Life on the Run with IFBB Pro Fitness Competitor Amy Yanagisawa

"She had the best body in the class - petite, but with long limbs, a tiny waist, terrific calves and perfect conditioning. Amy is a hard worker."
-- Ruth Silverman, IRONMAN Magazine"

By Rob Wilkins

With the assistance of a trusted palm pilot this 37-year-old exotic beauty zooms through the streets of New York City juggling a busy and hectic schedule. Depending on her job for the day, she is constantly faced with unique and new challenges. Whether working as a personal trainer, fitness advisor/coach, NPC judge, stuntwoman/stunt-driver, or nailing an audition, Amy Yanagisawa has capitalized on her athletic ability, sultry looks, and business savvy to jump start a diverse and exciting career.

Originally from Connecticut, Amy began competing in athletic events at age nine. A natural athlete, she quickly excelled in such sports as gymnastics, lacrosse, field hockey, softball, basketball and diving. Her athletic prowess continued when she went to Boston University where she played Division I Lacrosse. Upon graduating from college, she worked in the advertising business for a number of years however, her intense desire to get back into athletics led Amy to the Reebok Sports Club/NY working as a personal trainer and aerobics instructor.

Her entrance into the world of health and fitness as a trainer and consultant made for a smooth transition into the professional world of fitness competitions and modeling.

Amy's fitness career began when she entered and won the 1997 NPC Southern New England Gold's Classic. Motivated by her success she continued to scale the fitness ladder. In just her fifth show, Amy found herself in a first-place tie with Kelly Ryan, currently one of the top 3 IFBB fitness competitors in the world, for the 1998 NPC Team Universe fitness title in New York City, New York. Kelly narrowly edged Amy for the overall (short-class) title. While Amy did not win this particular competition she did receive her IFBB pro card and respected Ironman magazine columnist, Ruth Silverman noted, "She had the best body in the class - petite, but with long limbs, a tiny waist, terrific calves and perfect conditioning. Amy is a hard worker."

She competed for two years in the IFBB placing as high as 5th in the highly contested IFBB Pro Fitness Classic, Rimini, Italy.

Staying in shape year round for her fitness career also opened doors for Amy to pursue a career as a stuntwoman and fitness model.

QUIET ON THE SET

Amy is a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television Radio Artists (AFTRA) and works with as many as ten agencies/managers. Her film and TV credits include The Sopranos, Oz, Shaft, Coyote Ugly, Little Nicky, 28 Days, Stuart Little 2, Rollerball, Kate And Leopold, Blair Witch 2, 13 Conversations About Nothing, The Job, L'il Kim Video and Now And Again. She has also been featured on LIVE with Regis and Kathy Lee, INSIDE EDITION and National Public Radio (NPR). Amy's magazine credits include Ironman, Oxygen, Newsweek, Conde Nast Sports, Body By Jake, Musclezine (Cover), Men's Fitness, Totsu Geki (Japan) and the Jul 02 FLEX swimsuit special.

Recently she has joined up with Hotskins, one of the top clothing companies in the health and fitness industry, as a show model and exhibitor. Amy comments on this new opportunity, "Like everyone else, I've loved their clothes for years and really appreciate how they treat me like a part of the team." Look for Amy in the Hotskins fall catalog available in September 2002.

While it seems that Amy has more than enough to keep her busy, she has developed a unique fitness course to teach aspiring fitness competitors how to effectively prepare for competition.

FITNESS PREP COURSE

Amy is a strong believer in education, which is a direct reflection of her parents, Dr. and Mrs. Eiji Yanagisawa. She earned her bachelor's degree from Boston University in Mass Communications and her desire to learn more about the human body motivated her to pursue a master's degree in Human Performance from Southern Connecticut State University. Amy has also received her certification through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) as a personal trainer

Filling the role as an educator, she has teamed with fellow IFBB Pro fitness competitor, Marie Allegro, and developed Prep n' Compete. Its purpose is to provide advice on such topics as diet, routine, costumes, and give fitness competitors useful advice on contest preparation. They have also put together a workshop where they can answer any questions related to fitness competition. For more information, contact them at (212) 799-7796 or at Prepncompete@aol.com.

While not currently competing, she maintains her involvement with the IFBB. For the past two years, Wayne DeMilia, IFBB President, Pro Division, has handpicked her as an IFBB official working at the premier bodybuilding event of the year, the Olympia Weekend, held in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Amy spends many hours working on her multi-faceted career but at the same time she has always enjoyed giving back to the community through volunteering. She has spent time with organizations such as the Connecticut Special Olympics and the New York City Marathon, but one of the most significant events of her life was her involvement with the recovery effort at Ground Zero.

TRAGEDY HITS HOME

Hired for a photo shoot, Amy was in California on September 11th. As is her typical routine, she turned on the news within minutes of waking up and shocked beyond belief, she was glued to the television as she mournfully watched the aftermath of the most horrific terrorist attacks on American soil.

As a means of national security, all flights were cancelled which meant she was stranded in Los Angeles for an additional week. "Even though there was nothing I could possibly do, living close to the World Trade Center, I just knew I had to get home and get closer to my family. For the remainder of my trip, I felt totally helpless while on the West Coast," said Amy.

One week after returning from LA, she spent the next 7-weeks volunteering as a coordinator at Ground Zero two to three times per week. "I was just glad that I could contribute. To see the faces of the firemen, policemen and all the others involved in the massive cleanup was amazing and an experience I will never forget. Each and every day, these people were working to total exhaustion in the worst circumstances imaginable and I felt that it was my duty and a true honor to help in any way possible," she said.

IT'S A WRAP

Amy's ultimate career goal is to develop her own health and fitness program for television.
"I would like to create a show which would be educational, motivating, and fun. America is faced with an epidemic of obesity and it's imperative that fitness becomes an important element of everyone's life. By leading a physically active life-style, you look better, feel better, and improve your overall quality of life," she commented.

Finally, a life of leisure in not on the horizon for Amy. She is considering going back to school to earn a Ph.D. and as if she was not active enough, taking up martial arts. "Life is full of exciting opportunities and challenges. I'm having so much fun so why should I slow down," she said with a charming smile.

To contact Amy, write to: P.O. Box 237185, New York, NY 10023 or e-mail her at amyyanagisawa@aol.com

Amy's favorites:
Gym: Montanari Brothers Gold's Gym in New Haven, CT.
Food: Broiled eel (really!)
Drink: Diet Coke
Snack: Chips
Favorite Sport: Baseball
Music: R & B
Color: Pink
R & R: Spending time with her boyfriend