STRONG IS SEXY #FitnessSistas

Message from the writer:

This weeks featured fitness sista is the Bahamas' very own Amy Sands. I was super excited when she agreed to allow me to inteview her and learn more about her and her fitness journey.

With these interviews I set out to inspire, uplift and empower other women , and in the process I'm inspired as well.

I truly appreciate you sharing your story with me and the readers Amy, Thanks Again

AMY SANDS

BBFF/NPC Bikini Competitor

When did you get into fitness & why?

I got into fitness in 2011. After pageantry, I came into contact with Dr. Dwight Marshall, my first coach; it is he who introduced me to the world of bodybuilding.... Why? I love challenging myself. This life style caused me to reshape, rethink and restructure my mentality towards health and fitness.

What would you say is your biggest fitness-fear?

Wow! Never thought about it! To me F.E.A.R. means F -ace E- verthing A- nd

R- ise.

I guess I have had much challenges and struggles in life. Till I learned how to beat CAN’T. If it must be said, fitness-fear is like proving negative people right, when they said I can’t.

Describe your perfect day at the gym

Firstly, meeting with The King first, God. A good workout music, pre-workout drink and amino.

And a great sweat from a hard workout.

What motivates you to get up and train as consistently as you do?

Motivation comes from a condition that I had suffered internally, scoliosis. Scoliosis is the curvature to the spine. It can be corrected by wearing a brace or surgery. My case is surgical. I have 2 steel rods and 16 screws in my spine, for life. Additionally, I found motivation within myself through The 3’D’s.

Drive

Determination

Discipline

Driven with a purpose: My purpose is to share my experience to encourage others. To create a dynamic power with God’s grace that is a force to be reckoned with.

Determined with a goal: My goal, is to accomplish the task at hand and compete and beat who I was yesterday making me stronger today.

Disciplined with loyalty: My loyalty, is to stay disciplined and believe it is my attitude; not my aptitude that determines my altitude or how high I can go.

Who is your biggest supporter?

I have several supporters, but to name a few, God being number one, if He is for me, then who can be against me. My mom, dad, sister, brother, my coaches- Aaron and Edveen Greene and Dr. Marshall, Cerys, Kenny Mackey, and the staff at D. Yurman/John Bull.

Have you experienced any road-blocks? Negativity or obstacles throughout your fitness journey? How did you deal with them?

No road-blocks, thank God.

Negativity and obstacles- I was once told by someone I can’t go far in this sport because of my internal condition. To be teased and called wobble leg, to be called iron/steel back.

There are also people, if they can’t see anything wrong with you physically they think you have no condition. A person who has condition that no one can see fights a harder battle, because people can’t understand what they don’t see.

I dealt with it by believing I can do all through Christ who strengthens me. I learned applying faith you can win. In life there are people who are for you or against you. What people say or think about you doesn’t concern you. It says a lot about them. I depict my character with the organism of positive energy and love. If you have love and positive vibes then you have no time and no room for negative things and people.

What has been the most valuable life lesson(s) fitness has taught you?

How to be consistent: Let’s be real. It’s not easy just to switch your diet, the temptation, the desire to eat and drink everything. The struggle was real. But so was my passion. My drive, my determination, my discipline, kept me going. And knowing the outcome of my success of training. I treasure that.
Ignore the negative people: how we see others is how we see ourselves. Our eyes are the gate way to the soul. My soul is full of passion, a spark sooo bright, as if, God’s light shining on it. In my eyes, I see a winner, a champion, YOU MUST BEGIN T0 THINK OF YOURSELF AS THE PERSON YOU WANT TO BE
Be you!

Favorite healthy meal

There’s a favourite. Lol. I guess greens and white meat.

Favorite cheat meal

Pizza

What would you say your life “motto” is ?

It is my attitude; not my aptitude that determines my altitude or how high I can go.

I DO BECAUSE I CAN, I CAN BECAUSE I WANT TO, I WANT TO BECAUSE YOU SAID I COULDN’T… I WAKE UP WITH DETERMINATION AND GO TO SLEEP WITH SATISFICATION