Megan Fish
WPM's Rising Star of the Month - October 2011
Interviewed by: Mike Hall
Life is all about progress. It is all about setting goals, pushing oneself to the edge, breaking glass ceilings, and never giving up until we get what we want. It is about being at one point in your life, and making improvements each day to reach a better place. And while we all fall down at times, it’s when we get back up that we learn about ourselves, our lives, which decisions are right, which ones are wrong, and can move forward with our own journey.
So, what is a Rising Star? It is that special someone capturing the fitness industry, one positive step at a time, and one achievement at a time. But finding yourself and where you stand in a competitive industry has not been an easy road for Megan, as she has found that there are people trying to constantly package her into a cookie-cutter mold, tossed casually through an assembly line with their own ideas of who they think you should look like or act like.
When she first started competing back in 2009, she relied heavily on other people's opinions and direction, completely excluding the idea that in the end she just had to learn how to be her. Over time, she became frustrated with trying to conform herself to what she think judges or even her coaches wanted to see from her. She felt that she was being pulled in a million different directions on how to model, how to compete, and how to be everything, but herself.
She thinks her wakeup call came earlier this year when she competed at the Fitness America Pageant - New England Championships, and just missed her goal of the top five spot. She left the show realizing that she could not count on others to help her break the mold and you could not blame others for not getting you there either. She had to make a change. She had to do this for her and nobody else. "Who I am and what works for me, DOES NOT necessarily mean I have to follow the crowd and do what they do just because I am told by everyone else that I have too", says Megan.
So, who is Megan Fish? So far, she has struggled from 13th place in 2009 when she first started competing to finally reaching 3rd place this year. Sounds like she is getting it all figured out! You are about to find out who Megan Fish is...in this interview
"... I see things very black and white. If a judge could give me a complete manual with a checklist of all the things I had to do that would guarantee a first place trophy, then I think we would have it all figured out. But that’s not how the competition world works. Unfortunately, you can't change an opinion. Where a judge ends up placing you in a line-up should not define the discipline and sacrifice it took to get you there, and you have to remember that. There is no special sauce and there is no magic formula: All I can do is say, "I did my best"."
WP: Congratulations on winning our Rising Star of the Month. How does it feel to be considered for such a title?
Can somebody pinch me, please?! It is truly an honor to be chosen for the title; with so many of my amazing and inspiring fitness peers out there and in this magazine, it really feels incredible that I would be considered for this top spot. I think when you are fixated with consistently laying the ground work down in order to accomplish the things that you have believed in yourself so deeply for, that when your hard work actually does pay off it becomes more of a humbling experience and a "Who, me?" type of moment.
WP: How long have you been in the fitness industry?
The fitness director back in college took me under his wing, helping me with workouts and even gave me the opportunity to get my AFAA Personal Fitness Trainer Certification in 2006. I began training faculty, staff, students, and designed the Group Exercise classes for the facility. We even organized the Roger Williams University Fitness Club, a club that concentrated on giving back to the community through fitness and health related programs. But while I was helping others lose weight and feel good about themselves, I still wanted more for myself and my own fitness goals. I wanted to take it to the next level, and I knew that competing was the answer for me.
WP: What made you decide to get into the fitness industry?
During freshman year of college I will openly admit that on most Friday nights when the rest my college campus was in full swing of their alcohol-fueled bar hopping, house partying, and dorm dancing activities, I was sitting in my room staring at fitness models in magazines and on the internet. I did not know much about the world of the fitness industry let alone bikini and model competitions, but boy I was fascinated, maybe a little jealous, with how those girls got those bodies. Bronzed bodies, six-pack abs, bright, white smiles, long, shiny hair, perfect bootys! I will never forget the first time I saw a magazine spread of Jamie Eason, the epitome of fitness beauty and class, and I knew right then and there that I wanted to do whatever it took to look like her.
