Interview With Raechelle Chase
IFBB Pro Figure - April 2010
Interviewed by: Angie Courduff
Photos by: Sara Arme
Angie: In my most revealing interview to date, IFBB Pro Figure Competitor, Raechelle Chase, opened up to me about balancing competition and family, being a mom of three, and her 6-year long battle with depression. Her story, and her strength, are inspirational beyond measure.
“I hope I might help someone out there who may be struggling with their own self doubt and let them know they are not alone.”
WP: Hi Raechelle! Thanks so much for doing this interview! When did you first become interested in competing in figure?
RC: Hello, Angela. Thank you for having me. Although I have been training for a long time, it wasn’t until my youngest baby was 5 months old that I decided I needed to get into shape with the goal being that I get into the best shape of my life. So naturally, the next step was to pick a contest and compete.
WP: How did it feel to step on the pro stage for the first time?
RC: My first Pro show was really both scary and exciting at the same time. It was only my 6th show ever, my first time travelling to the States, and the longest time away from my kids. I competed in a lineup of 26 girls and placed 10th. It was an amazing experience, and I can’t wait to do it again!
WP: To place 10th out of 26 with all of that going on is incredible! What an experience to have for your very first Pro show! You have a pretty busy lineup for 2010. What competitions do you have planned?
RC: I do! I figured since I just turned Pro, I should get out there and do as many shows as possible. This year, I plan to do The Europa Pro on April 16th-17th, the Pittsburgh Pro May 1st and the California Pro on May 29th.
WP: That is quite a lineup. You must really enjoy competition! What is your favorite aspect of competing?
RC: I enjoy choosing the color of my suits and how much bling to put on them! I love getting up there after putting in the hard yards and showing off the changes I have made from show to show. And, I love the travelling that comes with competing as a professional figure competitor.
WP: All are great reasons to step on stage! What advice would you give to someone interested in stepping onstage for the first time?
RC: It’s pretty amazing what our bodies are capable of handling and just how much you can actually push it without it breaking! Competing is such a personal experience and what works for one person may not work for someone else. It’s learning the science of your own body and that comes with the experience of doing it over and over and tweaking things here and there until you find out what works, and what doesn’t.
WP: You’ve definitely got what works for you down to a science! You look absolutely phenomenal! Tell me, what weekly training routine does it take to maintain your fabulous physique?
RC: I train 6 days per week and, besides adding in abs, I work one body part per day:
Day #1 Shoulders/Abs
Day #2 Quads
Day #3 Chest/Abs
Day #4 Back
Day #5 Arms/Abs
Day #6 Hamstrings
I train old school style; I don’t do any gimmicky crazy stuff in the gym. I stick to what I know works. I always lift as heavy as I can on every rep. I like compound movements like squats and dead lifts. I love it when my muscles are sore the next day, as long as I can still walk and function. There have been many days when I literally can barely move, and, if its legs, just trying to walk downstairs or sit down almost makes me cry. I like to be sore, but not an invalid.
WP: Old school heavy lifting is the way to go. What is your diet like? How does your competition diet differ from off-season?
RC: I prefer my diet to be easy and a bit boring so I don’t have to do much thinking about what my next meal is going to be. Diet is, without a doubt, the hardest aspect of getting into competition form. My diet often feels a little like ground hog day! Ha-ha! However, I find that this is the easiest way for me to stick to my eating plan. There is always so much else going on in my home and close to competition time I don’t really enjoy the food anyway. I think of it purely as an energy and growth source.
Off-season my diet would look similar to this:
#1 Oats, protein powder & peaches or strawberries
#2 Protein shake with a banana
#3 200g fish or chicken with rice and salad
#4 Protein shake with water
#5 200g fish or chicken & veggies
#6 Protein shake with water.
During competition prep, I substitute shakes for meals just to make my metabolism work harder to burn the calories. And, of course, I eat less carbs the closer the competition gets.
WP: Take it from Raechelle; boring and redundant is the key to getting lean and mean! What supplements do you currently take?
RC: At the moment, I’m using Body Ripped products including Body Tone Protein Powder, HGH +ZMA (assists in fat loss and muscle growth and comes in powder sachets which are a nice change from pills), and the Thermogen liquid as a metabolic booster. I also use flax omega and omega 3, 6, 9 with every meal as well as women’s multivitamins. I also use L-carnitine & Alpha Lipoic Acid.
WP: What do you consider to be the hardest part of training?
