend a fitness expo. Whether you’re lacking motivation or full of motivation, you will leave there so glad you went. You’ll meet tons of people who you’ve grown to love online, and talking with them in person will put you on cloud 9. I am so excited to continue my journey of health and fitness and can’t hardly wait for Olympia 2016!!