For those who don’t know Jane Awad personally they may assume she is a proverbial glutton for punishment based on her enthusiasm for accepting supreme challenges. Originally from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Awad was an all-around athlete growing up. The 5-7, 128-pound Awad ran – and finished – the 2002 New York Marathon before the entering the world of figure competitions. In rapid fashion Awad streaked to the IFBB pro level after just three amateur contests that included an overall victory at the 2004 IFBB North American Figure Championships.

But it was in 2005 that Awad proved her resilience as a figure contestant when she entered no less than seven contests over the course of the year - dieting steadily for ten months. The effort paid off by mid-year with a third-place finish at the Toronto Pro; fifth at the Europa Super Show, and first at the IFBB North American Pro qualifying her for the Ms. Olympia where she finished 16th.

This year Awad hopes to improve on the seventh-place Ms. International finish of 2004 where she made her pro debut, and more firmly establish herself as a top pro figure competitor. Jane also holds two Bachelor’s degrees - in arts and education - from Marist College and the University of Waterloo.

In most cases, the term ‘legendary’ is saved for those individuals who - upon retirement - have left a lasting mark on the sport in which they took part. But few who follow fitness and figure competitions would hesitate to lend that moniker to Monica Brant-Peckham regardless of her current active status. Put simply, there is no more recognizable personality in the fitness/figure industry where she has appeared on well over 100 magazine covers worldwide.

A veteran of fitness contests since 1991, Brant-Peckham was the winner of the 1995 Jan Tana Classic, before adding the coveted Ms. Olympia Fitness crown in 1998. In all she competed in five Ms. Olympia events as a fitness contestant. Monica has continued to maintain her popularity with fans in the sport regardless of her switch to figure contests in 2003. A frequent entrant at the Ms. International, Brant-Peckham has been a runner-up in 1997 and ’98 as a fitness contestant, and a runner-up again in 2003 in figure. Monica has finished third at the past two Ms. International Figure contests, but remains determined to compete strongly for the top spot.

In 2005 Brant Peckham competed four times finishing second at the Ms. International and San Francisco Pro, along with a pair of third-place finishes at the Sacramento Pro and Ms. Olympia. This will be Monica’s fourth invite to the Ms. International as a figure competitor

More than one astute observer of fitness and figure competitions has made a pointed comment regarding Gina Camacho’s striking physical resemblance to former fitness Ms. Olympia and Ms. International winner Susie Curry, and this legal secretary from northern California is anxious to aspire to Curry’s past successes.

A former overall winner at the 2003 NPC California Figure Championships, Camacho turned pro when she won her class at the 2004 NPC Figure Nationals. Competing as a pro in 2005, Camacho placed sixth at the San Francisco Pro, eighth at the California Pro, and fifth in the very competitive Sacramento Pro Championships. Her entry at this year’s Ms. International is the first of what Gina hopes will be many invitations to this prestigious event.

Prior to a pair of fourth place finishes at the 2004 NPC Team Universe and IFBB North American Championships, Michelle Flake was strongly considering leaving figure competitions, having struggled with some forgettable placements at contests where she had clearly been overlooked. We are all fortunate she didn’t follow through on those thoughts, as the 2005 season saw her not only win her class at the NPC Junior Nationals, but move on to the NPC USA and win her class and the overall crown – qualifying her for IFBB pro status. Clearly, that’s a long way from quitting the sport completely. Just a week after her big USA victory, Flake made her pro debut at the New York Pro Figure Championships placing fifth in a surprisingly competitive field that included the reigning Ms. Olympia Figure champion and eventual New York winner Davana Medina. Flake’s strong placing quickly established her as one of the top pros in the Figure division. Excited that she has been invited to the 2006 Ms. International, Michelle will be taking part in one of this event’s largest and most competitive fields ever.

Canadian Elaine Goodlad has established herself as a historical trivia figure within the sport of Figure by not only becoming Canada’s first Figure contestant to reach the IFBB pro ranks, but she also happened to be the first competitor to step on stage – as contestant number 1 - at the first-ever IFBB pro figure contest - the 2003 Ms. International. Since that event, where she finished sixth overall, the striking Goodlad has been one of the sport’s most enthusiastic entrants competing often each year and placing among the top finishers at every event. Winning the 2002 NPC Emerald Cup to launch her competitive efforts as an amateur, Goodlad will be entering her fourth successive Ms. International this year at the pro level. In addition, Elaine earned her first and only pro level victory in 2004 taking the California Pro Figure crown, while finishing eighth at the Ms. Olympia the same year. In 2005 Goodlad continued playing ‘crazy eights’ placing eighth at both the Ms. International and the Charlotte Pro Figure Championships. Now past 40, Elaine Goodlad stands as a glowing example of how women can preserve their youth with sound training and dietary habits.

