Chicago 2014: Jessica Bowman, Survivor

Just over five years before she took to the stage in the Women's Physique Divison at the Chicago Pro, Jessica Bowman was as you see her below (right). I was on life support for 2½ weeks due to an infection from an IUD in 2009, she says. The infection spread to my lungs where I was only breathing 40% oxygen. The doctors told my mom I would never make it through. But, to the amazement of her doctors, she did, indeed, survive. And Jessica is in no doubt that it was the healthy lifestyle she had always lived on her parents' horse farm in Pennsylvania that had enabled her to "make it through". That and the strength training she had done since high school.



I was not the typical girl, all tomboy riding and playing with the horses, she says. I did not start training until high school. Mom got me a gym membership when I started driving, I trained with Pro power lifters and I was hooked. I lived and breathed the gym along with the horses. And while recovering from her brush with death, Jessica resolved that one day she would compete. And by August 2010, a little over a year after the above pic had been taken, Jessica achieved that goal.



She began as a figure competitor, but by 2012 she had moved up to physique, and won her first two shows in the division. She turned pro after the winning the overall over-35 title at the NPC Masters Nationals last year, and in her first year as a pro she has competed at three shows - Orlando, Dallas and Toronto - her best result and only top ten finish so far coming in her pro debut in Orlando in April, when she was 9th.



Last weekend, the judges put her in last place, and while it seems to me that Jessica has more reason than most to put her contest placings in perspective, she is a competitor, and the disappointment of the result has made her rethink her plans for the rest of the year. I brought the best look of the year to this show, she wrote on her Facebook page, but still 3rd callout. I've decided to go off season... I still got a lot of work to do.



I gave up moaning about judging decisions some time ago, but that's not going to stop me reporting other people doing it: The judges are blind, says one of her Facebook followers. Trés belle, superbe musculature en étant trés féminine, écrit un autre. I'll just say that if this package is finishing in last place, the Physique division must be high on quality. Jessica remains positive. It will be a good off season and a lot of work, she says, but I will be better than I was this year. Excited about 2015.



And in the meantime, you might like to follow Jessica on Facebook or her Instagram "RamBowman". You can also see Jessica looking simply gorgeous and utterly shredded (examples above) after the Toronto Pro show on Muscle Appeal. Preview clip here.

More winners from Chicago all week. Enjoy!