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20 || FITNESS MAGAZINE || JULY 2015By: Kelly Price and Jason Cloningertrong, beautiful, and a natural poet and philosopher, this is Erin Stern. One does not get the poet and philosopher from her photographs and videos, but after talking with her, that part is clear. She has a natural grace and humble confidence. It is easy to see that Ms. Stern%u2019s followers are won over by her power; she has explosive power and speed. She is a two time Ms. Figure Olympia. Erin is a force, but her strength is not a %u201cListen to me!%u201d kind of power, it is a subtle, believable, empowering confidence.Erin has been athletic most of her life. Her whole family hits the gym. You can see her sister alongside her in some of her gym shots. Erin describes her sister Jessica as her twin, just three years younger. She is a surfer but has recently joined a gym. The fact is, as we get older if we do not lift weights, things start to sag. This fact may have inspired Jessica, so Erin took her through a leg and glute workout, %u201cI told her, you are okay until about 30, then gravity takes over.%u201d Erin%u2019s mom began lifting two years ago, lost about 50 pounds and can now bench close to100 pounds. Mom is hooked on the gym, and with that kind of success, it is understandable. The last member of the family, Dad, is a long time athlete. But, late last summer (2014), he was diagnosed with bladder and prostate cancer. The doctors had to make him a new bladder from his intestines and he went through chemotherapy and radiation treatments. The bladder cancer is in remission and his treatments for the prostate cancer have been successful, and it is now managed with hormone therapy. The oncologist told Erin%u2019s dad that he probably would not have had such success with his cancer treatments if had not been working out all these years. So as not to be a %u201cdowner%u201d Erin has not written about her dad%u2019s illnesses on social media. But she feels that his story is a great testament to working out and taking care of oneself so has decided it is important to tell. Plus, we all love a story with a happy ending.Part of Erin%u2019s early physical fitness was riding her beloved horse, Dreamy. The team of Erin and Dreamy began when she was eight years old. One has to assume that Dreamy was also in good shape, as he was around for 32 years. When she describes Dreamy, you can hear her love for him, %u201cHe would shake hands for treats and had the brightest, kind eyes%u201d. While Erin still rides, she has not replaced Dreamy because she does not have space.From the barn to studying Environmental Policy (EP), this seems a natural progression. Erin says she earned her degree in EP because of the influence of her mom. She describes her mom as an amateur environmentalist. She grew up with a knowledge of the land and wanted to work in an industry that would help protect the land. With a degree in EP she found there were not any jobs that paid well. She then went back to school and