As one of the most diminutive contestants at the pro level, Monica Guerra uses a beautifully balanced overall structure to help keep her competitive at high level events. Beginning her competitive efforts in 2001, Monica turned pro after winning the overall title at the 2003 NPC Junior Nationals. Later that year she entered her first pro contest placing sixth at the New York Pro Figure Championships. Guerra competed just once in 2004 at the Ms. International, but has been busy taking the stage a total of six times in 2005. In back-to-back contests Guerra placed third at the Europa Super Show and Tournament of Champions qualifying her for the Ms. Olympia where she placed 10th. The 2006 Ms. International will be her second visit to Columbus and she is looking to improve on her 12th place finish in 2004.

With an impressive list of figure competitions dating back to 2001 on her resume, Floridian Danielle Hollenshade struck gold in 2005 with an overall victory at the NPC National Figure Championships. The win qualified her for IFBB pro status after competing in several national-level amateur events over the past four years. Danielle will be making her pro debut at the 2006 Ms. International.

This Southern Belle has experienced a meteoric rise in the ranks of Figure contests since winning her class and overall titles at the 2004 NPC Team Universe combined with a runner-up tall class finish at the NPC National Figure Championships qualifying her for the IFBB pro division. Lado made her pro debut a successful one at the 2005 Ms. International placing third in an outstanding field. Following that she continued her high-profile finishes with back-to-back victories at the Pittsburgh Pro and California Pro Figure Championships. She culminated her first season as a pro with a solid fifth-place finish at the Ms. Olympia. Entering her second Ms. International, this striking 27-year-old is once again working towards another top placing during the Arnold Classic weekend.

Born in Uppsala, Sweden, Anna Larsson has possessed a keen interesting in rock climbing and mountaineering most of her life, having climbed in the likes of Yosemite, Joshua Tree and the Eastern Sierras. These days, the mountains she climbs are more related to figure competitions at the highest level, and in 2005 she reached the pinnacle of the sport - the Ms. Olympia - in rapid fashion. Beginning in 2004 with a victory at the Orange County Classic, Anna gained valuable international experience competing at the IFBB World Amateur Championships the same year. In 2005 she added an overall victory at the NPC Emerald Cup and was granted pro status by the Swedish Federation of the IFBB. With just two opportunities to qualify for the Ms. Olympia, Anna placed fourth at the Tournament of Champions and was on her way to the Ms. Olympia where she placed 16th. This is Larsson’s first invitation to the Ms. International and she is proud to represent Sweden as her country’s first pro Figure competitor.

In addition to her expertise as a pro Figure competitor, Larsson was also a Swedish champion in Tae Kwon Do, and was the cast member known as ‘Blade’ in the Swedish version of the American Gladiator television show.

As a bodybuilder who made the transition to figure contests while still an amateur, Canadian Debbie Leung did so in seamless fashion using her diminutive, well-balanced structure and excellent level of physical conditioning. A Canadian lightweight bodybuilding champion in 2002, Leung wasted little time in switching to figure taking the short class Canadian figure title just eight months later in 2003. By 2004 she had won the short class and overall Canadian Figure crown qualifying her for the IFBB pro ranks. Now ready to accept her first invitation to the Ms. International in 2006, Leung capped a busy 2005 competitive season - where she took part in five contests - finishing second at the Toronto Pro Figure Championships and competing in her first Ms. Olympia where she placed 16th.

Originally entering the IFBB pro ranks as a fitness competitor after winning the overall NPC USA Fitness crown in 2001, Jenny made the switch to Figure contests in 2003 with resoundingly successful results. Not only did she win the inaugural Ms. International to go with wins at the Pittsburgh Pro and GNC Show of Strength events, she also placed second at the Night of Champions, and third at the first-ever Ms. Olympia Figure.

The 2004 season brought even more success with a runner-up finish at the Ms. Olympia to go with victories at the Ms. International and GNC Show of Strength. In 2005 Lynn added a third straight Ms. International victory along with wins at the San Francisco Pro, Sacramento Pro and another bridesmaid finish at the Ms. Olympia. Now recognized as one of the sport’s best, Jenny will attempt to keep her perfect Ms. International record in tact by adding a fourth consecutive crown in 2006.