In the spring of 2008, I got in contact with fitness icon Dawn Butterfield, who suggested I come with her to the Cathy Savage Fitness studio in Boston. I was ecstatic! I had seen Cathy's True Life episode on MTV, and knew that she had a great following and could not wait to see what it was all about. I remember shaking when I met Cathy and told her that she was my true fitness celebrity. After Sunday session was over and I had gotten a great workout and learned how to pose (and trust me that strut is not as easy as it looks!), I knew this was a group of positive girls that I felt comfortable with and instantly welcomed into. I joined the Savage team when I graduated from college in 2009, and immediately began preparing for my first bikini competition in New York City.
WP: What is your educational background? What are your certifications?
AFAA certified Personal Fitness Trainer. I currently teach Pilates twice a week at LA Fitness.
WP: How long have you been a personal trainer?
I have been certified since 2006, but am currently only teaching group x classes.
WP: What helps you get up each morning?
I honestly think I am somehow a relative of the Energizer Bunny. There is never a day that I am not waking up with an instantly installed "carpe diem" daily dose of attitude. Life is so precious and such a gift that I think we can all tend to forget sometimes that what we have can be taken away with no foreseen notice. There is so much I want to do and see that I always find myself setting new goals, adding to my bucket list, and of course, keeping my fitness lifestyle a number one priority so I can keep up with all life has to offer.
Oh, and yes, caffeine helps too.
WP: What motivates you?
There is no external force or past situation that tells me to keep going. I made an internal commitment to myself to make a mark on the fitness world, and that is what I intend to do. The fear that there is someone else out there working just as hard to do so, or harder than me is what continues to drive me.
WP: From your pictures, I get you model. Tell me about it.
I have been modeling and working on a portfolio since 2009. This past April I was signed by Limelight Talent Agency, you can check them out at lltalentagency.com. My agent is connected to the fashion world but is building bridges and branching into the fitness industry to help me pursue my dreams. I will be working with him on some upcoming fitness projects.
WP: Who have you worked with?
I have worked multiple times with fitness photographers, Liana Saadi Louzon and Leigh from Imirage Photography. In 2009, I was chosen for an test photo shoot with national magazine during the Las Vegas Fitness America Pageant. I have been hired by a few local wedding photographers for their photography advertisements.
WP: What are you goals?
I would love to be signed by a top NYC fitness agency and book jobs with big fitness companies like Nike, Reebok, and Under Armour. But it is even more important to me to represent myself as more than just a model in an advertisement. I want to be role model so that I can help others feel good about themselves through prioritizing their health, making time for fitness, and building self-confidence. My concentration in college was creative writing, and it has also been a goal of mine to write a health and wellness column for a local newspaper. Orrrrr, maybe World Physique Magazine?!?!
WP: Being our Rising Star, that is your chance. We will need to talk. What future projects do you have planned?
I am constantly working with photographers to improve my portfolio. Sometimes in the modeling industry there is such a pressure to define an image for yourself that you end up changing who you really are to fit everyone else’s opinion. But I’m going back to the basics; natural, athletic, and simple ole me. Over the next few months I will be reorganizing and reshooting my portfolio to add lifestyle pictures and natural, athletic movement shots. Break out the soccer balls, basketballs, and boxing gloves! Its time for some action!
WP: You also compete. What competitions have you entered and what place did you take?
WP: You made a big change in 2011 competing. Keep working hard. How does your routine and life changes when you go from pre-contest to off-season?
The great thing about my nutrition and training is that it never changes that drastically from my pre-contest routine to my off-season. After a competition, I will engage in some majorly deserved carb damage and even enjoy a glass of red wine, or two! When I started competing I used to fixate on my food measurements down to the very last brown rice granule or to the very exact weight of my turkey burger, but I realized that it was driving me beyond what my already "Type A" personality could handle. Of course, I'm still like that when a show is right around the corner, but if I am not in competition mode I tend to not be so exacting and instead eyeball my healthy portions.
WP: What do you like about competing?
