Ridley Park woman competes for top spot in body building
RIDLEY PARK >> Kate Roberts, 26, loves to exercise. Eight months after she had her second child, Luke, she started exercising to lose weight. Realizing how much she liked it, she joined the Rocky Run YMCA and placed her children in day care for two hours. She found a trainer. Two years later, 31 pounds lighter, she is competing against 25 people worldwide to become one of five top bodybuilders at http:// bodyspace.bodybuilding. com.
The Cardinal O’Hara 2009 graduate needs your vote. People can vote for Kate until April 25. If she wins she and her family are off to Disney World. The top winners, one female and one male, receive $100,000 each. The top five finalists receive $10,000 each
“I had my children 14 months apart I never had a chance to get to my prepregnancy weight. I started at home. I really liked working out at home and then I started working out at the YMCA. I thought someday I will do a body-building completion. I found a trainer. She put me on a meal plan and exercise plan. I was in a Body Building Competition on April 8 at King of Prussia. I aimed for that and I found out that https://www.bodybuilding. com had a challenge so I sent my picture in,” said Kate.
The Ridley Park mom loves the fact that she could put her children in day care at the Rocky Run YMCA, trusting the people who cared for them while she was free to lift weights and do cardio.
“I ate six meals a day every two to three hours. It was a lots of chicken and fish, vegetables, oatmeal grapefruits and sweet potatoes. When I was doing the challenge, I went to the gym in the morning at Planet Fitness for cardio and back to the gym in the afternoon to lift and then do more cardio. It was a lot of exercising. I still workout because I enjoy it. It became a lifestyle,” said Kate.
Kate admits she wasn’t into exercise or played sports even in high school.
“I wasn’t a sports person but after the kids and gaining weight I started exercising and fell in love with it. When I go to the gym, it’s my happy place. I use lots of heavy weights. I can leg press 415 pounds and use different weights for every exercise.”
Kate has lots of support from her husband, Jason, who is amazed at what is wife can do. In the mornings he watches 3-year-old Luke and Victoria, who is 4.
“Every morning she goes to the gym at 6 a.m. in the morning. She can run up 4,000 steps which is twice as much as the steps of the Empire State Building in New York. I knew she could do it. She is someone who can be successful when she gets motivated to do something,” said Jason.
“You can vote for five people out of the 25 people. You put your heart in this and it’s exciting even if I don’t get picked. It’s still good,” said Kate.
Kate gives moms this advice to those who want to lose weight.
“I think balance is important. Start exercising regularly. Once you get a routine you will find your motivation. It’s important to find a gym where they will watch your kids, a place you can trust. Moms need alone time. Exercising gives me that time,” said Kate.