Flashing Back...

This was the first time I stepped on stage, now almost four years ago (eeekkk!!). I was so scared but so excited about the fact that I had finally stopped talking about competing and actually did it. Genie aka The Boss and Tom had guided me through a difficult prep and while I really wasn't "show ready", I stepped on stage and quarter-turned my heart out.

The results of my first show were brutal! I placed....wait for it....dead last. That's right. I was last and it broke my heart. I remember walking out at the end of the night and the girl who won my show asked me if she would see me at the next show. I told her that I doubted it and that I wasn't sure competing was right for me.

Fast forward to July of 2013....

This is the Tenecia that stepped on stage and ultimately walked away with her first figure class win. A lot changed in the time that both of the pictures were taken.

I worked on refining my look, stepping on stage looking more polished. I worked on posing (which is still a weak area for me) and how to best present myself to the judges. Better suits, better hair (I'm unbeweavable!), better tanner...you get the idea. Funny how I swore figure competitions weren't for me and yet here we are, 3 plus years and 10 shows later and I'm still.

Yes, I have gotten better over time but I know there's still more work to do. I'm excited, nervous, confident, scared, restless, and a whole lot of other things.

What will this year's competition season have in store for me??