Feature/interview I wrote on Ms Australasian Fitness for the August/September 2008 issue of New Zealand Fitness.

1. Ms Australasian Fitness,
yet again!
Not only did she become the first Kiwi
I
to win the title of Ms Australasian t is no surprise Amanda, 31, has won the Ms Australasian
Fitness title for her second year running. She definitely put in a
Fitness last year, Amanda Foubister lot of hard work towards successfully defending the title. The
competition for the event was tough and on the day, three of the
has also won the title again this year! top girls who had competed against Amanda last year pulled out at
SARAH WEEKS meets up with the last minute. While this obviously increased Amanda's chances
of winning, she was very disappointed about the decision, saying:
one very dedicated fitness champion. "You train to be the best, therefore you want to compete against
the best."
Back home she is now focusing on training for the New Zealand
Federation of Body Building (NZFBB) South Island Championships in
Christchurch in October and the NZFBB National Championships in
Wellington in November.
One of the major changes for Amanda this year has been her
decision to move from Auckland to Christchurch where she shares a
flat with a friend. Another major change is that she no longer does
stunt work for film and television. Originally from Gisborne and
basing herself in Auckland up until last year, Amanda made the move
to Christchurch, after experiencing the lifestyle down there while
doing stunt work for the film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the
Witch and the Wardrobe.
"I really enjoyed the slow pace of the city, compared to
Auckland."
I'm surprised at Amanda's decision to give up stunt work, so ask
her why and how this came about?
"Stunt work involves long hours and it's quite hard on your body.
I'm getting to the age where my body can't easily repair itself after
injuries. I really enjoy working with people one-on-one, so personal
training was the way to go for me."
Amanda now works for EAS as national sales representative and
also gets involved in client product training. In addition she works as
a part-time personal trainer. She makes use of her lunchtime breaks
by training towards major fitness bodybuilding competitions.
There are a few success stories coming out of Amanda's work
in personal training, including two of her clients who have lost an
amazing 52kg between them and are now looking at competing in the
NZFBB South Island Championships at the end of this year. Amanda
helps them by giving nutritional advice and they are currently training
with her towards the event.
"Seeing the changes in them after weight loss is amazing. When
you lose a lot of weight, your whole persona changes. They're
definitely a lot more confident now."
Amanda's training regime includes American-style gymnastics
"I like to push myself to the limit," says Amanda Foubister.
y
t
10 New Zealand Fitness, August / September 2008

2. Amanda Foubister – two times winner
of the Ms Australasian Fitness title.
New Zealand Fitness, August / September 2008 11
New Zealand Fitness, August / September 2008 11

3. (with a cheerleading focus) twice a week. This helps Amanda for her Canterbury. This is because she has to fit in her training schedule
performance during the routine round in fitness competitions. with training partner Jaimie Callagham, who will be competing at the
Although fitness and figure competition bears a close resemblance to National Amateur Body Building Association (NABBA) Nelson Bays
female bodybuilding, there is significantly less emphasis on muscle size. Championships in November, along with Mr Universe Mark Anderson.
Fitness and figure are two distinct forms of competition. However, the Each of her training sessions focuses on different muscle groups
physique guidelines are similar, and many women cross over from one - back, chest, shoulders, legs and arms.
to the other. Amanda started off competing in figure, but made the Pro-Fitness results based trainer Mike Debenham has been
move to fitness three years ago. coaching Amanda since October last year, when she first moved to
Fitness competition consists of a swimsuit round and a routine round. Christchurch. He organises a strict healthy diet for Amanda, which
In the swimsuit round, the competitors wear two-piece swimsuits with involves high-protein, carbohydrates at breakfast and lunchtime with
high heels and present their physiques with a series of quarter or half fibrous vegetables and salad. She also takes supplements such as EAS
turns. The routine round requires a performance including aerobics, protein powder and Body Armour, which helps build muscle and assists
dance or gymnastics. Figure competition is a newer division of fitness with recovery. EAS are major sponsors for Amanda and she also works
that excludes the fitness routine. The competitors are judged solely on closely with them as a sales representative, visiting schools and running
symmetry and muscle tone. seminars to educate people on the benefits on EAS products. She is
"You've got to be lean and do a two-minute routine which also their national spokesperson in New Zealand.
demonstrates flexibility, power and strength." "I believe fitness is really important. Fitness is a lifestyle that can be
Amanda also does weight training for one hour each day, five times a incorporated into anyone's life, no matter how busy they are."
week. She splits herself between two gyms, Platinum Sport and Fitness After the National Championships, Amanda will be focusing on
"Fitness is a lifestyle that can be
incorporated into any one's life,
no matter how busy they are."
12 New Zealand Fitness, August / September 2008
New Zealand Fitness, August / September 2008

4. Amanda's long-term goal
is to eventually compete
on the Ms Olympia stage.
training towards her first International Federation of BodyBuilders
(IFBB) World Women Championships in September 2009. But
she will have to win the National Championships to qualify for this
international event.
"I'm pretty confident about the National Champs. I'm putting in
all the hard work but it all depends on the day - you never know what
could happen. You just have to prepare yourself."
Her support network within the fitness industry is great. Husband
and wife team Mark and Jo Stewart are keen supporters of Amanda.
Mark is NZFBB president and Jo recently won Masters at the World
Championships.
"Jo's a real inspiration for me!"
"You get a quick buzz from
performing on stage at
competitions, but what
I really love to do is
challenge my body during
training sessions."
Amanda's long-term goal is to eventually compete on the Ms Olympia
stage, something she would like to achieve by 2010 or 2011. While her
personal goal is to grow as a person through personal training and to
help others achieve their own fitness goals.
"What I love most about bodybuilding is the training. You get a
quick buzz from performing on stage at competitions, but what I really
love to do is challenge my body during training sessions."
Amanda says her biggest strength is her competitiveness. "I like to
push myself to the limit." But when it comes to organising her food
plan each day, she says she'd like to improve on this, something she is
working on with Mike's help.
Her advice to others hoping to get into bodybuilding themselves is
to start off slowly.
"If you haven't been to the gym before, start off slowly with
consistency and start building your exercise routine up. For some
people it can seem quite overwhelming to completely change your
whole lifestyle. The key is to make it a routine and then build it up
when you get used to it to make it more challenging."
Amanda is one dedicated lady and in the year ahead all indications
are she will win the Ms Australasian Fitness title for the third year
in a row,
New Zealand Fitness, August / September 2008 13