World Physique

Interviewed by: Angela Courduff

WP: Hi Peggy! Let’s begin with you telling our viewers a little about yourself.

 PV: I am 45 years old and a single parent of two adult children. I’m a University of Michigan graduate (GO BLUE!), with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Masters in social work. I am also working toward renewing my American Council on Exercise certification (ACE), and obtaining a Securities license. So, I guess you could say I’m a pretty well-rounded individual. I believe that fitness is important in many aspects of life, not only physical fitness, but also mental, relationships, financial, and recreational. For me, fitness is ‘all about balance.’ And life is all about constantly readjusting the balance so nothing important gets left behind.

WP: I would definitely say you’re well-rounded! Where do you reside now?

PV: I reside in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

WP: What has been your stepping stone to get where you are today?

PV: Wow, I think probably performing that balancing act. At times, I focused primarily on physical fitness, competitions, etc. Other times, I set that aside, for the most part, and focused on family. Right this moment I am focusing mainly on financial goals. The past 15 years have been a consistent mix of those and a constant balancing act.

WP: What has it been like to maintain your physique? Have you done anything different lately?

PV: Since I first stepped foot in a gym, back in 1992, I have never forgotten the importance of taking care of myself. I couldn’t possibly do all the things I’ve had going at once if I wasn’t in great physical condition. As a result, I have always made my physical health a priority, not always on a competitive level, but certainly committed enough to general health to stay relatively close to competition shape. Lately, I’ve taken up spinning classes and Vinyasa yoga. I have always focused more on weight training prior to now, and I’ve felt the need to increase my cardiovascular health and I’m looking to lengthen my muscle structure a bit.

WP: You are even well-rounded in the gym! What are your stats such as height, weight, biceps, and waist?

PV: I’m 5’4”, I weigh about 129 right now, and my waist is about 26 inches.

WP: I see you have competed before. In what categories? Can you tell me more about it?

PV: I started competing in bodybuilding with the NPC in 1992. I won the lightweight division of my first show! From there, I took second in the 1995 Michigan State Bodybuilding Championships and then moved to fitness competitions in 1997. In 1998, I won the Michigan State Fitness overall title. That was really exciting. At that point, I had children to take care of and changed my focus from competition to family relationships. I also obtained my college degrees while my children were going to elementary school.

This past spring 2008, I decided to step back on the competitive stage as a figure competitor, just to see how I would do. I competed in the Memorial Day Venice Beach figure competition and took 4th. Then, I competed at the FAME World Tour in Toronto a few weeks later, again, placing 4th. I was pretty happy with that, considering the industry has gotten MUCH more competitive over the past ten years.

WP: It seems like you still have it! What have you learned from competing?

PV: The biggest thing I’ve learned is that you need to compete with yourself, above all else. Be the best YOU that you can be, and don’t put too much stock in what the ‘results’ look like, compared to others on stage. I also learned that you are never too old to challenge yourself. We are usually more capable than we give ourselves credit for.

WP: Are you planning to compete again in the future?

PV: I just might. Competing helps me focus on obtaining my best shape. While I rarely stay at the ultimate condition for long, it helps me to remember what that looks like and inspires me to stay close. I was amazed at how similar my 1998 fitness pictures were to my 2008 figure pictures!

WP: That’s fantastic! What was the hardest thing for you to overcome when you first started competing?

Pv: Keeping things in perspective was the hardest thing for me. I tend to throw myself 100% into things, and I did that with working out as well. I was letting other important things fall apart when I was focusing too much on fitness. Again, I can’t reiterate enough, balance is the key!

WP: That’s definitely great advice. What was the hardest thing you had to deal with when it came to your diet?

PV: I LOVE my sweets! I have a horrible sweet tooth, and generally I can eat what I want because I am always working out and have a great metabolism. But when you are dieting for a contest, you simply can’t do that. You HAVE to follow the diet; you can’t just work out more to offset the calorie intake.

WP: Can you give me an example of your current workout?

PV: I have always been a believer in listening to your body. I’ve been training for a very long time, so I generally go with what instinctively feels like it needs to be trained. I know the difference between ‘whimping out’ and ‘listening when the body says NO’.

Right now I pretty much do a split workout (chest/shoulders/triceps, back/biceps, and legs on offsetting days). I work my abs almost daily and do at least 30 minutes of cardio – either running or spinning – every day. Remember, my goal is to lean out my legs!

WP: Can you tell me what your current diet consists of? What do you normally eat each day?

PV: Aside from those occasional sweets….I generally eat pretty clean. I have a whey protein shake after my morning workout. I like oatmeal and egg whites too, sometimes. I generally have a salad with tuna, chicken, or salmon for lunch. I will often have a snack of yogurt or some kind of protein source mid-afternoon. Finally I love my meat, vegetables and potatoes for dinner. Usually it’s a lean protein source, but I allow myself the occasional steak too, if I am craving it. Again, I tend to listen to my body, unless it’s asking for a hot fudge sundae every day!

WP: I wouldn’t mind adding one of those to my daily diet! What supplements do you currently take?