RC: When I started filling out the questions in this interview about my diet, training and basic information about myself, as I have many times before, I was just going through the motions of answering the questions. Then, I decided that I wanted this interview to be different; I wanted to get a little more personal and to tell you that I train because I have to.
It has become a necessary part of my life, and in telling you this, I hope I might help someone out there who may be struggling with their own self doubt and let them know they are not alone. I have suffered with depression for the past 6 years. For the first few years, with the help of antidepressants and working with someone to provide me with the tools to cope with the feelings I was having, things improved greatly and my whole outlook on life changed. Training has become a priority in my daily life. I am not on antidepressants now and haven’t been for the past 2 years. Training has taken that place and works just as well for me. Competing in figure might seem like a strange choice of professions for me to pursue since I’m putting myself out there to be judged when my self confidence already hangs on a wire. But, I often found myself not wanting to train, so I decided that if I had goals and a good reason to do it that would motivate me then it would work. And it does.
Depression is a very scary thing to go through, not just for the person going through it, but also for those that are close to them. During the darkest moments of my depression, I hated myself. I thought I was worthless and often thought myself too ugly to leave the house. I would have panic attacks, and I would feel like this for months at a time. My head felt cluttered with sadness; I couldn’t see any good in myself and I couldn’t trust my own thoughts. If it wasn’t for my husband and my love for my children, I don’t know if I would have made it though this time in my life.
I love training most of the time, and weight training releases the chemicals that keep me feeling on top of things and on track. I occasionally have times when I start to feel ‘sad’. But, Chris (my husband) and I have learned to watch for those signs and act on them before they get worse. It’s never been as bad as it was 6 years ago, and I would never want to go back there. It was the most awful time. I am enjoying competing and will most probably be doing it for a very long time. Training is my drug of choice!
I hope that in reading this I might have touched someone who might be going through their own struggles with depression. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and when I look at where I was 6 years ago and how far I have come, it reminds me that we are our own worst enemies. When you’re in the mist of depression, it’s hard to see the reality of a situation because in your own mind it just feels so bad even when it’s not.
Keep your head up, believe in yourself and surround yourself with people that believe in you.
More interview below picture.
WP: Raechelle, thank you for being so open about your depression. It cannot be easy to talk about this, and I commend you for your bravery. I do believe that by admitting your own struggles and sharing how you’ve been able to overcome them, you will help many people out there realize they do not have to struggle with their conflicts alone. You are truly a role model in this industry. And, you are very fortunate to have such a supportive family. Can you tell me more about them?
RC: I am married to Chris, my best friend and the most amazing man I have ever known, who also happens to be my biggest fan! We have 3 children; Annaliese, age 10, Carlos, age 4, and Dior-Rose, 3 yrs. We’re a very close family, and Chris is a great hands-on dad. We agreed a long time ago that if there’s ever a clash between competing and family, family will always come first. It can be very challenging trying to compete while raising a young family, but having children to share the adventures with is such a beautiful thing. And, we do have plans for another baby in the not too distant future!
To help manage the juggling act, Carlos and Dior are in part-time daycare and we have a live-in nanny. As well as the usual whirlwind of school runs, family holidays, play dates and parties, the kids’ weekly schedule includes weekly gymnastics, swimming, music, dancing, and cheerleading.
No matter how hectic things get, I always make sure I have one-on-one time with each child every day. I don't want to miss a thing! I love watching them achieve every milestone, no matter how big or small.
WP: Your family dynamic is one to admire and I can’t believe you’re a mom of 3! What do your children think of their super-fit mom?
RC: For the 2 little ones, it’s a life style; it’s just how it is and how it always has been. Dior tells me she’s on a diet whenever I give her something to eat that she doesn’t like! And, she hates it when I wear tanner. Carlos says he’s going to grow up to be a giant and Annaliese loves seeing me in the magazines. We talk to them about the food we eat and why we eat it, what’s good for their bodies and what will help them to build muscle and what will make them fat. It’s important for children to grow up with knowledge of food; it’s amazing that so many people don’t understand diet and the impact it has on their life. So, we try to educate them whenever an opportunity arises.
WP: Passing on your knowledge to your children at a young age is such a good idea. What are some of your favorite family activities?
RC: We do anything and everything with the kids. We take the children to shows whenever they come to town. The wiggles, Disney on Ice and things like that. We go to the beach, we go exploring through the forest behind our house, and we go to our favorite holiday spot, Fiji, whenever we can. Everything is fun with the kids because it’s new and exciting.
