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Power comes from within. It’s anchored by the will of our minds and bodies. Women ofStrength m&f hers introduces you to four women whose spirit has made them strong in very different ways

FIT FOUR (Clockwise from left) Debi Purcell, Jill Stevens, Anastasia Brown,

Trish Downing NBC PHOTO: TK By Steve Mazzucchi Photos by Jim Purdum muscleandfitnesshers.com 73 DebiPurThe Fightercell EvEveryery sport hassport its pioneers has — those its who beginpioneers toiling in obscurity, then gain fame as their singular brilliance reveals their pastime’s magic to the masses. Skateboarding has Tony Hawk. Women’s soccer has Mia Hamm. And if female (MMA) ever goes mainstream, it will have Debi Purcell. Compact and muscular at 5'7", 135 pounds, and compete, that was a big moment. I real- and get paid what we’re worth to fight. If we Purcell is among the sport’s fiercest competi- ized that’s what I wanted to do.” don’t, it’s gonna be a circus freak show for a tors and its most passionate promoter. “We’re Things started on a high note. After win- while and then it’s gone.” legitimate fighters, and I want to help the ning her first few fights, Purcell persuaded the Not surprisingly, Purcell’s doing all she can sport grow for women,” says the 34-year-old, owners of the traditionally all-male King of to ensure it stays around. She has created the who runs a thriving Orange County, the Cage circuit to let her in the ring — networking site fightergirls.net, begun man- California, commercial refrigeration business against a substantially bigger opponent. In aging other female fighters and, as Ruas’ and two online stores while serving as the what she calls her proudest fighting moment, assistant coach on the IFL’s Southern only female coach in the International Fight Purcell flashed her formidable skills (check California Condors, has lent credibility to her League (IFL). How’d she reach such heights? out the fan-made highlight video that pops up sport. It may be working. In June, Canadian “I’m very competitive — that’s what drives first when you search her name on YouTube), fighting organization TKO MMA held its first me,” she explains. Yet that attitude didn’t won by a unanimous decision and appeared female bout, and Purcell’s YouTube video always foretell success. destined for even greater victories. The only topped 13,500 views. Now she dreams of “As a teenager, I was an angry punk rocker,” hang-up? A lack of competition. “The problem starting a women’s fight league and being the Purcell recalls. “I had problems with my par- in female MMA is that the better you get, the first female to compete in the world’s top ents’ divorce, and I was fighting in the streets fewer the people who want to fight you,” MMA organization, the Ultimate Fighting all the time. I got into martial arts because Purcell laments. “I’ve trained for some 30 Championship (UFC). I wanted to kick people’s asses.” Fortunately fights, but most haven’t happened because the Meanwhile, she’ll keep busy with DC’s for Purcell — and anyone on her bad side — promoter couldn’t get the money, or the oppo- Mechanical, which provides commercial she eventually found her way to Marco Ruas, nent dropped out. It’s frustrating to put your refrigeration to In-N-Out Burger, among an instructor who championed the old-school life on hold and train full time for a dream other companies, and her two online shops, martial-arts values of respect, humility and that never happens.” alphafemalefightwear.com, which sells fight- decency. “I started training for negative rea- That cruel irony highlights the crossroads themed clothing, and hollywoodaprons.com, “The problem in female MMA sons, but Marco turned my life in a positive at which female MMA now stands. While ded- which hocks vintage-style aprons designed by direction,” she says. icated women train hard to fight legitimately, her and a friend. “My other passion is clothes,” is that the better you get, He also introduced her to his multifaceted a lot of promoters are more interested in the Purcell confesses. fighting style, Vale Tudo. Portuguese for any- novelty of “chicks” — preferably attractive Time will tell whether female MMA the fewer the people who thing goes, the Brazilian discipline combines ones who’ll step in the ring for a mere 500 approaches the popularity of skateboarding or want to fight you.” boxing, wrestling, submission grappling, bucks — pounding on each other. As Purcell women’s soccer. Even if it doesn’t, Purcell has and jiu-jitsu. “It’s really complicated puts it, “Blond, cute girls who can’t fight are no regrets. “When I get letters from girls say- and technical,” Purcell observes. Yet she killing our sport.” So what does the future ing, ‘You inspire me,’ it means everything to embraced the challenge, earned her black belt hold? “Either it’s gonna be super-popular for me,” she says. “That absolutely makes it worth in three years and set her sights on MMA three years and phase out, or we’re gonna it.” That and the chance to kick people’s asses,

