BIKINI: Ashley Kaltwasser
Accomplishment: Team Universe Overall and Class D winner
Age 23
Height 5’5
Weight 123
Residence Akron, Ohio
Contest history/highlights2012: Arnold Amateur 1st Class D and Overall; Jr. USA 7th Class D; 2011: Elite Physique 1st Class B and Overall; Natural Northern USA 1st Class C and Overall; Nationals 7th Class D
A GOOD FIT “I’ve been extremely competitive my whole life. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t in a sport. I started off with gymnastics, then picked up track and cross country in high school. I was All-Ohio in both cross country and track, then continued on with track at a Division I college running hurdles. After college I was looking for another sport to compete in, and that’s when I found out about physique sports. I found out about bikini and thought ‘Hey, that would be good for me.’”
ON TRACK “Track definitely gave me a good base because I didn’t have to start from scratch. I had the muscle and kind of had an idea of how to eat right. I was never really out of shape, so that kind of prepared me. Also that sense of being competitive and knowing what a hard workout is like.”
LIVE AND LEARN “I might have been a little too lean for the USAs, but I think the biggest difference was probably my posing. One of my downfalls is I get nervous – I get the jitters and kind of forget what to do sometimes. It’s something I’m getting better with just being on stage more, and not forgetting everything you were taught.”
SAGE ADVICE “My advice to new competitors is just do your research. Don’t jump in if you’re not ready. Make sure you have a good coach, a good suit – every every little detail counts, expecially in big competitions where everybody looks good.”
AWESOME ARNOLD “Competing in the [Bikini International] is going to be awesome. I have an automatic invite because of my win last year. The Arnold is such a great crowd, it’s my home state – everyone around here knows what the Arnold is whether they are a bodybuilder or not. It’s going to be interesting, and no matter what I’ll have fun with it. I’m just going to try my best and hope for the best.”
