BUFF Beauties: Minot Airmen crush physique competition

Published Nov. 18, 2014
By Airman 1st Class Lauren Pitts
Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Hard, cut, and toned bodies -- the stage lights gleam off the custom swimsuits and oily spray tans. Backstage, everyone practices their routines and tries to perfect their poses before stepping out into the arena full of spectators and a row of judges.

Months of dedication and discipline to a strict and personalized diet have led to this. Countless early mornings and long nights in the weight room are about to pay off. Hundreds of contestants prepare to compete for number one.

"When I was in Kadena, one of my NCOs would train for bodybuilding competitions, so I would go to the gym and train with her," said 1st Lt. Danielle Daley, 5th Force Support Squadron community services flight commander. "I had a lot of free time when I got to Minot, so I kept training, and I was just hooked."

Daley trained in Minot for several months before deciding to compete in her first event in Minneapolis, Minnesota, earlier this year. Daley took home fourth place in women's bodybuilding, where she also inspired her friends to get in on the sport.

"I've always been into being physically fit," said 1st Lt. Jamila Edgerson, officer in charge of 5th Bomb Wing Protocol. "When my friend, Lt. Daley, told me she was doing a competition, I saw what she was doing and how everyone looked and they were so fit and natural, I knew I wanted to do it too."

Right after the first competition in Minneapolis, the two began to train for the next event. But Edgerson soon realized how challenging the training was.

Edgerson's entire lifestyle changed when her trainer quickly began a diet and exercise plan of six meals a day with no carbs and hours in the gym working on cardio and weight training. However, the intensity didn't discourage her once she began to see results.

"I loved seeing what it was doing for my body: the abs, the cuts in my arms, it was awesome," Edgerson said. "I had so much energy; I was just in a whole different mindset."

However amidst all the diet and exercise, Edgerson was not the only other Airmen to want in on the intense training. Staff Sgt. Brandi Skillman, 5th Force Support Squadron mortuary technician, was searching for an outlet when she discovered the fitness competition.

"I had been intrigued by body building for a while, and I just never had the drive to go for it," Skillman said. "But I saw Lt. Daley training and her progress, and I finally decided to pursue it."

Only three months before the Minneapolis show, Skillman began her regimen to compete in the Bikini Novice category. Performing more reps with less weight, but still adhering to a strict diet of no carbs, Skillman began to see the results she was waiting for. And like the other contenders, the results made her push harder.

"Once I saw the results, that was just so huge for me," Skillman said. "To have people come up and tell me that I looked good was just such a confidence boost."

As the big event drew closer, the Airmen's schedule became more and more intense until they were on their way back to Minneapolis. Once backstage, they were able to size up their competition, but remained confident in their training and each other.

"It was exciting, especially to have my friends there," Daley said. "Someone who knows the pain and how hard you've trained."

However, no amount of training prepared Edgerson for the pre-performance stage jitters. But once on stage, her fears were gone and she was just filled with assurance and courage, she explained.

"It was a sold-out show," Edgerson said. "I had never been on stage performing in front of people. But when I started my routine and my poses, I just felt so confident in myself."

As the trio finished their routines and the event came to a close, they waited for their results. Out of hundreds of contestants throughout the different categories, Daley placed first in the Women's Physique Novice category with Edgerson placing right behind her in second, and Skillman taking third in the Bikini Novice category.

"She's my really close friend," Edgerson said of Daley, "And when she and I were standing up there, I just said to her, 'we did it'."

Although earning a spot on the podium was not necessarily a priority for Skillman, taking home bronze in her first competition was enough to encourage her to keep training.

"I wanted to place, but if I didn't, it wouldn't have killed me," Skillman explained. "My biggest goal was getting there and staying consistent with something in my life. And that's what I did."

Now after the event, Daley, Edgerson, and Skillman are preparing to start their training journey over again until the next show. However, regardless of the results, there is a code they take into each training session: Keep it natural.

"My big thing is staying natural," Edgerson said. "Knowing that this is all me. I did this, from start to finish."