FASHION DIRECTOR: CINDY WHITEHEAD. HAIR & MAKEUP: DONNA GAST, DEBBI DOVER FOR REVOLUTION ARTIST MANAGEMENT. APPAREL: HUNTER FIGHT WEAR. GLOVES: UFC glory. “When I learned I could mix everything band together, form a union, train seriously of course.

74 muscleandfitnesshers.com 75 “Seeing how women are treated Renaissance Woman [in Afghanistan] was sad. In the villages, I’d take my helmet off to show I’m a woman JillStevens and I’m respected, and that women do have worth.” JillJill Stevens Stevens must be the onlymust contestant be in beauty the pageant only history to employ the slogan, Lock and load. “It means to be ready for anything that comes at you,” she explains, “and make every moment count.” Given that she has won marathons, served as an Army medic in the Middle East, worked as an ER nurse and captured multiple pageant crowns, all by age 24, it’s safe to say Stevens lives that mantra. How does she tackle such diverse pursuits and maintain a strong, healthy body to handle them? Let’s start at the beginning.

“I remember doing Richard Simmons’ she remarks. “But I saw the sights of whole new ballgame. And making yourself Sweatin’ to the Oldies with my mom at 5:30 a.m. Afghanistan while flying in Blackhawks and bustier? Duct tape.” Despite her naïveté, Stevens when I was in fifth grade,” says Stevens, who Chinooks — that rocked!” was named Miss Congeniality — and in Sandra grew up mainly in California and outside Salt One powerful memory of that year was the Bullock–worthy fashion, tripped as she went to Lake City with six siblings. By high school, children — Stevens cared for a cross-eyed collect her award. Undeterred, she went on to she’d hit the gym at 4 a.m. before heading to Afghan girl as she underwent surgery, and she win the pageant itself. class with protein powder and sweat-drenched helped start the nonprofit Afghanistan Since then, she has finished second runner- hair. At 16, she joined her gym’s running club, Orphanage Project to build homes for aban- up in the Miss Utah pageant, claimed Miss and two years later won her age group at Utah’s doned kids. Another was meeting people who Congeniality at the National Sweethearts St. George marathon. “I don’t know where I got shared her gender but not her reality. “Seeing pageant and become Miss Davis County, which this passion,” she admits. “I just couldn’t beat how women are treated there was sad,” Stevens means a return to Miss Utah and, if she wins, the feeling of working out, eating right and recalls. “In the villages, I’d take my helmet off a spot in the Miss America pageant. She has challenging myself.” to show I’m a woman and I’m respected, and also done 70-plus speaking engagements That attitude landed Stevens in a National that women do have worth.” She also sent that and become Utah’s director of Teen CERT Guard uniform in 2001. “Visiting the recruiting message loud and clear in the inaugural (Community Emergency Response Team). “It booth, I wondered, Could I hack that?” With Afghanistan Marathon. After six weeks of train- teaches high school kids simple first-aid maneu- only one way to find out, she signed up. And ing in what was essentially a minefield, Stevens vers that can save lives,” she explains. That’s just from the start, she dug camping, shooting and ripped into the rocky course and was the first part of her emergency preparedness platform — pushing her body. “I loved PT [physical train- female (and seventh runner overall) to finish. you know, Lock and load. ing],” she raves. “I’d be like, ‘Gimme more push- Returning to college in 2005, Stevens took After graduating from SUU this past May, ups, drill sergeant!’” aim at a different target. When the school’s Stevens began working as an emergency room That strength was tested in 2004 when pageant director urged her to enter the 2006 nurse and for a digital scrapbooking outfit, Spc. Stevens, then a freshman at Southern Utah Miss SUU, the onetime tomboy laughed — she Remember My Service. “It helps tell the story University (Cedar City), learned her Guard unit didn’t even own a pair of heels. But when she of what soldiers did overseas,” she says. was headed to Afghanistan. Overseas, she ran realized the service opportunities it could pro- Training for her 11th marathon and committed humanitarian and medical aid to nearby vil- vide, she took a crash course in womanhood. “It to at least two more years in the National lages, baked bread to boost soldier morale and takes work to be a lady,” she now says. “I knew Guard, she’s keeping busy. Make every

