Stephanie

(SISS) Hi Stephanie, where are you from and where are you currently spending your time? (Stephanie) I am originally from Holland Landing, Ontario Canada, about 40 minutes outside of Toronto and currently I reside in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. (SISS) What was one of the hardest things that you had to go through? What advice would you give someone going through the same struggle? (Stephanie) Most people don’t know that I use to be very overweight, depressed and struggled with alcohol and food addiction. I hit some of my heaviest weight and lowest point around 4 years ago and decided that the only way anything would change is if committed to making the change. My advice is, life will throw you curveballs; it’s in the face of adversity that you can truly show yourself and the world what you are made of. Your worth is not defined by the number of likes or follows you receive on your instagram page. Remember who matters most, dream big and put in the work! xo (SISS) NPC bikini competitor but who is Stephanie and what are you most proud of? (Stephanie) My fitness goals are just one part of who I am. I’m proud of my wanderlust which has allowed me to become a success within the business world here in Grand Cayman. I am proud of my family and friends who have been with me every step of the way throughout my journey and move. I am who I am because of their love and support. (SISS) How dedicated are you to fitness? What is your fitness goal? On your body, what is your favorite body part and what is your least favorite? (Stephanie) Fitness is a passion I discovered only recently when talking about life timeline but it is what keeps me sane, what drives my competitive nature and what provides me with an outlet to channel any negative energy I may have. My favourite body part is definitely my back and my least, my nose, (does that count as a body part? lol) I have worked really hard to create and preserve a positive body image for myself so I try not to focus on any flaws I see 

in myself. (SISS) What makes you the happiest? What is fun for you? (Stephanie) I love to read, I read a book every 2-3 days. I love to lie on the beach and read for hours. Work doesn’t always allow for this to happen but it’s definitely a happy place for me. (SISS) How do you deal with disappointment? How do you Keep Going? (Stephanie) Each show has brought a different outcome and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed with the way some have gone. I always allow myself to feel disappointment, but only for a short time. Disappointment helps to fuel the fire within me to come back stronger but focusing on it for too long does nothing but create feelings of resentment and anger. I learn something new about myself every time I compete and I chose to focus on how to improve and grow from each experience I have. (SISS) What is your weakness and what do you do to overcome it? (Stephanie) Self doubt. I struggle, as I am sure many do, with feelings of inadequacy and need to feel important. I continue to work on changing this internal perspective; fitness and the friendships I have created within the fitness industry have helped but it is still a daily struggle. (SISS) Can you tell us four things people don’t know about you? (Stephanie) I am absolutely obsessed with the taste of apple cider vinegar; I don’t know what it is but I drink a cup a day straight. I am an introverted extrovert. I have several tattoos, most of which are not visible unless I’m naked :) I can speak 3 languages, English, French, and Croatian and I am currently learning Mandarin and Spanish. (SISS) Can you tell us where else can our readers follow your daily inspiration? (Stephanie) I keep myself limited to just Instagram for public social media presence so you can follow me @stepher1186 (SISS) What’s your favorite quote? (Stephanie) “Look in the mirror, that’s your only competition” (SISS) At Smart is so sexy we love to see women who are thriving in their career or business. What are you most passionate about? (Stephanie) I absolutely love surrounding myself around other people (cliché I know). I work in hospitality as the General Manager of 3 locations in Grand Cayman and absolutely love my job. It provides me with the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life, different nationalities and different experiences. I learn something new every day. (SISS) Who was the most influential person in your life and why? (Stephanie) My dad; He didn’t have an easy life, middle of 9 kids whose parents both passed young and still managed to get himself educated and became a highly respected teacher and coach; he was my first coach in volleyball and soccer. Highly competitive, my father instilled in me the value of hard work and perseverance. I have always been a daddy’s girl and still look to my father for support and approval even at 31. (SISS) Where were you five years ago? What advice would you tell your five years younger self? (Stephanie) Five years ago, I was living in Ottawa, working in bars, drinking, partying, with no real direction and honestly really unhappy with who I was. I was not a very nice person to be around and I struggled with my self esteem and still do. My advice, find your passion, build goals, dream big and remember what you put out into the universe will come back to you. I am so happy with who I have become and continue to strive to be better with each day. (SISS) Can you take us through a typical day? From Waking up to going to bed, Can you give us a play by play of a typical day for you? (Stephanie) Fasted cardio starts the mornings off for me these days, followed by compression ice bath and hot shower to help my muscles repair. Then I take 300+ selfies and spend two hours deciding which one to post on Instagram (just kidding, sort of) Next stop is coffee and breakfast than it’s off to work. I work around 9-10 hours a day which involves balancing books, meetings, walking the floor and talking to guests and all that fun hospitality jazz. Head home to eat than straight to the gym where I train for around 2 hours, head home to shower, eat, meal prep and decompress on reflect on the day before I head to bed. My life is pretty simple and some might say boring; I call it “PREP” life and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. (SISS) What is your favorite book and/or the latest one you’ve read? What is your favorite song? (Stephanie) I have so many favourites to be honest but the last book I read was “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuckteamibertrophy” (pardon the candid language). Favourite song right now is Wonder by Adventure Club. (SISS) When do you feel the sexiest? (Stephanie) Right when I wake up, after my shower, when I am ready to conquer the day; I guess it is more fearless than sexy I guess but I feel the most confident and to me, confidence in a woman is sexy as hell. (SISS) Is there someone on social media that inspires you and is a great follow? (Stephanie) I love to follow other teams and competitors; @ibertrophy_fitness, @teamhammerfit, @madmax345, those are just a few of my favourites. (SISS) What does Smart is so Sexy mean to you? (Stephanie) It’s the total confidence that can make you feel smarter, funnier and better in every area of your life.  (SISS)  Thank you so much Stephanie for sharing, please follow her on Instagram @stepher1186