Page 82 - Demo

82 || FITNESS MAGAZINE || AUGUST 2015part in and would stay after school doing all types of athletics, basketball, volleyball, etc. I just loved all sports. I also studied sports at school and in college. Growing up I was a trampolinist. I was always great at gymnastics, but when I decided to join as a professional I was in my teens, which is a little late to start up so I joined a trampolining school instead which suited my height and body type. I started by representing my school, and then I was offered to represent my country in trampolining.FMM: What is your background/where are you from? LG: I%u2019m English and from North England. I moved to London at 18 to become a professional model and after 14 years I am still happy to live in one of the best cites in the world.FMM: What was the most unique shoot you have ever done? LG: When I won model of the year with Playboy, the team flew into London to shoot my Playboy cover. The cover was shot high up in an apartment with big windows overlooking the iconic London landmarks like the London Eye, Big Ben and the River Thames. I%u2019m the first model outside USA to win and I suddenly felt very proud to be British and honoured to be shooting with one of the most established magazines in the world. Another brilliant shoot was when I shot for Nike when the FIFA World Cup was about to start; I was modeling the new England kit (shirt) and I modeled in front of the Tower Bridge in London. It%u2019s one of my favorite places in the world so I really found it not only unique but felt at both these times that I had made it in both my glamour and fitness careers!FMM: Do you have any advice for aspiring models or Bikini competitors?LG: I always say to new people interested in breaking into modeling to go and compete. How I got started was I competed in beauty pageants, modeling comps, and bikini contests to get seen. I%u2019m now competing in fitness and body building FMM: Why did you change from glamour modeling to fitness modeling?LG: I was a glamour model for 10 years. I started on %u201cPage 3%u201d and worked my way up to winning model of the year with Playboy and living in Hollywood. I modeled for some of the biggest companies in lingerie, swimwear and sportswear. I have been on the cover of glamour magazines around the world, FHM, Maxim, Playboy and inside edition with Esquire, Stuff, GQ and more. I went on to win many different beauty, bikini and modeling contests. So I had ticked all the boxes in that decade that I could. Why I turned to the Health and Fitness Industry: A few years ago I almost died of Septicaemia (blood poisoning). I was going through a divorce, and was moving to London from LA. I was suffering from depression at the time and had had my breast implants removed three months earlier, but I kept getting infections. I contracted Septicaemia and was rushed to the hospital where I had cardiac arrest. I was kept in for three weeks, and it was one of the scariest times of my life. When I came out of the hospital, I did everything in my power to get as healthy as I could. I adapted to a healthy lifestyle and joined a gym and started eating all the super foods and educating myself on a healthy lifestyle. I soon decided to study clinical nutrition and wanted to become a personal trainer. My health scare certainly changed my life for the better. It put my life in perspective and put me on the right path. It%u2019s then when I found my niche and purpose in life. I%u2019m now helping others with their health and fitness and encouraging others to live a healthy and more positive lifestyle. I%u2019m also a personal trainer and clinical nutritionist. I do life coaching because I want to help with all aspects of people%u2019s lives. As a bonus to going to the gym every day and eating clean, I have become a successful fitness model. I now compete at fitness shows as a personal goal I set for myself. FMM: Did you play any sports as a kid? LG: I%u2019ve always been competitive. I was a great athlete in school, always winning everything I took >>>