Born in the Boston area of Massachusetts (New Bedford MA) Laura Coleman grew up with three older brothers while being reared by a single mom. Although this Portuguese West-African beauty possessed natural physical athleticism, she was unable to partake in any school sports due to caring for her mother. Laura’s mother had frequent bouts with various health issues and she was not about to let her mom go through it alone. Instead of expending her time and energy in extracurricular activities, Laura worked several jobs while maintaining honor roll status to pave her way to future success. For many years she studied hard, worked hard, took care of her mother, and yet still found enough time to take care of her health with hardcore gym training and miles-upon-miles of inline skating for cardio.Getting straight A’s and being the best in PE class wasn’t enough for Laura, as she was always fully aware of her physical talents. Knowing is one thing, but converting the notion into a reality is quite another. Laura’s biggest obstacle was having enough time to devote to her training so that she could fully express her physical beauty. While most would probably give up, Laura willed a way. At the age of thirteen, Laura found enjoyment in exercising at home while watching Baywatch, which in turn inspired her to go rollerblading outdoors for hours. Rollerblading became as much an integral part of her daily schedule as studying. She didn’t think about it … she did it routinely because she loved it and knew that it would keep her in phenomenal shape. As soon as she received her license, Laura joined the local YMCA and eventually got a job there working as the free-weight room supervisor. The job was extremely rewarding as it gave her the necessary tools to learn more about exercising properly for efficient and effective health and wellness. By the time she graduated with an Associates Degree from Bristol Community College, Laura had her mind made up about where she wanted to be. With Baywatch on her mind and the dream of becoming a Tinsel-town beauty in her heart, Laura accepted an academic scholarship to Mount Saint Mary’s College and bolted to Los Angeles, CA. Moving away from the comforts of home is tough enough, but Laura knew what she wanted for herself and literally trekked coast-to-coast to make her dreams come true. Once she got settled, Laura wasted no time networking diligently to start her career as a fitness model.As life in her new world set in, Laura became a regular at the Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach, CA, which is also known as the “Mecca†of bodybuilding and fitness. By the time Laura reached her last semester in school, she found herself training for her first fitness competition. At the urging of a good friend, Laura selected the NPC Junior California, which is annually promoted by a well-known bodybuilding reporter/historian Lonnie Teper. Despite a lot of negative criticism from individuals in the bodybuilding/fitness industry (AKA “Hatersâ€) Laura trained herself and competed. Many stated that she was not “show ready.†However, at the end of the competition day, Laura walked away with the 2005 NPC Junior California Collegiate Overall Trophy, and a Class F first place trophy in the Open Division.Laura found more than just a championship at the culmination of her first pre-contest diet and preparation. She realized that it was therapeutic in helping her deal with a problem that has haunted her most of her life … lack of self-esteem. One month later she rode her winning momentum into yet another competition, the 2005 NPC Los Angeles Figure Championships. In terms of competitiveness, the NPC Los Angeles Open is a much larger beast to overcome. With the tenacity of a warrior and the swagger of a winner, Laura plowed into her first taste of West Coast talent and placed 4th in Class F. The story does not end there as Laura returned to the NPC LA Championships in 2007 after taking a break to settle into a post-graduate career to avenge her loss. The competition was no less fierce as the last, but the outcome was far more favorable as Laura captured her first “real†championship by besting the efforts of 18 other formidable fitness beauties.Although she was elated at having qualified for national level competitions, Laura decided to focus on a more important issue, her livelihood. She was employed with Coldwell Banker Previews and there were daily reports that the economy was beginning to slow. Unfortunately the reports proved to be an omen and Laura along with countless others were given their “pink-slips.†Being the proactive person that her mother raised her to be, Laura left Coldwell Banker Previews with a great sense of urgency and began working freelance in marketing. Today, Laura continues to work in freelance marketing, which keeps her schedule busy with modeling and writing assignments. Her writing topics range from the physical (training and nutrition) to spiritual enlightenment (self-respect and motivation). In retrospect, the layoff proved to be a blessing in disguise as Laura is now at peace doing what she loves best … educating others about health & wellness, and being a positive influence for others.
Profile courtesy of MySpace Layouts
