Olympia Bikini Pro Camile Periat
It was my privilege to interview this woman, who graces the world-renowned Ms. Olympia stage EVERY single year, and has made a recent splash with her One Month of Vegan video. Aside from these two things, she is the new owner of the gym I work at, Santa Cruz Power Fitness, and this is why I call her boss. But she is a boss on many levels...
So, boss, what is your name and where are you from?
My name is Camile Periat and I was raised in Pescadero, California, and attended Half Moon Bay High growing up. I am a coastal girl!
Word on the street is that you're a bodybuilding competitor. Is that what you would call yourself? Are you a bodybuilder?
To be honest, the word "body builder" portrays a certain image that I don't exactly fit. TechnicallyI am a body builder but I think of myself more as a fitness competitor and that translates betterfor most people who don't have an understanding of the sport I am in. I practice the same fundamentals as body builders, but am a petite version of one.
You've competed at the highest levels- your jerseys and swords and awards are hanging all over Santa Cruz Power Fitness. What was your biggest competition and what was your best?
The biggest competition I have competed in is the Olympia and I have competed there the last three consecutive years. It is very hard to qualify for the Olympia, as it is the biggest and most prestigious show in the world. The highest placing I have received was placing 7th at the 2017 Olympia. While that was my best placing, it wasn't necessarily my best showing. As we progress and the sport grows competitively, I feel I have brought better packages to the more recent Olympias, yet placed lower due to the increasingly competitive athletes I am up against.
For those you inspire, could you please go back and tell us about your first competition and what made you decide to do it?
When I first decided to compete in 2013, I was 33 years old, new mother and dental hygienist. I wanted something to train for and have a personal goal to work towards. I decidedto competewithout knowing much about the sport, without a coach or ever seeing an actual show. I instantly fell in love with the sport and the community and didn't want to stop. Three months later, I earned my Pro card on my 3rd show in Las Vegas. It began with this passion that never died.
If someone were to decide to compete the way you do today, what would they have to do?
In order to compete the way I do, the first thing it will require is time. Very, very rarely does someone earn their Pro card, have tremendous success as a pro early on, and make to Olympia as a rookie. It takes time, showing up to shows and takes consistently putting your time in. That also goes for the amount of time it takes to build mature muscle which allows us to have a specific look as we condition down. The biggest factor that most don't realize at first is the amount of time it takes to build, sculpt and progress. It can take years for most.
Body image is a serious issue for all genders of all races and all ages, but primarily for young women. What are your thoughts about the struggles girls and women go through trying to attain these levels of "perfection"?
This is an important question and topic to me. I come across many men and women who have such high expectations of themselves. Body dysmorphia is a disorder that most suffer from to a degree. In this sport and in the fitness industry, it is easy to look at yourself and see flaws before strengths.
I like to look at how this sport has helped me overcome body dysmorphia and improved self-esteem.
In my twenties, I suffered from an eating disorder and tried to hard to be as thin as I could. I would obsess about the scale and was very fearful about gaining weight. This disorder stopped when I learned I was pregnant with my daughter and knew I had to change my lifestyle. After her birth, I wanted to shift my exercise style and focus more on strength rather than burning calories. This new focus and shift in training style really did change my life.
The most important takeaway from my journey in body building is that it taught me how to feed my body, focus on strength and growth rather than deterioration. My perception towards food changed as well. I used to fear food and do cardio simply to burn the amount of food I consumed. Now I eat to grow and look at food completely differently and understand the importance of it on so many levels. This realization may come with time for many, but as I have aged and grown with the sport, I can safely say it changed the way I view myself and am more comfortable with my body whether I am 10 lbs. heavier or stage lean.
You are a mother! How do you talk to your kid about your sport? How do you think professional bodybuilders should go about parenting while following such a strict lifestyle? Does it make it easy to teach about food choices or more difficult?
My daughter has grown up through my competing journey and it is normal for her. It is very important to me that she grows up with her own ideals and not to impose any perception of how she should be or women should be. In our home, the only pictures on our walls are family portraits. I don't put show pictures of myself up or want to impose a specific body type on her. My daughter eats normal food like every other kid. When I am competing, I may have different food on my plate than the family, but it's just our way of life. When I am not in show preparation, we are like any other family.
There have been times when I have told my daughter I was going to retire and her response surprised me. I assumed she would be happy and thrilled that I could be more "normal" but her reaction was the opposite! She was sad and did not want me to stop because she was proud of what I did and looked up to it. She has no desire to compete as I do in this sport, but she is proud of me and what I have accomplished. She is one of my biggest supporters and fans!
 |
| *This is not Camile's daughter. This is a demo for Evogen. |
I am planning on applying for the Arnold's Classic in March. This is the second most prestigious show next to the Olympia and is invite only. This would be my third year attending and I love the Arnold's. I have already qualified for the 2020 Olympia, which I will be competing at in September 2020. This is the first time announcing that after the 2020 Olympia, I will likely be retiring from the IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilding). I have had an incredible journey, and with our businesses that I share with my fiancé, Chris Ellis, it's time to focus on the growth of our dreams.
 |
| Chris and Camile, Santa Cruz Power Fitness owners |
We have exciting plans for Santa Cruz Power Fitness, Santa Cruz Sports Nutrition, and Team Pulse in 2020. Team Pulse has been our team we have coached for the past six years. We had stepped away from coaching for a period of time due to the workload of Santa Cruz Power Fitness, but will be stepping back in the coaches circle with a new company name Power F.I.T. offering a fully integrated training program to members of Santa Cruz Power Fitness and remote clients. We have been working on the infrastructure of this new program for the last three months and plan to launch it mid November.
As you know, I am passionate about veganism, and am genuinely curious about other people's thoughts on it now that people have seen Forks Over Knives, What the Health, and Game Changers. With your in-depth understanding of food and fuel, I wonder what your thoughts are about people's ability to switch to veganism and continue to grow, stay strong, stay shredded, etc. Can it be done? Would you ever consider it?
A note: Camile tried going vegan for a month, and published a controversial video. A fellow fitness and bodybuilding professional created a response video to hers.
This was my personal response via Instagram
\/
 |
| Please watch the video for yourself and leave a comment if you are also passionate about veganism DIRECT LINK TO CAMILE'S VIDEO ON INSTAGRAM DIRECT LINK TO A VEGAN'S RESPONSE VIDEO |
Tell us what you think!
Comments
Post a Comment