Playing sports throughout my entire life has made me value the importance of being part of a team. When I was graduating college, I was afraid that I would lose that camaraderie and the good friends I had made over the years on the cross country and track & field teams. I did not want to make the gym my only outlet outside of my career.
When it comes to being part of a team in this particular sport, it is inspiring to me how the competition aspect stays only within each individual's own personal goals; my team mates have been the most supportive girls I could have asked ever for. I have never felt tension, jealousy, exclusion, or felt like I have been pinned up against the other girls. I have only felt genuine, positive spirits, a sense of belongingness, and pure love. I have forged so many solid friendships and met people from all around the world that are in this industry; the networking and connection of people that all carry the same common ideals is what I love about competing. Oh, and it keeps me in shape all year round!
WP: What do you dislike about competing?
When I first started competing back in 2009, I relied heavily on other people's opinions and direction, completely excluding the idea that in the end I just had to learn how to be myself. Over time, I became frustrated with trying to conform myself to what I think judges or even my coaches wanted to see from me. I felt that I was being pulled in a million different directions on how to model, how to compete, and how to be everything but myself. I think my wake up call came earlier this year when I competed at the Fitness America Pageant New England Championships, and just missed my goal of the top five spot in the Model division. I left the show realizing that I could not count on others to help you break the mold and you could not blame others for not getting you there either. I had to make a change. I had to do this for me and nobody else. Who I am and what works for me, DOES NOT necessarily mean I have to follow the crowd and do what they do just because I am told by everyone else that I have too.
WP: Good for you! What would you change about the judges in the competitions?
I see things very black and white. If a judge could give me a complete manual with a checklist of all the things I had to do that would guarantee a first place trophy, then I think we would have it all figured out. But that's not how the competition world works. Unfortunately, you can't change an opinion. Where a judge ends up placing you in a line-up should not define the discipline and sacrifice it took to get you there, and you have to remember that. There is no special sauce and there is no magic formula: All I can do is say, "I did my best". I think it takes a strong mind to handle the subjective aspect of these pageants, but the true competition comes from within; the journey that you took to get yourself up on stage.
WP: How do you improve then if you get frustrated with what the judges are looking for?
Youtube.com and an empty aerobics room. It is natural to feel discouraged if you feel that you are not placing where you think you should. My best piece of advice would be to observe the stage presence of top bikini competitors online over and over again. I have found that doing that really helps me pick up on small movements and demeanor these top five girls flawlessly exude. Get yourself in an empty room, put your clear heels on, and start strutting!
WP: From your past contests, what have you learned you need to correct or work on for the physique you are aiming for?
To be completely honest, I have never listened to anyone who has told me to correct something when it comes to my physique. I know it sounds like an unusual answer, but I strongly feel that the last thing someone should want to worry about when preparing for a show is any kind of body image insecurities. From that first moment I make the decision to compete to working so hard to prepare myself physically and mentally, I have think to myself, "What you see is what you get". Own that kind of attitude and work the stage with sass and class, because it all comes down to your personality that judges want to see. It is so apparent that the more fun someone has the more natural and confident they are going to appear on stage. You cannot keep your personality under wraps. Shine through and be yourself.
WP: What problems did you have to overcome in order to stay on track with your fitness program?
For the past year, I have had an overuse injury that has pretty much weakened the whole left side of my body along with my lower back. I have been frustrated at times, and then being my stubborn self, would hit the gym even harder trying to convince myself that I didn't need time off and that the pain would eventually just go away. It was when the chiropractor finally said to me, "Listen, you've worked your body so hard to get to a certain point that all you need to do now is maintain it." Once I heard that everything made sense. After taking some time off to heal the injury and being realistic about what I could and could not do in the gym, I now know what it really means to listen to your body and mentally stay on track.
WP: What keeps fitness interesting to you?
Fitness is never boring; there is always a new goal you can set for yourself. Whether I decided to climb a mountain, kayak down a river, run a marathon, or jump in a boxing ring; the possibilities are endless, you can always take yourself to new heights.
WP: How have you physically changed over the years?
