In this episode, we meet Ruth Montes, life-long athlete and primary care physician who just won her IFBB Pro card at the 2020 Masters USA Championships, even while working COVID wards and caring for her ailing mother. Her athletic career began with gymnastics , running,  and cheerleading but it took a revenge body mindset to get her into weight training and competing in the NPC 2.5 years ago   She found out that being a doctor was her calling, because she always had a passion for science. Moreover, due to some condition, her mom was frequently in the hospital. Ruth grew up finding faith in her Christianity, and all these elements made her ask herself what are we doing for others ?.    She started lifting with a revenge mentality, after having been cheated on.  Throughout the journey, her mindset evolved from revenge to doing something for herself   The owner of the vitamin store she used to go advised her to go to Ryan Bentson, who became her coach.  They had a good connection & his useful detailed feedback and coaching has made a huge difference in her athletic career.   She was competing while she was still a resident in med school.  That gave her ammunition to keep her going and strive for more. There are parallels between becoming a doctor and becoming a pro, in the extremes of the lifestyle.  She used to do boot camps and marathons before immersing into bikini competitions. Training became a fuel and a way to take time for herself. She ran a marathon 1 week prior to Governor’s cup and learned lessons about that. She was too sore and didn’t do great. A choice had to be made between running or bodybuilding.    A few times, Ruth was super close to earning her pro card. She used her coach's feedback to improve along with the support of a posing coach. Her mindset also changed. Now she feels lots of gratitude and taps into mindfulness in everything she does to make the most of it. She is a positive person and always takes lessons from her experiences.    Ruth  insists on the importance of the whole package, which is also why she changed her suit and hair color.    Ruth explains that it is important to be mindful about nutrition, especially when you’re always on the go like she is.    Ruth and Celeste discuss how she has been feeling since her pro card win and she shared how keeping a positive mental attitude focused on manifesting and never allowing negativity to rob her of happiness. She shares the importance of having a supportive community. Her boyfriend, who’s also her coach's brother, is a piece to her success, thanks to the incredible support he gives.    Ruth gives her standpoint, as a doctor, regarding health and bodybuilding. recommending to think ahead, consider the side effects as well as the importance of fertility to you. What risks are you willing to take ? Using is not necessarily inherently bad, but you have to take informed decisions, with health at the forefront.   Ruth’s best advice would be to listen to podcasts! Podcasts give us a great insight and we can always learn from others. Find people who you connect with to tune into this lifestyle and of course, never give up.    Connect with Dr. Ruth ​on IG :https://www.instagram.com/ifbb_pro_drruth/   Connect with Celeste:  https://instagram.com/celestial_fit www.celestial.fit   EPISODE TIME STAMPS   2’18 : Ruth shares her pre stage ritual. She uses breathwork and prays 3’13 : Ruth explains what a « normal » day is for her, which is very busy. She starts with fasted cardio, then breakfast, consisting in spinach egg whites, oats, almonds Then goes to work. After work she goes to the gym. Then ends with groceries and diner.  6’42 : She learned lessons from practicing lots of sports besides bodybuilding, especially one week prior to competition.  Ruth shares how she’s dealt with that and how now she recovers.  10'47 : Ruth’s « why » has evolved, from a « revenge body » mindset, to « I wanna do this for myself ».  13’30 : Ruth explains how she started with her coac