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Tennis and Tennis Fitness (2002 - current)

Suzanna's win in the Michelob light finals In spring 2002 I competed in bodybuilding for the last time. Which I didn't know at that time... But in summer, I picked up a tennis racket and hit a few balls... just for fun. Recreational. I thought...!!

But tennis is an amazing challenge, not just physical, but also mental and spiritual. Since summer 2002, I've been playing every day, working with several coaches, improving dramatically. In 2004 I started to compete. I've been playing  in the USTA's team tennis system, and tournaments and competing to this day.  Tennis is wonderful! It keeps me in great tennis fitness shape.  My body adjusted to the new activity and I dropped about 30 lbs and staying at lean 157-160 lbs. I do the weight training workouts in the gym 3 times a week, and yoga, stretch, work on my speed, footwork, drills, mental training... everything possible tennis fitness oriented! And in 2007 I've included Kettlebell workouts into my program. Also, in February 2007, I started to learn playing lefthanded. I have a special racket with two-handles (you can see it in the picture), so I don't need to switch the racket between my hands. My goal is to be the same athletic on the left side like on the right side. It's all about balance, isn't it? In the body, mind and spirit.

It's been an amazing and at the same time frustrating journey in 2007. Learning how to play lefthanded was quiet challenging, and I think I wanted to give up at least once a week. But I of course, I did stick with it, and finally my whole - now ambidextrous - game is getting all together. I've noticed how my different tightnesses and imbalances were "moving around" in my body, as I was working on the left side. Now the body is getting nicely even and I could call it "ultimate tennis fitness" maybe?.
 

2007 Tennis tournaments summary

78th SANTA MONICA TOURNAMENT Open Mixed

Sept 1-2 semifinals

14th SENIOR WOMEN'S CLASSIC (national level 40)

Sept 13-14 quarterfinals

TOP GUN 20th  TENNIS TOURNAMENT 5.0

Nov 3-4 quarterfinals


2006 Tennis tournaments summary

28th Westcoast Championship 5.0 May 27-28 1st runner-up

20th SCTA NTRP SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 4.5

June 10-18 semifinals

2006 JACKIE TATUM CLASSIC Open

July 1-2

quarterfinals

77th SANTA MONICA TOURNAMENT Open

Sept 2-4 1st runner-up

13th SENIOR WOMEN'S CLASSIC (national level)

Sept 15-16 semifinals

SEAL BEACH & LAKEWOOD  TOURNAMENT Open

Sept 17 round 16

TOP GUN 19th  TENNIS TOURNAMENT Open

Nov 4-5 round 32

15th LA HABRA FALL TOURNAMENT  Open

Nov 18-24 quarterfinals


2005 Tennis tournaments summary

53rd Pasadena Tennis Tournament, 4.5
Feb 13
1st runner-up
VBG Tennis Marathon
Feb 26
second
Master Grand Prix (invitational), 4.5 singles
April 2-3

 

2004 Tennis tournaments summary
Suzanna's win in the Michelob light finals

VBG Tennis Marathon, doubles
Mar 28
flight winner
Beverly Hills Tennis Spring Tournament, 4.5 women singles May 1-2 1st runner-up
26th Annual Michelob Light Tournament, 4.5 women singles
May 29-31
winner
The Mountaingate tournament
Sept 25
winner
Beverly Hills Fall Tournament, 4.5 singles, 4.5 doubles
Oct 9
winner, winner
Midwinter Classic, 4.5 singles
Dec 11
winner

 

 

Bodybuilding  (1997-2002)

My first first contest was in fitness, in Sweden 1994. I was a big girl then, too. But only 156 lbs compared to my 190 lbs now, 5 years later. I moved to US 1996 and after settling down I needed a challenge again and stepped up on stage in a local fitness contest. I performed my routine on rollerblades, it was different, it was cool. I  did ok, I liked it and one judge lady told me that I have a size to enter a bodybuilding contest. So I did. In May 1997 I entered the bodybuilding scene for the first time. I loved it, so I did another 18 contests that year. I got some stage experience and was ready for the next year. Fewer but bigger contests. More learning, especially in posing and nutrition. Experimenting lots with everything. Sometimes, I really don't like being 6 foot tall. It takes forever to look big. Put on 5 lbs muscle on 6 foot girl, you can hardly see where these pounds go. Unless they go in the butt. Then you can  notice that. I don't know where my pounds went, I guess in my butt. Laughs. At The Mecca my nick name is "Big Butt". So, in 1999 I did just three contests, creating my own diet from last year experiments (yes, everything is in my computer and analyzed) and got it pretty much right on a money. Even though I started a bit late, I got my body fat down to 9.5% and went on stage 171.5 lbs. I won the tall class in Natural Olympia. 