Before I knew what working out and eating right could do to physically change your body, I was only interested in a number on the scale and looking skinny in a mirror. I have been thin my whole life, but it wasn't until I joined CSF (Cathy Savage Fitness) that I saw a difference in how I looked. I went from the "skinny-stick" girl look to actually building some muscle and adding some shape to my body. Lesson learned: Squats and lunges make apple bottom bootys and functionality moves and diet gets you a six pack!
WP: Any shout outs?
To the people who have believed in me through my fitness journey, I would not be competing if I did not have their moral and financial support; Tony Thompson Photography and my ladies at Body Secrets Day Spa and Hair Salon! Tony has sponsored my long distance competition trips to Las Vegas and Body Secrets sponsors my week of show beautifying treatments! And a big shout out to Mom, who designs and sews my bikini and creative sportswear outfits! What would I do without her?!
WP: What plays on your iPod?
Britney Spears is my right hand girl and I will not go to the gym without her. I grew up with the pop phenomenon boy and girl bands of the 90's and that genre of music never defeats its purpose for me. Corny, right? But that is the truth. The gym turns into an instant dance club for me and with the intensity of my workouts I need all the adrenaline pumping beats I can get to get me through it.
WP: What were you like in high school?
I was a three sport athlete in high school participating on the soccer, basketball and track teams. When I realized that track was the sport I really excelled at, I dropped the basketball and ran indoor track during the winter in order to be even more prepared for spring season. But being an athlete was not all I focused on. For four years, I embarrassingly tried to hide the fact to all my jock friends that I was actually a part of the high school classical band and jazz band! Trust me, toting around a huge alto saxophone case back and forth from home to school is not an easy thing to conceal.
My personality was the same as it is now; outgoing, confident, and LOUD. I know I probably drove a few teachers and classmates crazy because if I didn't understand something in class I would just non-stop keep asking questions until I understood it. That's just how I am; I will fixate on something I'm not an expert on until I get it right. I did well in school and made the honor roll each quarter but was I a "teacher’s pet"? I don't think so. I remember there was a few times that my Saturday Night Live inspired antics did not go over too well in class!
WP: If I were to open your fridge and kitchen cabinets, what would I find in them?
The best nutritional advice I have ever gotten is to only grocery shop around the perimeter of the store; veggies, fruit, whole grains, dairy, and meat. Eating healthy means you don’t even have to walk down the aisles! My go to meats are usually chicken and ground turkey, but I get really excited when the market randomly stocks bison! You will also find dark, green veggies in my fridge, like spinach and asparagus, and I cannot get enough of strawberries and bananas. In my cabinets I have tubs of couscous and whole wheat pasta. Maybeee If you are lucky, you can check the freezer, I hide my organic dark chocolate treats there!
WP: If I were to walk into your house and have a look around, what type of fitness equipment would I find?
You would find a physio ball that has been left "uncrunched" since I moved into my apartment a year ago. There is nothing I enjoy better than getting out of my daily element and driving to the gym to workout. To me, seeing the neon lights of LA Fitness in the distance is like finding an oasis in the desert. Everything I need is there for me at the gym and seeing people all around me is just purely calculated motivation; you know I'm going to bust my bum even harder now so no one thinks I am slacking!
WP: What do you like to do outside of fitness?
There are a few activities that my parents forced me to do when I was younger, so please do not try to get me to play a game of Scrabble or knit a scarf because I have been scarred by the memories of my coerced childhood extracurricular activities. Like I said, I always need to be doing something. If I am not in the gym, I enjoy being outside. I think fall is the perfect season; there is so much to do; apple picking, pumpkin picking, haunted hay rides, and going to football games are the best! I also love animals and have a small obsession with visiting zoos and aquariums. One of my favorite things to do is to go see the farm animals at the University of Connecticut Agriculture Center.
WP: Where are you going from here? What are your future goals for your career, this industry, and your physique?
