Turning Disappointment into Inspiration - Made Fit TV - Ep 91

March 30th, 2010 | | Email This Post Email This Post |

84 days, 140 hours of training, 8lbs of protein powder, 70 gallons of water, frequent mood swings, dozens of “no, thank you’s” to food…. it all comes down to just 5 minutes on a stage in front of four strangers who will tell you if you are good enough or not.  Sound like fun?  That’s the sport of figure for you!

But that is the beauty of any sport - it takes extreme measures to make the end reward that much more sweet.  But what happens when the end result is the last thing you expected?  When the end result basically makes all of your work, sacrifice, and perseverance look like it was all for naught? I’ll tell you what happens - you keep going!

In this week’s Made Fit TV episode, I experience first-hand one of the biggest disappointments of my journey as a competitive figure athlete.  In my quest to achieve a qualifying spot for a national competition, I fall short.  As a result, I am forced to face the reality that although my goal was not reached, maybe the experience of the journey and how I handled the disappointment was the goal that really mattered all along.

I just want to say thank you to all the fans of Made Fit TV who give me support and strength. Without you, the day would have felt very lonely. Knowing that I can come back to you guys every Wednesday and Saturday morning is what keeps me going!

Keep pushing. Don’t stop. Never give up. In the great words of John Locke: “Don’t tell me what I can’t do!”

~Jenny DiDonato

Thank you to the talented people who gave a special touch to my competition day!

Elizabeth Henderson (Makeup Artist/Hair Stylist)

http://www.facebook.com/elizabeth8881

Bryan Francis (Photographer)

www.francisphotography.zenfolio.com

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  • kewlbin
    hey jenny..u r a winner..u tried it ..u didnt get it..the chace will come again.this is not the end..it starts now.nway u r above this compition
    here we all want to be like u.u got a body that any one can look for..for all u r an true inspiration...for me any day u are a true winner..who stays fit..want to see everybody fit..

    love u jenny
  • SlowlySexy
    "Jenny, Jenny, who can I turn to..." Haha, sorry, but that old Tommy TwoTone line just keeps going through my mind whenever I think of how much your podcasts are helping me to become the woman I know I can be. You're SUCH an inspiration, because you are so REAL! Not like these Barbie-doll types who usually teach fitness...you're right there with us, and sometimes you're in pain right along with us - so we KNOW you're not faking perfection and just looking down on us slobs. ;-) You're cool, you're funny and you've got more personality in your pinky toe than those others on that stage had in their whole bodies. So you didn't win? You're ALWAYS a winner with US, babe!!!

    Thanks for all you do, but most of all, thanks for being YOU!!!

