Listen to Cathy's Interview with Shawn Ray from MD Radio, click on image below and scroll to episode # 62 and hit play button.

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FBBFan.com: Hello Cathy, Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to share a bit about yourself with FBBFan.com members and readers!

FBBFan.com: Would you please tell us a little bit about yourself? How old are you? Relationship Status? Family Life?

Cathy Lefrancois

February 12, 1971

Aquarius (organize freak)

Married with lee priest (divorced now)

Relation ship with Scott Noelte

Adopted at age of 4 years old

Birth parent (Paul Lefrancois and Juliette Boucher)

I have 2 sister Nancy and Annie and one brother Joy-yan

Adopted parent (Rejean lefrancois and Rachel Gendron) was the only child

Where are you from? Current Residence?

El Monte California,

I from Canada Quebec. Born at Amqui small town J

FBBFan.com: What do you currently do for a living?

 I work for the supplement company, Gaspari Nutrition. I’m doing demonstrations at supplement stores and gyms, I love it!! I get to meet a lot of people and teach them about the Gaspari product line.

FBBFan.com: We’ve herd that you and Iris Kyle will be hosting a fitness camp, can you tell us about it?

Yes, Iris and I will be hosting a training camp here in Southern California, the individuals will stay with us here at my home. Iris and I will be teaching them training and nutrition, along with stage posing. A trip to the Venice Beach Golds Gym will be included.  That’s the quick synopsis, there is a lot we will be doing in one weekend !

FBBFan.com: How did you get involved in the sport of Women’s Bodybuilding?

When I was 14 years-old, I saw a guy with huge legs and calves, I was impressed and wanted legs like that!.  So I went up and started talking with him to find out how he was able to develop his legs like that. He told me that it was from years of speed skating.  I really wanted calves like that, so I started speed skating and competed for many years. 

Later on, I noticed that a friend/classmate of mine had some big forearms with veins!  Again, I was impressed, so we started talking about it and he told me that he had been working out with dumbbells.  He brought me a bodybuilding magazine with Corey Everson on the cover.  I said that is the way I want to look!

I started when I was 18 years old and after only 3 months I did my first show.  Right away I was the one who people liked on stage.  I won the show and was honored as the best poser with the best routine. Funny thing about this was that it was my first show and I really didn’t have any idea about what I needed to do.  I learned to pose by looking at pictures in magazines.  Someone told me that I needed to do some sort of dance routine for the night show, so that is what I did.  I was destined to be in the sport!

FBBFan.com: How does your friends, family and the general public react to your physique?

I get some intresting looks from the general public, sometimes they will just stand and stare at me.  A lot of people are not to sure if they can say hi or not! I think they think I’ll bite or something! Haha

I usually look back at them and say “hi”.  Most people will then take advantage of this open door and start to ask questions. Some typical questions from people, they will ask if I am an actress  or a model! Haha I always have to laugh a bit, a model! and Another common one I get is: “before I saw you, I didn’t like women bodybuilders, but you look great!”

But if I look back and they get an expression or a look from me with the regard of “what are you looking at?” Those same types of people will think that I am just an idiot like everyone else, and that I am just another musclehead or that I have some kind of mental problem! Haha But I respect people like them, they don’t know or need to know how difficult bodybuilding is at times, especially when you are preparing for a competition, you look great to them, but inside you feel like S@#%. Kindness and honesty goes a long way though, because you can always tell them that you are not in a very good mood and they can usually respect that for an answer.

FBBFan.com: What does being a “IFBB Professional Bodybuilder” mean to you?

Being a pro means that you are one of the best in the world.  You know, when I turn pro I didn’t know I could turn pro. Haha Someone came over and told me, “congratulations! u just turned pro.” I said, “what does that mean?” They answered, “Are u going to compete in the United States and make money bodybuilding?”  Wow,  I am sure Glad I have a great job with a supplement company!

I love my job and working with Gaspari, and I love the challenge of it all, I think I would be miserable if I was just a bodybuilder!  For some people Though,  just being  a pro bodybuilder  is great.  I was honored by my own city,  They see me as someone like Arnold. 

A lot of my friends think i should accept more compliments in my favor, they tell me that I am  a unique bodybuilder, and that people look up to me and see me as a rol model.  I tell them, “ maybe one of these days, I’ll believe it if I win the Ms. Olympia title.” I do however, have a huge fan club  that I love, they keep me going!

FBBFan.com: What do you enjoy about being a bodybuilder?

I love being different, turning heads with my muscles is always fun too!    Living a healthy lifestyle and being appreciated for all the hard work and effort that goes into this sport.

FBBFan.com: What is your long-term goal in the sport of bodybuilding?

To Be the future Ms. Olympia one day, but, “Iris, you need to retire!” haha

My long-term goal is to become the future Ambassador of Women’s Bodybuilding – to represent this sport in a positive way and to be a role-model for future female bodybuilders and those who strive and work hard to be their very best.

FBBFan.com: When are you planning to compete next?

The 2009 Ms. International/Arnold Classic.  I love this show! Hopefully this year I was able to put a little bit of muscle on so I can stand up there on the stage and hold Iris’ hand.

FBBFan.com: What’s your favorite thing and/or routine you enjoy when training for a competition?

