Today we’d like to introduce you to Susan Salazar.
Susan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I got started back in early 2004, I was working at as a legal aide at a small law firm in El Paso, Texas. I had just graduated college and my school loans started rolling in, so I decided to get a second job as personal trainer at the local gym. Surprisingly, I really got into it, I started reading everything I could about health and fitness. One day, a co-worker at the gym mentioned that there was this bodybuilding competition coming up and that I should compete. A few months later, I found myself standing on stage in a sparkly bikini in front of a crowd. It was the scariest thing I have ever done in my life but I enjoyed every minute of it, seeing my body change throughout the entire process was fascinating to me. At that moment, I decided to continue this journey and see how far I could go. I decided to quit my legal aid job and really dive into this journey. I put all my efforts into being a competitor, everything I did was about competing and winning bodybuilding shows. I quickly realized that there is no money in competing, so I decided to join the United States Navy. Later that year, I shipped out to boot camp.
Throughout my enlistment, I continued to compete and in 2010, I finally achieved my professional status as a bodybuilder in New York City. I was so happy, I felt that was my big break, I was going get supplement sponsorships and really make money. Unfortunately, that was not the case, it was the opposite of what I envisioned. It was extremely difficult competing at the “pro” level. I did not do very well, I would come in the last place in most of my competitions. It was so frustrating, I did not know what I was doing wrong. In 2012, I was stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii and I decided to give it one more shot. I signed up for a competition in Florida and again, I did not do well. At that point, I was ready to quit. I felt like all my efforts were a waste of time and I was done trying please everyone else. On my way back to Hawaii, my friend Leonetta Richardson saw how defeated I was and said to me, “Let’s try something else. Let’s give you a break from the stage. How about powerlifting? I will teach you everything you need to know.”
At that point, I was like a zombie and just agreed. That following year, I did my first powerlifting meet. It was like a fire had lit inside me. I had regained that love for competing because, in powerlifting, it was about your abilities and not what you look like. I have been powerlifting since then and I have never looked back. I love it so much that I wanted to give back and share my experiences as a strength athlete with as many people as I can, I did not want others to experience what I went through. I decided to start my own “fitness consulting” business and I got involved in the sport of powerlifting, I am currently National level judge and a records chairman for a few states across the country. I am so grateful because the sport of powerlifting has given me so many opportunities, experiences, life long friendships and it has allowed me to co-own a powerlifting facility of my own.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road has not been easy. For so long, I believed that I had to please others by molding myself into what they wanted. I sacrificed friendships, relationships with my family, job opportunities and my sanity trying to achieve that. Once I let that go and really focused on what made me happy, then, I was able to see what I was really capable of. One thing I always tell my clients is that you have to take a good look at your surroundings and ask yourself, is this what really makes you happy? If not, do not be afraid to make a change. Happiness is out there, you just have to take the time to listen to yourself and not be afraid to go get it.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into S2O Fitness Consulting/Orange County Strength Club story. Tell us more about the business.
My work involves strength sports specifically powerlifting and bodybuilding. I am a strength coach and I co-own a strength facility in Orange, California, it is called Orange County Strength Club. I specialize in helping people prepare for powerlifting meets and bodybuilding competitions. I also work for the United States Powerlifting Association (USPA), I am a National level judge and a records chairman for several states across the nation.
I am known for being an elite level powerlifter. Currently, I am ranked twelfth strongest in the sport of powerlifting among both men and women. I am extremely proud to co-own Orange County Strength Club, Southern California’s best powerlifting facility. Orange County Strength Club has everything you need to prepare for a powerlifting competition. Orange County Strength Club is also California’s only distributor of SBD products. SBD is the nations leading powerlifting gear in the world. I am also proud to be a part of the USPA, it is the fasted growing powerlifting federation in the nation. The USPA has tested and non-tested divisions, which allows everyone the opportunity to compete in the division of their choice.
Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
I feel that determination and perseverance are the most important aspect of starting a career. When life throws us a “curveball”, staying focused and never losing sight of the goal will help us achieve those goals. No matter what happens, it is all for a reason and we have to fight through it and move on.
Contact Info:
- Address: S2O Fitness Consulting/
Orange County Strength Club
750 Katella Ave
Orange, CA 92867 - Phone: 808-388-9078
- Email: salazarsusan7@me.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/supers2o/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuperS2O
Image Credit:
Dave Contreras
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