    ~April S.
  • Love that song! ; ) I have to say, taking a hit once in a while can be the best thing for you because it tests you and makes you stronger and changes your outlook on things. Thank you for your support - but you are NOT slobs! We all have goals and obstacles to overcome, and as long as you keep pushing, you win : )
  • SlowlySexy
    On a side-note, I selected to post to Facebook, but nothing happened. Anyone else having problems with this?
  • I'll have to have Chris look into that, thanks for the heads up
  • Rachel
    You look so freakin gorgeous!! Your hair looks awesome, and of course your body looks amazing. Thanks for working so hard on MadeFitTV!!! You rock, Jenny!
  • Thank you : ) You have to fall sometimes to get back up and push harder. I love what I do with Made Fit TV and am so appreciative for every one of my viewers!
  • jay
    So sorry you didnt win Jenny but if everyone won all the time it would bring down the achievement of the competition now you can train even harder and really push yourself and when you go back next year and win it you will be over the moon! Who are the judges? I bet its a bunch of fat old guys lol I have never heard you swear before either! Next time let me know and i will get a flight over there to take out your dises :) keep your chin up hunny xxxx
  • Thank you, Jay! I am actually using this downfall to push harder for another show in a month, so we'll see how it goes. At least I will be a little more prepared for a possible "fail" again, LOL! And, yes, I do tend to have somewhat of a mouth on me when I get annoyed enough : ) LOL Thank you for your support, viewership and feedback!
  • Boxer702
    Great video. Did you talk to the judges after jen? What did they say?
  • Hi Boxer, thanks for your support! I actually got a lot of feedback from people in the biz, which left me confident for the next show. I did get a little screwed, but I'm not too proud to say that I need to make some minor adjustments as well to come back stronger for my next show. It's all a learning experience that helps you grow and get better : )
  • I love love love this episode. Thank you Jenny for putting the good and the BAD out there. Your physique looked great. Take that to Ohio and you'll do much better there. I completely disagree with your placement. Definitely top 5. I too love the LOST reference lol.
  • Lucy
    I like the reference to John Locke :) You are an inspiration to everyone Jenny!!!
  • Thank you, Lucy! I appreciate your support : )
  • tstrong
    You are an inspiration, in that you are so humble and positive; and I am grateful that you do share with us your ups and your downs, it makes us feel normal and makes us continue with our goals. I am disappointed too that you didn't place, but like you said, no matter what happens, we just keep going! Thank you.
  • I love sharing my experiences with all of you - but the even more incredible thing is the fact that you all even care! I appreciate your support and just hope that ALL of us can support each other in our personal goals and obstacles we encounter along the way. Keep pushing!
  • jle27
    What were those judges thinking? You looked amazing! More amazing than any of those other girls.
  • It was a crazy show, but there way a lot of good competition up there. It just makes me push harder next time around : ) The sport is subjective, so you just have to be your best and then let the chips fall where they may n show day.
  • Wow, you look absolutely hot!! I never realized how tiny you are! So cute! I love your arms! I want arms like that too!!! :D
    And thank you so much! You really do motivate me all the time! You're making me believe I actually can change my body and that it's possible that I can look better than I ever did before! Thank you so much for that! I love your videos and I really appreciate all the work and effort and dedication you put into them! Also the live chats -> it's so awesome to have someone I can ask all my questions and even if they're stupid and I realize that afterwards, you still answer them patiently with a smile on your face! That's just huge! And I want you to know that it's much appreciated!! You and Chris are awesome!!
    And you're absolutely right: never give up on your dreams, no matter why you're doing it! if it's what you really want, never give up! it's a long road to success and it's hard sometimes! very hard! but once you realize how hard it actually is, it becomes not that hard anymore... ;)

    Love, Gabriela*
  • Thank you so much for your continued support for Made Fit TV and for me! It was a tough day and I felt sooooo bad when I got off stage because even though people did not see it when I was up on stage, I knew coming off that I did bad. I also felt bad that I could not be there for everyone online because I was in such shock and had to collect myself for a moment. It is all a learning experience and I have learned a great deal the past two weeks in how to look at the sport and how to alter my mindset. I plan on getting back out there in 4 weeks. The best thing about what I do is being able to connect with all of you amazing people on here. Your questions are FAR from stupid! They are real life concerns that connect all of us as people dealing with the same obstacles! What could be better than having a place to relate and communicate with people who care and understand? XO
  • Be1eza
    Hi Jenny. First I want to say that you hands down had the best package and all around physique on that stage. Your posture was the best and most natural looking also. I think maybe your suit didn't quite do you justice or something or maybe the judges needed glasses because your glutes looked the tightest and highest! That is the hardest part! I hope to get my physique to look anywhere near yours this year. I have been eating clean since Jan 1st and lost 10 lbs of fat. The last two weeks I did a competition diet to get more muscle definition to see what I am working with and I admire what you went through for 12 weeks, it isn't easy at all. I had a lot of tummy aches. I now am going to focus on building muscle as I am tall and skinnyish and would love to see tips on that. Most of the things these days incorporate plyometrics, but I think that won't help me put on muscle. I also have got to get rid of the cheese under my butt! Anyway, enough about me, you look amazing, and I hope to be able to get to that point this year. I have nothing but respect for you and your hard work. I have no doubt that the world is going to see more of you. Thanks for putting on this show. I look forward to it every week.
  • Thank you for your support! It is a very subjective sport with unexpected twists and turns - but so are all things that require intense training an dedication. As long as you stay true to yourself and truly do your best and be accountable to you, you will succeed. Hang in there with your training and keep mixing it up and follow the diet. In the end, it will be a huge victory no matter what you place : ) All the best to you!! Thank you!
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