stayed positive. “Being in a combat zone sucks,” how to put on camo paint, but makeup was a moment count? Indeed. FATIGUES & BOOTS: U.S. ARMY. TEE: UNDER ARMOUR

76 MUSCLE & FITNESS hers SEP/OCT 2007 muscleandfitnesshers.com 77 Anastasia Nashville CzarBrown IfIf Nashvilleashville Star is country Star music’s Americanis country Idol, Anastasia Brown is the show’s Simon Cowell. Granted, she’s not as gruff and she’s much prettier. But when the USA Network hit begins its sixth season early next year, the veteran country-artist manager and music supervisor will again play the straight-talking heavy. “If contestants have horrible vocal abilities or can’t write or made a bad image choice, I’ll tell them,” Brown explains. “Lies are more damaging than honest, constructive criticism.”

That unflinching approach is what has led Waylon Jennings and Leon Russell would over- believes in, including a brash young hopeful from the former Colorado all-state lacrosse player whelm most Nashville neophytes, but luckily for Queensland, Australia. “Keith was playing at the and fitness fanatic to the height of her profes- Brown, she was clueless. “If I knew then what Bluebird, a little singer-songwriter hangout, and sion. She has produced music with Sting, Peter I know now, I probably wouldn’t have gone for I loved his tenor,” Brown says. “At that time, most Frampton and Willie Nelson, and now, as music it,” she admits. “When you’re young, it helps to male singers were baritones, and his voice was division president of 821 Entertainment Group, embrace the naïveté, keep the blinders on and different. It wasn’t a country-radio voice, but I felt Brown coordinates soundtracks for movies, believe in yourself.” certain his talent would overcome that.” Brown including October’s August Rush, which stars Still, rising in a male-dominated field — back signed Urban, helping him get deals with Warner Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Robin Williams and in the mid-’90s, Brown was one of maybe three Bros. and then Capitol Records. A few years later, Terrence Howard. She also discovered Keith female managers in Nashville — wasn’t a breeze. “Somebody Like You” made him a superstar. Urban. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. “There were definitely some pats on the ass,” Of course, Brown herself has also grazed the As the lead singer of a couple of bands in Brown says. “But I decided to use my femininity pop culture radar. In 2004, she joined 821 as a high school and college, Brown loved music for me, rather than let it count against me. I partner to extend her musical tastemaking to early on, and after she worked radio- and TV- didn’t let silly, flirtatious comments bother me.” other media. Along with her recent movie work, station gigs in college, an advertising job with It helped that she had an outlet: fitness. An she served as the music supervisor for Steven “Without exercise, I’d be stressed, the Grand Ole Opry brought her to Nashville. avid scuba diver, swimmer, racquetball player, Spielberg’s Emmy-nominated miniseries Taken. There, at a listening party, she met legendary skier and gym rat, Brown makes physical activ- And in 2005, she became Nashville Star’s most grumpy, in pain and entertainment exec Miles Copeland III, who ity a daily priority. “Without exercise, I’d be outspoken judge. had managed The Police and signed bands stressed, grumpy, in pain and miserable all the While audiences have been known to boo miserable all the time. such as R.E.M. and Black Sabbath way back time,” she explains. “For me, it’s as important as Brown’s stinging critiques, she relishes making when. “I was 26 and totally going head-to-head water. One day I had to cancel my workout to contestants work for her praise. “It allows me to For me, it’s as important as water.” with him,” recalls Brown, 37. “We had a high- do some interviews, and I felt so much more do the part of managing I miss — inspiring level, musically intelligent conversation, and I stress.” Raising her teenage son from a previous young artists,” she explains. “The ones I’m knew we were going to work together. He’s my marriage and helping her husband, renowned hardest on thank me the most.” In light of that mentor, and I’m his protégé.” record producer Tony Brown, complete a long remark — and all she has achieved through her Bringing a pop sensibility to the Nashville recovery from a near-fatal slip on a marble stair- physical, emotional and musical strength — it’s scene, Copeland and Brown recruited country case a few years ago, makes each day a juggling safe to say that even Mr. Cowell would have a songwriters to help reinvigorate slumping act. “I get up at 5:30 and work out first thing.” tough time coming up with a harsh word to say

