Oxygen Magazine

Hill Tri-umphs in Vegas
By Chief Editor: Nancy LePatourel

As I stepped off the plane into the desert heat, one thing went through my mind – how are the girls going to race in this weather? But as anyone knows who has ever known a fitness competitor can attest, it takes more than strong rays to hold back a true athlete. After all, most of the 144 competitors have gone for months without indulging in sweets or staying out past their bedtime. All have closely monitored their diets and spent countless hours in the gym. A little heat seems like a small obstacle in comparison. But it would be two days before the competitors would have to brave the sun. A more immediate challenge would be avoiding the pitfalls of Las Vegas buffets in order to stay lean for the physique round.

In true fitness style, the event kicked off a few hours after its schedule time of 9:00 a.m. Friday morning. Luckily, I had made a pit stop at Starbucks on the way to the auditorium. The caffeine jolt was just what I needed to keep me alert as technicians struggled to put the stage together. After two-and-a-half hours, a double latte and a chat with my fellow judges (including this month’s cover girl, Brandy Flores) it was time to take my seat. The show, with 12 different age and height categories to critique, was about to start.

Once all the girls had made their way to the stage, the results of the physique rounds were tallied. And for the first time, I actually agreed with all of the final results. In fifth place, was A-Team-Xtreme leader Mocha Lee. When you pair her six-pack abs with great symmetry, there’s not way she could have missed out on the winner’s circle. Next up was California girl Sarah Orbanic. A mainstream look, with just enough muscle – great overall package. Third went to Danielle Edwards, whose stage presence is always top-notch. With a smile that never leaves her face, grace and a keen eye for fashion, Danielle had mastered the pageantry aspect of the show. Barely missing gold was Cynthia Hill. With great symmetry, abs that pop and arguably the best butt in the business, the west coast native is always a crowd favorite. But when it came time to crown the queen, it was a Canadian that proved to heave the best body. Sylvia Ferror, who has recently relocated to Florida, came to the July 2001 show in the best shape of her life. She’s definitely a gal to watch in the future.

After a quick lunch break, it was time for the fitness routines. Themes reanged from Michael Jackson and Marylyn Monroe, to the most popular of the day – Moulin Rouge. After everyone had sashayed and flipped across the stage, it was Debbie Sizemore, who landed in fifth and Sybil Scheffer in fourth. Next up was Sandra Augustin, followed by Cynthia Hill, who once again narrowly missed the top spot. That went to Gina Oakes, moving up from her fourth place finish at lasts year’s event.

By Saturday, it was time to face the sun. After four hours of sitting in an unsheltered field, I was waiting for one of the girls to drop from heat exhaustion. Luckily, a few local firefighters volunteered to spray off the gals and keep them cool. After all of the girls had done two rounds through the course, it was Colette Roberts (who clocked in at 55.67 seconds) who took fifth. Next was crowd favorite to win, and former Galaxy champ, Mocha Lee with a time of 55.29 seconds. In third was Tonia D’Anna with 54.57, followed by Gina Oakes with 54.34. But when it came time to crown the course victor, there was no question who it would be. With a time of 49.74 seconds, A-Team-Xtreme member Shanay Norvell literally left her competitors in the dust.

After all of these, you’d think the girls would be spent. But no, there was one remaining event – fitness skills. Competitors were tested on bench press, shuttle run and box jumps to see who’s in the best overall condition. LeAnn Jobin took fifth, followed by Canadian Janice Pare. In third was Jennifer Mills, with another Canuck, Trista Bernier, in second. But top skill honors went to Tammy Lynn from Cleveland Ohio.

By Saturday, all that was left was a lengthy awards ceremony that, in typical Las Vegas tradition, even had a wedding ceremony. In the end, it was Cynthia Hill that was crowned overall champ. No shocker, she was thrilled by the win. “I feel very blessed in winning the tri-fitness," she says. “It was by far one of the most challenging competitions I have ever done.”