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| Cassidy Mullins |
Who,
among us, can say they not only accomplished a dream in less than a year after
high school graduation but soared way beyond it? Cassidy Mullins of Windham, that’s
who.
Mullins,
a 2017 graduate of Windham High School, began an interest in body building
during her junior year. “I have always enjoyed exercise,” explained Mullins. “So,
I started watching various videos of body building on YouTube and knew that it
was something I wanted to try, at least once in my life.”
After
graduation, she took a few courses in exercise science, working on receiving
her certificate in
personal training and now works full-time at Planet Fitness
in Windham. She knew where she needed to be and didn’t hesitate to do what she needed
to do to work towards her dream. But it was a vacation in Florida during spring
break that propelled her to land beyond the moon and accomplish what she set
out to do her junior year.
“I
went on vacation in April,” Mullins began. “When I looked at pictures of myself
in a bikini, I wasn’t as fit as I hoped I would be. It was at that moment of
looking at those pictures that I knew the time was now to act on my dream of body
building.”
She
immediately approached a local body building expert, Rose Beth Wilson, to get
the ball rolling. “Rose Beth was on board with me and helped me to prepare for
a body building competition.”
Immediately,
Mullins began working on an exercise program and a strict diet to prepare her
body for the annual Maine Event Body Building competition in Biddeford on
September 22.
At
this event, she won first place in novice category as well as first place in
open category which allowed her to receive her “pro card”, giving her the
ability to compete on a professional level at the next match on October 6 in
Cape Cod where she was awarded first place as a professional on the body
building level, at age 19!
As a
result of winning this competition, Mullins is now in the running on a national
level, competing against those who have many years of body building experience
this Saturday, October 27 in Washington D.C.
However,
as many who accomplish their dreams and goals, it doesn’t come without hard
work. “I have many people approach me and want to know how they can make their
bodies look like mine today,” Mullins began. “What I do – the seven days a week
exercise program and the weekly diet to be a body building competitor – is not
a liveable or healthy lifestyle. You must have a healthy mindset and consider
the time involved in exercising and watching your eating habits. It is
exhausting.”
Mullins
explained that she works out every day, building specific muscle groups on
certain days of the week. “I work a variety of specific muscles in a four to
six-week program before switching up the plan,” she explained. “I also eat 85
grams of greens with each meal.”
Mullins
will not continue this diet or exercise program after her competition in Washington
D.C. this Saturday. “I will take a 6 month break to let my body repair itself and
gain some of my healthy fat back. It is not only imperative to my future goals
and success as a body builder – but the success of a long, healthy lifestyle.”
We
wish you the best in Washington D.C. this weekend, Cassidy Mullins!