Career/Industry goals: I would like to consistently place in the top five for all my future bikini and model competitions, and then of course, the ultimate goal would be to win an overall bikini/model title. My focus is and has always been on breaking into the fitness modeling industry and my sights are still locked on that goal. Competing is a great way to keep myself in shape, network with my fitness friends, and keep close tabs on a forever changing industry. I am persistently working on my connections, my relationships with agencies, and improving my portfolio. I am not a girl who gives up on a dream, and I have a feeling that good things are yet to come!
Physique goals: I do not want to sit here and whine about things that I want to fix about my body. God only gave me one shell and over time I have learned to love what I got. When it comes to my physique, it all comes down to maintenance. Eating clean, following my workout plan 6 times a week, and taking care of my skin, hair and nails are all things that just come with the territory of this lifestyle.
WP: How do you make time for yourself? How do you relax and hide from the stress of the world?
I am very much a person who loves to always be around people, and I probably have a slight case of separation anxiety, but there is one specific thing that I do completely on my own when I am beyond stressed and feeling like I need to break out. I get in the car and drive to my hometown's high school track. The memories of the place where I grew up running and playing town league sports gives me a nostalgic enjoyment, and I feel at home the second I step into my favorite running lane. An intense combination of sprints, bleacher runs, and agility moves help clear my mind and I leave the track feeling so much better.
WP: You have something to say about Cathy Savage and Lindsay Messina. Here's your chance.
Here's to the best coaches in the world, Cathy Savage and Lindsay Messina! Without my coaches, Cathy Savage, and top fitness model, Lindsay Messina, I would not be in the position I am today. This team has prepared me like no other, and has continued to transform my life beyond just the physical. I can attribute one of the biggest lessons that I have learned in this industry to both of these inspiring ladies. Their running theme is that "No one is going to help you get to where you want to go. You have a support system around you, but it is up to you in the end to create your own destiny." Cathy reinforces her tough-love attitude in order to keep us all unique individuals in a cut-throat industry and Lindsay guides us through the ins and outs of perfecting our style. This team teaches us that being true to ourselves is the key to being successful. Everyone is always looking out for our well-being and encourages us to be excited for what the future holds. Check them out at cathysavage.com and perfectbodyonline.com!
WP: Tell me about your family. In addition, tell me if you are married, single, dating around, etc.
I grew up just outside of Hartford, CT in a town called Vernon. I have two great parents and an older sister. My father is a computer programmer and my mother is a nurse. My sister works as a landscape architect and lives in Massachusetts on Cape Cod. We are close and there is not one day that I don’t call my parents to say hello. I consider my mom my best friend, and the most caring person in the entire world! She volunteers to cook my meals for me the week of each of my competitions! I don’t think I could as for support that gets stronger than that!
In my own personal life, I've recently gone through a series of unfulfilling relationships where I was in a position where I literally had to take a step back and figure out why I was always left feeling like I had just stepped off a rollercoaster at the amusement park. Moving forward, I've realized that it's important to love yourself and know who you truly are as a person before you can commit to any relationship. Until recently, I was always rationalizing other people’s behavior and not listening to my own gut feelings. Now I can tell you exactly what I want in man; undeniable loyalty, trust, a sense of humor, and a sassy personality to match mine. I won't settle for anything but the best for myself. Have I found him? Hmmmm, let's just say I am definitely on the right track!
WP: How do you feel you have improved you and your life?
Fitness has created a whole new world for me to share my passion and strive to be a role model of health and exercise for others. I am so blessed to be able to compete with such a supportive team, as well as train and teach group exercise to my community. I never knew that getting into this industry would open up so many doors for me, and allow me to do things I never thought were possible. The positivity that fitness brings to my life is priceless and my perspective on life is so much clearer. I think that while I have physically improved and learned so much about the body, nothing beats feeling like your emotional and mental attitude is fulfilled.
WP: We are delighted to have you featured as our Rising Star of the Month. Thank you for taking the time out to hold this interview with us. We wish you the best of luck in the future.