APPAREL & SHOES: ROBERT CAVALLI. NECKLACE: WILSONIA mainstream acts. Working with artists such as That leaves her time to pursue artists she about her.

78 MUSCLE & FITNESS hers SEP/OCT 2007 muscleandfitnesshers.com 79 The TrishDowningRedefinedAthlete TTrrishish Downing’s Downing’s heart is so strong, it justheart might break yours. It needs to be for her to achieve what she has the past couple of years: becoming the first female paraplegic to complete an Iron distance triathlon and only the second to qualify for Hawaii’s Ironman World Championship. “I just put one foot in front of the other, figuratively speaking,” Downing says modestly. But there’s more to her story than that.

Downing began to learn just how strong her world championships in New Zealand the fol- there, knowing everyone is home with their feet heart was on Sept. 17, 2000, when the then- lowing year. Two years after that, she began up drinking a beer.” competitive cyclist collided with an inattentive seriously considering the Iron distance — a 2.4- Still, Downing revved up her training regi- driver during a training ride near her home- mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run. men and headed to Oklahoma City for the 2005 town of Denver. “I hit the bumper, flew up in To appreciate the scope of this undertaking, it Redman Triathlon. Eighteen grueling hours the air, landed on the windshield, then fell on helps to understand how Downing competes. later, she was setting her sights on the 2006 the ground,” she remembers. “From the begin- To swim, she uses the backstroke because her Buffalo Springs Lake tri, a world champi- ning, I knew I was paralyzed.” She had suffered legs spasm so much that freestyle isn’t feasible. onships qualifier. To make the cut, she’d need to 1 a T-4 spinal cord injury, was paralyzed from the To bike, she pedals a three-wheeled handcycle finish the half-distance race in 8 ⁄2 hours. After a chest down and spent the next month in a hos- with her arms. To run, she uses a racing wheel- lonely, soul-crushing journey — one hill was so pital ICU. chair. While other competitors spread those dis- steep, she rolled downward after every upward Despite the unfathomable physical and emo- ciplines across the body, Downing does it all stroke — Downing crossed the finish line in 8 tional trauma, this former high school gymnast, with her now-formidable biceps, triceps and hours, 29 minutes and 46 seconds. college diver and USOC press officer was by no shoulders. Unfortunately, in Hawaii that October, she means ready to give up sports. Having served as Adding to the challenge is the expense of was pulled off the bike course at 95 miles, hav- a tandem pilot for visually impaired cyclists, she equipment — her various chairs each cost thou- ing missed the bike time cutoff. What makes knew of the opportunities for disabled athletes, sands — and normal, everyday life without the this especially frustrating is that for able-bodied and during three months of rehab she wrote to use of her legs. Downing’s home environment racers, biking is fast and running is slow; for the San Diego–based Challenged Athletes accommodates her — she can get around her Downing, the opposite is true. While hand- Foundation (she’s now a spokesperson) and house, drive and work as an internship coordi- cycling is arduous, she can finish a marathon in scored grant money for a handcycle. At first, nator for high school students — but traveling is a little over two hours. “If there were just a 17- going 2 or 3 miles was a struggle, but six months tricky. “Every airplane gets you on differently, hour rule but no individual time cutoffs, I’d be out of the hospital, Downing completed a half- every hotel room is different, couches have dif- fine,” she says. “But I think if I put enough time marathon in a racing chair. “I have an athlete’s ferent heights and firmness,” she observes. “It’s in, I can make that bike cutoff. I just have to mentality,” she explains. “I decide to do some- eye-opening how much of the world is not made have the perfect day to do it.” thing first and figure out how to do it later.” for wheelchairs.” There’s also the solitude. In Which explains why, at 37, seven years after “I have an athlete’s mentality. With that mind-set, she tackled increasingly more than 30 triathlons, she has had female her accident, she’s heading back to Hawaii this gnarly goals. In 2002, she finished her first competition twice. “If you can’t get first place fall. And whether she has that perfect day or not, I decide to do something first sprint triathlon (500-yard swim, 13-mile bike out of one, there’s a problem,” she jokes. “What’s no one can deny that within Trish Downing’s