WP: What do you consider more difficult; competition prep or mommy duty?
RC: It’s hard to say which is more difficult because I haven’t done one or the other I have only done both together. Of course, being a mum is my number one priority. What I need comes second to that. But, it can certainly be challenging; with children, you have to be ready for the unexpected. For example, last week my youngest daughter Dior-Rose (3 yrs. Old) was sick and up all night vomiting. So, I was up all night with her. This meant my 6:00am cardio session was not going to happen, and it was really hard getting through my training routine and the rest of the day with having had no sleep and trying to look after her, too. But, on those occasions I just try to keep my diet really clean and exercise when I can.
WP: You are one dedicated mom! And, yet, somehow you find the time to keep quite busy with fitness modeling. Tell us about it!
RC: Since I started competing, I have been featured in over 20 fitness magazine publications and have been a cover model 5 times! I have worked as Deputy Editor of The NZ Fitness Magazine for the past 2 years, and I do a lot of fitness modeling for other magazines both in NZ and Australia. This year, I have also joined the New Zealand IFBB committee and will be judging at the amateur shows throughout the year.
WP: Who are some of the photographers you’ve worked with? Anyone you’d like to work with?
RC: I am going to LA in 2 weeks to shoot with the beautiful Jamie Eason, which I’m very excited about. I will be shooting with Ralph Deehan, Alex Ardenti and Ian Siren while I’m there. They are all photographers I have wanted to shoot with for some time and are regarded as some of the best photographers in the industry. There are many more great photographers out there; I hope I get the chance to shoot with them all someday!
WP: Work, training, competition, and mom-on-the-go! How do you fit it all in?
RC: It’s not always easy. In fact, it’s never easy! Ha-ha! I constantly feel like I’m trying to fit in what I need here and there. Young children are so demanding of your attention, and they can’t understand why you would need to do anything for yourself because they are the single most important person in the world! Don’t get me wrong, I love that children are just so oblivious to anything else going on around them. That’s what makes them so innocent. But, it can be challenging like a juggling act; sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t.
I love my family, and I love training and competing. It’s all about finding that balance to fit it all in without feeling like one is taking over the other. Most importantly, as with all goals in life, if the desire is strong enough you can make anything work!
WP: When I start my family, I will definitely be coming to you for advice on work-life balance! Where would you want to see yourself in 10 years?
RC: I’m not sure exactly what I want to be doing. I know I will be in the fitness industry for sure. I would like to start up my own fitness magazine in NZ and perhaps working in television. My goals are never small or unintended, so whatever I end up doing, I know I will be doing what I want to be doing.
WP: With your determination and strong spirit, I see you achieving anything you put your mind to. What advice will you give your children if they want to actively compete in sports?
RC: My daughter, Annaliese, is the ‘flyer’ in an elite cheerleading squad. She trains 3 times a week for 3 hours at a time. She is very passionate about cheerleading and is always motivated and ready for every practice. I don’t know how she does it; she actually might train harder than me! I think seeing what I do has helped her to know that if you train hard, you get good results.
WP: Perhaps you have a future figure competitor in the making on your hands! You have been through and dealt a lot over the past few years. How have your experiences shaped the person you are today?
RC: I have learned, and am still learning, to accept myself for who I am and not to be so worried about what everyone else thinks about me. You can’t please everyone, so you just have to be happy with who you are. I am a fully grounded person and I believe everyone has gifts, talents and a special reason why they are here. It’s just a matter of finding your purpose and fulfilling it. I believe in karma and reaping the seeds which we sow. I try to be humble and treat people with respect and kindness.
WP: That is a great outlook to have on life. Is there anyone that you admire most in the fitness industry?
RC: I admire everyone that has done well in this sport. It’s hard work and it takes dedication. I respect that in anyone.
WP: Do you have any future projects in the works?
RC: I’m helping Body Ripped launch their new range of women’s sports supplements which will involve a high-profile advertising campaign, store appearances and my face wherever the products are sold. I am also in discussions with my sponsor, Lonsdale Clothing, to help launch a performance fitness line which would be very exciting! I can’t wait to see what opportunities will open for me.
WP: Do you have any shout outs?
RC: I would like to thank my best friend and husband, Chris; your support and belief in me has meant more than you will ever know.
WP: Raechelle, it has been an absolute pleasure interviewing you. Again, thank you for all you have shared with me. Your strength is so inspiring and is sure to give hope to those suffering from depression. I applaud you!
