December 8, 2010 — Bodybuilding.com, the Internet’s most-visited bodybuilding and fitness site and largest online retailer of nutritional supplements, and Muscle Pharm, one of the fastest growing nutritional supplement companies in the United States, have officially announced Soldier Sean Hardge and Airman Pamela Wilson as the 2010 Bodybuilding.com Military Spokesmodels.
Hundreds of contestants from various military branches battled it out for the coveted position of Bodybuilding.com’s Military Spokesmodel. Contestants pledged an online goal to motivate others with their personal success story and dedication to health and fitness. They documented their progress via Bodybuilding.com’s online social community, BodySpace.
After much deliberation by Bodybuilding.com’s Judges, individual branch winners were announced (Marines: Richard King & Amanda McGhee, Army: Sean Hardge & Chelsea Treboniak, Navy: Elijah Maine & Angie Butts, Air Force: Jason Barnshaw and Pam Wilson) with the final overall Military Spokesmodel crowns going to Sean Hardge and Pam Wilson.
A self-proclaimed Military Rat, Sean Hardge comes from a family of Army members and refused to let his hardships keep him from joining the tradition. At the age of five, Sean was burned on 75% of his body and while in the hospital recovering, caught meningitis, leaving him paralyzed for a year.
“I was not supposed to live, but once again my life was spared. At the time I viewed it as luck, but I know now that my life has a purpose. According to the doctors, I would never have complete use of my legs, left arm or back, but fortune smiled upon me. I regained the use of my limbs through the help of a blood and skin transfusion courtesy of my father, a therapist that never gave up on me, and a mother who always treated me like a child who had never been injured,” explains Sean.
The first time Sean applied for the Army he was turned down due to his childhood injuries. Being rejected only made him stronger. It was then he really started studying bodybuilding and was able to get into an alternative military branch. He was then able to reapply successfully to the Army five years later – officially following in his family’s footsteps.
“A good story isn’t worth telling unless the ending is rewarding. My life has been full of challenges, but that is no different than anyone else’s life. My story is unique because I took control of my life and started pursuing what I believed in. My journey all started with the Bodybuilding.com website, an order for about $100, and a workout plan from a friend on BodySpace.”
For more information on Sean Hardge, please see his full interview at Bodybuilding.com.
Air Force Officer, Pamela Wilson also faced setbacks in getting where she is today. She grew up on the free lunch program in Alabama, and her parents unfortunately didn’t have the time or money for her to participate in athletic programs. In college, she was able to obtain an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corp Scholarship due to her academic standing, but she first had to pass the mandatory physical fitness test. On her first test, she could only perform eight situps, zero pushups, and couldn’t complete the two mile run in under thirty minutes.
After one and half years of hard work and conditioning, Pamela finally passed the test. Even though she passed her physical fitness test, she was at first hesitant to get into weight-lifting. “My husband tried to talk to me about the benefits of weight training for years, but like most women, I was scared I would get big. I now want women to realize that lifting weights and eating clean can give you the body you have always dreamed of – not hours of cardio and low calorie dieting,” shares Pamela.
She encourages women in the military to take advantage of their base gyms and unit physical training sessions if they are available to them. “Don’t wait until your annual physical fitness test to train for it. I am a strong believer that every military member, regardless of gender, should be ‘fit to fight’ any day of the week,” Pamela explains.
While Pamela is one tough Officer, this bubbly blonde bikini competitor wants women to realize that you can feel beautiful and be in the military too. “Most people who wear combat boots daily can’t walk in 5 inch stilettos. I love wearing my hair down after work and on the weekends. I never feel like I have to be ‘one of the guys’ because diversity is something that makes our military great. I think every woman needs to find that thing that makes her feel beautiful.”
For more information on Pamela Wilson, see her full interview at Bodybuilding.com.
The Military Spokesmodels will participate in a dedicated feature on Bodybuilding.com, promotional appearances, a photo shoot with Bodybuilding.com and Muscle Pharm, and a feature in MuscleMag Magazine. Most importantly, they will be the official representatives for the strongest force in the world – the United States Military.
For more on the 2010 Bodybuilding.com Military Spokesmodel Competition, visit www.bodybuilding.com/military.