2002 Contest Summary

Contra Costa Championship, Hayward/Contra Costa

May 11 4rd,  heavy weight
California Championship, Culver City May 25 5th, heavy weight


2001 Contest Summary

No contests this year, but I'll be on the stage again in April/May 2002, probably around 176 lbs. 


2000 Contest Summary

Border States, San Diego Sept 26 3rd,  heavy weight
Tournament of Champions, Redondo Beach August 26 1st, heavy weight
Ironman Magazine Naturally, Culver City August 12 2nd, heavy weight

 

1999 Contest Summary
Natural Olympia, Redondo Beach Nov 13-14, 99 1st tall
Muscle Mania, Redondo Beach Nov 19-20, 99 ?
Ironman/Ironmaiden, Redondo Beach Dec 4, 99 3rd heavy

 

1998Contest Summary
Muscle Beach Venice, Venice Beach  July 4, 98 1st heavy
Tournament of Champions, Redondo Beach Aug 15, 98 1st novice 
2nd heavy
Baldwin Hills Muscle Classic Sep 27, 98 2nd heavy
Natural Olympia, Greece Nov 7-8, 98 3rd tall

1997 Contest Summary
Ms. Aerobics March 23, 97 4th 
Ms. Aerobics April 5, 97 1st
USA Muscle Classic April 5, 97 1st
USA Gold Cup BC April 12, 97 2nd 
2nd
California Natural BC June 14, 97 2nd
Pinnacle Gold's Classic June 21, 97 3 rd 
Mr. & Ms. Muscle Beach Venice July 4, 97 1st
Pinnacle Ironman Magazine Naturally July 26, 97 2nd
California Open BC August 2, 97 Overall 
World BC August 9, 97 2nd
Tournament of Champions August 16, 97 3rd 
Muscle Beach Venice Championship September 1, 97 Overall
Baldwin Hills Muscle Classic September 28,97 1st
Amateur Grand Prix October 4, 97 2nd
USA Natural BC October 25, 97 1st
Steel Rose November 8, 97 2nd 
Muscle Mania November 22,97 4th
Ironman/Ironmaiden December 6, 97 2nd
Natural Universe December 13, 97 2nd 

 

Strength. Powerlifting. Olympic Lifting  (1998-1999)

I just do it for fun, to do something different and to learn something new. Don't ask me how much I bench press, because I don't. I press in Hammer machines. Olympic lifting drives me crazy - long arms and long body, it takes forever to power clean and push press the barbel above my head. But challenge is challenge, gotta do it. My personal record is 180 lbs in both power clean and push press. The man I've lifted above my head was around 140 lbs. Deadlift around 315 lbs, just  a couple of weeks after I started to do it. Squat, I just tried a quarter squat - 545 lbs. And for you curious, I leg pressed 1100 lbs . I don't do heavy exercise for my legs, I want them to shrink. For the shrinkage, I discovered the holy medicine: each workout, I warm up with 4 sets of 30-40 lunges with 95-135 lbs. You have to try it! If  a friend works out with me, he gets his butt sore  for a couple of days just from the warm up. And for you biceps lovers, I got a world record in strict biceps curl. Which I forgot what I curled, I guess it was around 96 lbs. I don't like biceps curls, I just did it because they needed a girl in the team. 
 

Strict Curl Champ. June 17, 98 183lb class 1st, world record holder
Californina Strict Curl Champ. July 18, 98 183lb class 1st, world record holder

 

Rollerskate Dancing

I've been a skier all my life. I ice skated ocasionally too. After my move to Venice Beach I discovered the joy of 8 wheels under my feet slipping away without warning, so I decided that  I have to master this. I learned fast, no biggie, all these years in the slopes and forests cross country skiing payed off. Suddenly the wheels were not any challenge. So I made it a challenge - I started to dance on them, hip-hop, break dance and other tricks. The artistic rollerskate dancing was growing and contests started to show up. I competed in a couple of fitness shows on my rollerblades, showed off in New York in Maury Povich show, and entered serious roller dancing contests. I won some and became a national level competitor. Rollerskate dancing was a great complement to my bodybuilding. Just imagine 6 foot almost 200 lbs girlie break dancing on rollerskates? If that exceeds your imagination limits, come and see me dancing in Venice Beach. I'll teach you something. 
 

Freestyle Skate Dance Champ. Aug 23, 98 3st
Freestyle Skate Dance Champ. May 23, 99 1st
NationalFreestyle Skate Dance Champ. Aug 29, 99 ?


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