PV: Very few, actually. I take Hydroxycut before my workouts, and I’m not sure I could get through them without it. I love it! Aside from the whey protein and a good vitamin pack, that’s about it for me. I believe in getting my nutrients from real food, as much as possible.

 WP: What are the key factors that dictate the way you train today?

 PV: Follow my instincts. Listen to my body. Get my mind in the muscle. Lift right, not just heavy.

WP: All are great training philosophies. How has your training changed over the years?

PV: I am much nicer to myself these days. I tend to put on muscle rather quickly, so I am able to live a more ‘normal’ life, for the most part. Unless I am competing, I try to make physical fitness more a PART of a balanced lifestyle, rather than THE lifestyle.

WP: What other sports or activities do you enjoy?

PV: I love running outside. I also love competitive sports like basketball and softball. If I didn’t think I’d break my neck, I’d try rollerblading, but somehow the idea of me on wheels scares me to death! I love any activity that takes place by the water, like skiing and volleyball. I’d love to learn to surf.

WP: You certainly have a lot of interest in sports! Are you doing any modeling? If so, please tell me about it.

 PV: I have been modeling for about 5 years. I am doing more commercial fitness modeling now. I’d really love to do some spokes modeling and help others to broaden their perspectives on fitness.

WP: Can you tell me any photographers you’ve worked with, or someone you’d like to work with?

PV: I have worked with so many wonderful photographers! It would be almost impossible to name all the great guys I’ve worked with, without forgetting someone important. Some of my favorite fitness photographers that I have worked with are Paul Buceta, Ian Sitren, Rob Sims, David Hickey, and Dennis Keim. I would love to work with Scott Appleby, Brent Allen, Mike Brochu, and Michael Neveux. I’d also love to work with Paul Buceta again; he is a riot!

WP: You really have worked with a lot of photographers! Tell me about your family. What’s your relationship status? Do you have children?

PV: My son, Mark, will be 22 years old soon and my baby girl, Rachel, is 20. I have been single for almost 10 years now. Until recently, I was focusing on other things besides a personal relationship. Recently, I’ve turned my attention more seriously in that direction. How’s that for being a bit mysterious?

WP: I like it! A little mystery is definitely okay! What titles/accomplishments have you achieved thus far? Tell me about them.

PV: Aside from the fitness titles, I was awarded the Miss Congeniality award in 5th grade. That actually meant a lot to me once I found out what the word meant! I graduated Valedictorian of my senior class. I graduated with two honors degrees. I believe I have also earned a great deal of respect in the modeling industry as a more mature model. I was also featured in the October Ironman Magazine with a full page article including pictures as their BodySpace Physique of the Month! Most importantly, my kids both think I’m pretty cool!

WP: That’s the most important award! Where do you see your career and life in 10 years?

PV: I’m hoping I will have written at least my first book. I would also love to be doing some motivational speaking and more volunteer work in my community. I would love to step on stage in 2018 and mark another decade of fitness. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if I did that! In a perfect world, I will be settled with my best friend and partner for life and spend more time traveling with him.

WP: You’ve obviously thought your future through. What do you consider to be important in life, and why?

PV: Be proactive, not reactive. That’s the most important thing for me. Look for the lessons, because even in the most difficult times, there are really wonderful things to learn and take from them. Life is such a process and a series of twists and turns. It’s so crucial that you pay attention, not only to other people, but to your own thoughts, ideas, and actions. If they aren’t helping you go in a direction that feels right, change them!

WP: How have you changed over the past few years when it comes to thinking, actions, and life in general?

PV: I was raised a Navy brat, so I used to have some pretty rigid ideas of what I believed was right and wrong. I think time has mellowed me out a bit and life has broadened my perspective. I am much more patient and tolerant than I used to be. I have learned that the most valuable quality a person can have is empathy. It’s so rare because it takes a special effort, but when a person shows empathy to another, it opens so many doors and breaks down so many barriers to communication. We could all be a little kinder to each other.

WP: I couldn’t agree more! Could you tell me about any future projects you have in the works?

PV: Completing and delivering a motivational speaking series entitled “All About Balance – Maintaining TRUE Fitness across the Lifespan”. Writing a couple books. Completing a couple competitions. Taking a few trips. Making a LOT of wonderful friends and collecting as many experiences as I possibly can!

WP: You really do like to keep yourself busy! What are your pet peeves?

PV: People who are intolerant and judgmental. People who are unwilling to explore the positive side of things, and wallow in the negative. People who make me late. I don’t care if THEY are late, but I hate it when they make me late!

WP: You hear that? Don’t mess with Peggy Vee! Do you have a MySpace address? Do you have a website you would like to mention? Email address?

PV: Yes! myspace, bodyspace, my website, model mayhem, my email.

WP: Any shout outs?

PV: Nobody in particular! Just encouragement to all those fitness-minded individuals and a reminder to make it a way of life!

WP: Still keeping the mystery, I see. Is there anything I have forgotten to mention that you would like to add?

PV: Wow, this has been really thorough. I can’t imagine what you could have missed!

WP: Why thank you! It has been a pleasure interviewing you! I wish you the best of luck!

PV: Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity! It’s always an honor to have the chance to meet new people and share experiences and ideas. Best of luck with the magazine!