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SrA Christine Siquig: “Rise and grind”

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Chip Slack
  • 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  “This pain that you hold is yours. There is not a single pain quite like it. No one else on God’s green earth can feel this pain, or have the indescribable feeling of pride you will have when you overcome it. This pain is not a curse; this pain is a privilege.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

After weeks of following a grueling workout regime that pushed her physical and mental toughness to new limits; and willfully following an intense but calculated diet, Senior Airman Christine Siquig, 27th Special Operations Force Support Squadron personal readiness technician, entered the base theater Saturday for the first-ever Cannon Classic Natural Show.

Preparing for this event has turned Siquig’s life upside down – for the better.

“This journey, which has spanned over three months, has been very interesting and eye-opening,” she said. “I now live my life on a schedule – all about the rise and grind; I count the hours, minutes and seconds until my next meal and workout. I have been forced to take a closer look at what my body needs and take the time to truly care about the nutritional benefits that I am consuming.”

In a society that places an unrealistic pressure on physical appearance, it can take a lot of courage to stand before a panel of judges whose purpose is to criticize competitor’s bodies.

“The judges look at and see everything on your figure,” Siquig said. “Are your muscles firm? Round? Do you have a lot of body fat? They look at the complete package: hair, make-up, jewels and suit--but mainly your muscularity.”

“This is my very first show,” she continued. “I want to hear what the judges say, good or bad. It is not about worrying what others think, but to come into the show looking your best.”

Never having entered a body building contest, Siquig was urged to enter by coworkers, friends and family.

“I like to be challenged,” Siquig said. “And this was definitely something I have never done before. I have always been active and involved with sports so the more people kept asking me if I was going to complete, the more I thought about doing it.”

“I have learned that this is not a sport you do alone,” she continued. “From mixing up my workouts to creating a specific meal plan for myself, I have had a support system that has helped me transform my body in a way I never thought possible.”

Balance plays a major role in bodybuilding. Finding the balance between the way you eat and how you train, combined with the stresses of a military career was an intense challenge for Siquig.

“I found myself not seeing the results I wanted with only five weeks left to train,” said Siquig. “That is when I teamed up with Master Sgt. Marvin Jimerson, 27th Special Operations Maintenance Squadron first sergeant. Since then, I finally started seeing the results I was hoping for. My meal plans and my workouts were finally balancing out.”

“Master sergeant Jimerson pushed me when I wanted to give up, and dealt with my good and bad days; he never left my side even when I had the worst attitude,” she continued.

Siquig’s hard work and dedication paid off as her physique was primed for the commencement of the competition. As she stood there showing off the results of her extreme focus and impressive work ethic, the thing on her mind was what she would be eating afterwards.

“Definitely mint chocolate chip ice cream,” Siquig said enthusiastically.

Editor’s note: Senior Airman Christine Siquig placed third in the Women’s Physique category. While this was her first competition, Siquig was pleased to have placed among the many talented and experienced athletes, and is looking forward to continuing her momentum and preparing for the next competition.

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