Before she had ever set foot on stage at a Figure contest, Ali Metkovich was firmly established as one of America’s finest track & field athletes achieving All-American status as a heptathlete in her collegiate days at the University of Nevada/Reno, while also competing at the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Track & Field Trials. In 1994-95 Ali was also selected ‘Female Athlete of the Year’ in the Big West conference. And as if all those accomplishments weren’t enough, she was also named to the 2000 United States Women’s Bobsled team. Now, she brings that notable athleticism to the Figure stage with a matching competitiveness that makes her a solid performer who has moved from the amateur to pro ranks. After winning her class at the 2005 NPC National Figure Championships in New York to qualify for IFBB pro status, Ali has been invited to the 2006 Ms. International to make her debut at the pro level – a move that fits nicely with the elite level she has achieved in all her past athletic endeavors.

New to the competitive figure scene, Tammy Pies got her start winning the overall title at the 2004 NPC Ohio Figure Championships. A year later Pies won the overall NPC Pittsburgh, and followed up that victory with a height class win at the NPC Junior Nationals where she qualified for IFBB pro status. Competing twice as a pro in 2005, Pies finished eighth at the New York Pro and seventh at the North American Pro Figure Championships respectively. Tammy is competing in her first Ms. International this year.

Short in stature, but long on a visually impacting physical presence, Christine Pomponio-Pate has made it a habit of finishing in the top six of every pro contest she has entered. Beginning her competitive efforts as a fitness competitor (she won the short class at the 2001 NPC Team Universe), Christine made the switch to figure events and by 2004 she was making consistent runs at the top placings including second at the New York Pro, sixth at the California Pro, fourth at the GNC Show of Strength and sixth at the Ms. Olympia. Not much changed in 2005 as she entered her first Ms. International placing fourth. Following that event she followed up with a third place finish at the San Francisco Pro, a victory (her first as a pro) at the Tournament of Champions, and another sixth place showing at the Ms. Olympia. Clearly, Christine is at the elite level in the Figure pro division, and at 5-1 we can expect her to make every effort to stand head-and-shoulders above her opponents at the 2006 Ms. Internationals.

Born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, in 1980, 25-year-old Zhanna Rotar grew up with a strong background in athletics that included gymnastics together with eight years of involvement in ballroom dancing. She immigrated to the United States when she was 16 and took up an interest in weight training at 17.

By 2002 Zhanna began competing in figure competitions winning her height class and/or an overall title in the first six contests she entered.

Combining a beautifully balanced level of physical development to go with her notable stage persona, Zhanna quickly won her class at the 2004 NPC Emerald Cup and the overall title at the 2004 NPC Los Angeles.

Rotar capped a successful 2005 competitive season with a height class victory at the NPC Team Universe qualifying her for IFBB pro status.

She will make her pro debut at this year’s Arnold Classic in the hopes of establishing herself as one of the top new competitors in the pro ranks.

Rotar is also a college graduate having earned her Bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Washington.

As a bodybuilder for three years from 2001 to 2003 Amanda Savell experienced good success in local contests in her home state of Texas, but it wasn’t until she made the switch to figure competitions that her real physical qualities were brought to light.

The 2005 competitive season for Amanda was about as fast-paced and fulfilling as could be imagined. With wins at the NPC Orange County and Emerald Cup contests, Savell added a height class victory at the NPC USA to earn her pro status. At that point, her year was just getting started as she competing five more times in the pro ranks including a victory at the Europa Super Show, second at the Tournament of Champions, and an eighth-place finish at the Ms. Olympia.

An accomplished athlete before her current interest in Figure, Savell was an All-Big 12 tennis player while attending Texas Tech

Another in the strong stable of figure competitors making Ohio their home, Chastity Slone brings a beautiful bodyline and stage persona that is always pleasing to the eye.

Turning pro after an overall victory at the 2004 NPC Junior Nationals, Slone competed twice as a pro in 2004. The 2005 season saw her enter five events including the San Francisco Pro placing fourth and qualifying for the Ms. Olympia – where she placed 11th. In addition she also placed fourth at the Charlotte Pro and sixth at both the California Pro and Pittsburgh Pro. This will be Slone’s debut at the Ms. International and she is hoping for a strong placing in this very competitive field. Playing basketball and softball during her college years, Slone earned her Bachelor’s degree from Georgetown College in Kentucky.

As one of the tallest figure competitors in the pro ranks, Valerie Waugaman makes for a statuesque form in any contest lineup. In fact that form has figured strongly since she turned pro after winning her class at the 2004 IFBB North American Championships. Her inaugural 2005 pro season was a busy one as she competed on five occasions including runner-up finishes at the Sacramento Pro and Europa Super Show events. Waugaman also placed seventh at the 2005 Ms. Olympia. This will be Valerie’s first invite to the Ms. International and she is looking to pressure the entire field for one of the top finishing positions. With a Bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Ohio University, Waugaman is also busy establishing herself as a restaurant entrepreneur in her hometown of Cleveland.