Figure athlete pumped by attaining professional status

Rock solid dedication, and a body rippled with muscular definition, has lifted Aleisha Hart to the professional ranks as a figure athlete — the first woman in Sudbury to do so.

The 32-year-old Sudbury native was named the top figure competitor in Canada in her division at the Canadian Bodybuilding Federation (CBBF) Canadian National Championship, held Aug. 15 in British Columbia. As a result, she also earned her International Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB) pro league card — a passport to the world stage.

“I was overwhelmed,” she said. “It took me a good week to digest it all. This is something I worked toward for so long and I wanted it so bad, and now it’s in my hands.

“Now I’m planning for my first pro show. The women I’ve read about and looked up to, now we’re standing side-by-side.”

The figure athlete is starting her professional career with two back-to-back shows — her debut in Atlantic City takes place this weekend, followed by a show in New York City next weekend.

As a pro, Hart is now eligible to win prize money — upwards of $10,000 at many shows. While she is required to cover any costs associated with competing, such as travel and accommodations, endorsements and sponsorship offers have already started rolling in, which subsidize any accrued costs.

Hart is also gaining recognition as a go-to fitness model. She was featured on the cover of the Aug. 18 issue of American Curves, will be appearing in Inside Fitness in September, MuscleMag in October, and has scheduled feature shoots with Oxygen magazine for November and December issues, demonstrating glutes and abs training.

Hart attributes her success to her athletic childhood. She was a competitive gymnast by the age of six and was introduced to martial arts at the age of 10.

She said both sports have aided in her development to compete in figure and fitness competitions. “As a gymnast, you do so much conditioning and so much with balance and technique and strength training. With martial arts, it’s focus, and clearing your mind. “I put it all into this sport and it just fell into place for me.”

Being branded through magazines is making Hart a household name in the industry internationally. However, Bryan Deasley, Hart’s fiancée and business partner, said the real focus is getting her name known in her own backyard.

“She’s a Sudbury girl,” he said. “Interestingly, as we travel to Toronto, and other major centres where these events are, people know who she is. Yet here, there is a great level of anonymity.”

However, Deasley said since Hart won the Canadians, “there seems to be a different energy when she’s around” at the Goodlife in the South End, where the pair trains. “Now that she’s won, the members there are aware of it and I think they’re motivated by it.”

On Oct. 3, Hart will be taking part in a fundraising event for Warmhearts Palliative Caregivers, at The Shop Harley Davidson. Hart will be signing copies of American Curves, as well as offering photo opportunities with the motorcyclists, and helping out with a fundraising barbecue. All the net proceeds will be donated to Warmhearts.

While the competitions and modeling are a major focus for Hart and Deasley, branding the name of their company — Aleishafitness.com — is equally important. The business, which is based in Sudbury and Toronto, was launched in February. “It’s doing better than I expected this quick,” she said with a smile, adding the business already has an international client-base.

According to the website, Aleisha Fitness provides integrated lifestyle training, intense fitness training, bodybuilding preparation, figure and fitness training, sport specific programming and customized diet planning and education. “Everything is customized for each individual,” Hart said. “I (work with) girls who want to compete, to your everyday lady who just wants to get in shape and tone, and find a balanced lifestyle.”

Hart said she develops friendships with her clients, which essentially impacts their success. “I care where they get and what their goals are, and I want to able to be just as excited as them to get there.”

On top of competing, modeling and running a business, Hart is also a mother. Six-year-old Ty, is “a hockey fanatic” and “definitely has the athletic spirit in him,” his mother said. And he understands her sport, too. “He knows when I’m on-season and training, and that my nutrition plan is a little different than his.”

“He can eat whatever he wants, but I think he’s getting a pretty good understanding of the fundamentals of proper nutrition,” Deasley added.

Ty even tags along to competitions, when it’s the right environment, but “a lot of it is business, and it’s tough when I’m competing,” Hart said.

So how does she fit it all into a day? “We live by an agenda. Our books are filled right from the gym at 5:30 a.m., to appointments, diet, taking in clients, and practicing posing for my shows,” Hart said. “It’s all about finding a balance and making it happen.”

However, she said there’s still some play time built in. “We have our work but we’ve also put aside the quality family time, too, that’s just as important.”