I enjoy the diet, I love the organization of everything, getting up early to do cardio, eating my breakfast while looking at my plan of the day, making sure all my food is correct for the day or the coming day, then working in my office taking care of and to have everything ready for the show: posing suit, my flight and hotel. 

After my morning ritual, I’ll take care of Gaspari Nutrition business,  I’ll get all of my upcoming demonstrations planned and set-up.  I make sure everything is right because even while I’m working with Gaspari doing these demonstrations, I need to train and follow my diet. I travel for them, and at the same time,  I do it all!  I am an organizational freak! haha So when I’m  planning to compete, 2 months before a show I’ll do a full week of traveling once a month outside of the LA area  like going to Colorado and Arizona. I’ll do 2 demonstrations a day.  

This way, the out-of-state traveling is finished, then after returning home, I can focus on my upcoming show while working and doing demonstrations around home.

FBBFan.com: Would you please share your competition history with us? (if so, please list below)

Got this already

FBBFan.com: What is a day-in-the-life of Cathy LeFrancois like?

It varies!   I get up around 7am and do cardio.  After I’m finished with meal number 1, I’ll drink a cup of coffee and answer emails. I’ll also check in with Gaspari Nutrition, and see what’s upcoming that I need to plan for. After I’m done in my office, I’ll Prepare all my meals for the day if I don’t have to get ready or am not doing a demonstration that day.  I’ll then hit the gym around  9:00 or 10:00 am When my training partner Edward get home we train great togetherJ after that, run some errands, do things around the house and just keep things prepared.

If I’m doing a demonstration for Gaspari that day, I’ll work from 11am to 2pm and again from 4pm to 7pm.  I will then hit the gym around 8:30pm. I’ll also squeeze some cardio in sometimes. I’ll then relax at home with my fiancé, Scott, and we’ll get to bed around 11:30pm.

FBBFan.com: Would you please tell us a little about your workout schedule? Contest and during the Off-Season?

I do one body part a day, I take off after leg and back day. During the off-season, I train like I feel; I’ve never had a training plan because it would make me go crazy! Nor would that allow me to have any fun with my training either.

Some days I work all day, when I get home, I am worn out and tired, some days I feel great,  some days I feel strong, the new gym where I work out at , I like using the leg and back machines they have, but some days when I’m working out, I won’t be in the mood for that exercise so I’ll train something that makes me happy for an hour or so.

Nothing changes though when I am getting ready for a show, only thing that does is just my cardio, diet and supplements.

FBBFan.com: Do you have a favorite lift or exercise?

I enjoy and Like everything! But for the last year or so, I have enjoyed training arms and shoulders less and less because my arms and elbows hurt really bad and make it hard to train BUT I deal with it! This is to bad because I love training my arms, but I do what I can! To deal with the pain, I use some hot cream available from http://www.salonpas.us/ so I can make it thru my workout!

FBBFan.com: What  kind of music do you enjoy?

I Love Variety ! From Celine Dion to Body Count.. good and bad music! haha

FBBFan.com: What are your “Top 5” favorite movies?

Miss Congeniality – Sandra Bullock

Team America – The Muppets

Pretty Woman - Julia Roberts

Smallville - Clark Kent series

Dr. House series.

FBBFan.com: Who are your role models? And/or who do you look up to in your life?

Myself, I don’t want to be like anyone else! i like to be in control of my life. I see myself a lot like Jay Cutler. Jay is all about business and being a pro bodybuilder.  Jay has worked very hard for everything he has accomplished and respects people.

I also look up to my Boyfriend Scott’s father,  he has taught me so much about real life and that you need to work hard and pay your dues while making time and enjoying your family and friends.

FBBFan.com: What experiences in your life have helped you expand who you are as a person? How have these experiences shaped your perspective of the world?

My best friend was killed by a drunk driver.  It was his dream to be a bodybuilder. So I feel as though he helped influence me to be what I have become today.  When I step on stage I think about my friend and try to make both our dreams comes true as one.

I left Canada to move to the United States and did not speak any English.  I got married to someone who made me believe he was the perfect man.  After a lot of drama, I soon later found out I was mistaken.  It is hard to trust anyone who wants to be with you when you are a well-known name.  You never know their true intentions.  But soon after, when I needed someone, my best friend Scott had been there from day one for me.  Today Scott is still my best friend and my fiance. We live together in a great big house.

I am bless Thanked God !I am a strong woman.  People see the true me when I am around them, I have a lot of people I can call true friends.  I am healthy, happy and I have a great job I enjoy.  My family is in my life and things make sense now.

FBBFan.com: What advice do you have for women who would like to get involved in the sport of bodybuilding?

First keep your integrity!! To be a professional no matter what, you need to have a career on the side for sure because it’s impossible to just survive of doing Bodybuilding or fitness. They need to know that they don’t need to just eat, sleep and train all the time!

FBBFan.com: Who are your favorite bodybuilders? (male or female)

Women: Cory Everson, Lenda Murray and now Iris Kyle.

Men: Rich Gaspari, Jay Cutler

FBBFan.com: How can people contact you? Do you have a website?

Yes, check it out: www.cathyLpriest.com

FBBFan.com: Thank you Cathy, for taking the time to speak with us and share a little bit about yourself with FBBFan.com members and readers.