Mother of 5 and Fabulous  I can't compete because: I'm too old. I'm a mother of x number of children. The sport is for younger girls with a lot of energy. These are just but few excuses in the ocean of excuses that women hide behind. But really, can you compete while a bit older?  To be honest with you, this sport is not age restrictive. Whether 40, 50, 60,……yes, you can compete. Yes, you heard me! Just like you can achieve your dreams at any age, similarly, in this sport there's always an opportunity for you to accomplish what you set out to do. It doesn't matter what age you are. You can compete at any age as long as you put your heart and mind to it.  So where do you begin? If you are 35+ and above and want to jump in the bandwagon, you can consider Bikini Masters Division. This is a division designed only for women ages 35 and older. So, if you fall into this category and are new to fitness and wondering where to begin, this is a perfect division for you. To demystify eligibility in this category, let's have a chat with Nicole Johnson who has successfully competed in this division.     Nicole Johnson is an IFBB Bikini Pro and a Coach. She is also an amazing wife and a mom to 5 precious kids. At age 41, Nichole turned pro in three months in the Masters Division. Nicole is very passionate about the sport and her goal is to compete in the Arnold.  In this episode, Nicole talks about how she became Pro in the Masters Division and exactly how you can become Pro in the same division. She also talks about the challenges she's faced being older in the sport. Additionally, she answers a very important question: Do you ever have to choose competing over your children? Without further ado, I am so excited and delighted to introduce to you IFBB Bikini Professional Nicole Johnson.   Takeaways Quiet the mind and your soul will speak If you set your mind to do something, make it happen at all cost The more and more you do it, the more comfortable you become Believe that it is possible and you can do it  Always enjoy the journey Don't live your life for other people; live it for you Sometimes prep has to take a backseat for the sake of your family  Don't put a lot of pressure on yourself to be everything and do everything Just take it day by day Focus on gratitude for what you have instead of always constantly worrying about what you don't have Make sure you have the right coach in your corner With the right people behind you and beside you, anybody can do it How you treat yourself and your body in your 20s and 30s will determine how you'll look in your 40s and 50s  Don't to be too hard on yourself Don't get super focused or sensitive to comparing yourself to others   Important questions  [00:05:26] How many years have you been competing? [00:14:56] How did you get started in fitness and what drove you to start competing? [00:17:53] Did you ever get any whiplash deciding to do Bikini when you were doing figure before? [00:21:34] What is the most absurd thing that someone ever said to you about wearing a bikini on stage? [00:23:10] How exactly do you deal with criticism and misconception about the sport?  [00:27:09] How exactly do you guys balance the spotlight in your home?  [00:29:40] How exactly did you fit in prep in your daily life?  [00:32:01] Are there any tips that you'd like to give to mothers who are trying to make it work? [00:33:39] Has there ever been a time where you actually had to choose competing over your family? [00:37:16] How do you think competing has affected your children's health?  [00:40:34] What advice would you give a woman your age that wants to compete? [00:43:44] Is there anything that a mother would need to be aware of? [00:46:35] Speaking on turning pro, how exactly do you become a Masters Pro?  [00:49:36] Do you recommend that a woman would compete in both the Masters and the Open or do you think one should just stay in the Masters category when it comes to being on the IFBB stage?  [00:51:01] What are th