ride, 3-mile run) and headed to the sprint tri hard is being the only wheelchair racer out chest beats the heart of a true champion. APPAREL: DESCENTE and figure out how to do it later.” 80 MUSCLE & FITNESS hers SEP/OCT 2007 muscleandfitnesshers.com 81 Womenof HStrengthow They Train Debi’s Trish’s TRAINING SPLIT TRAINING SPLIT Purcell’s workout approach changes To prepare for 17 hours of punishment, depending on the kind of match she has Downing trains with Neal Henderson, coming up, but in any given week you MS, CSCS, sport science manager at might find her doing the following: Boulder Community Hospital. Here’s what he puts her through as race day >> Monday/Wednesday/Friday: An hour approximately an hour of approaches: of ground-fighting training in the morn- training. ing, followed by an hour-long full-body >> Tuesday/Thursday: Ground-fighting >> Monday: Eight-hour handcycle ride, circuit incorporating plenty of pull-ups, training in the morning, then an hour of tempo climb. push-ups, dips and abdominal work. swimming or running. Kickboxing train- >> Tuesday: Rest day. She’s recovering from knee surgery, so ing in the evening. >> Wednesday: Five 500-yard swims 1 she also performs leg extensions, leg >> Saturday: Ground-fighting or kick- spread out over 1 ⁄2 hours. Later, three curls and progressively heavier squats. boxing training in the morning. hours of handcycling. Come evening, she wraps up with >> Sunday: Rest day. >> Thursday: One hour of race-chair work. 1 >> Friday: 1 ⁄2-hour steady swim. Anastasia’s >> Saturday: Two-hour endurance hand- TRAINING SPLIT cycle ride. Jill’s To stay TV-personality fit, Brown hits the >> Sunday: Three hours of racing-chair TRAINING SPLIT gym with personal trainer and chiro- intervals. hers Building a body fit for pageants, practor Josh Renkens 2–3 days a week marathons and military service is a bal- and tackles cardio on the other days. ancing act for Stevens. A typical week’s Here’s a glance at her routine: workouts might involve the following: >> Monday/Wednesday/Friday: Full-body >> Monday: Biceps, triceps and shoul- sessions in the gym. They begin with a ders. Stevens does four sets of 8–12 foam roller–based warm-up, followed by reps of two biceps exercises such as leg work — seven different kinds of dumbbell and EZ-bar curls, supersetting bench presses and pec-deck flyes, super- walks, squats and lunges. Brown then those with triceps exercises such as setted with two back exercises such as does 3–4 exercises to address muscle standard and lying triceps extensions. lat pulldowns and T-bar rows. imbalances, then medicine-ball core Then she supersets two shoulder moves >> Wednesday: Legs. Sometimes Stevens moves — a variety of chops, throws, such as presses and front/lateral raises. hits the weights, but more often she tosses and slams. Next, it’s 3–4 sets of As she does every workout day, Stevens keeps her legs firm with runs of at least 6–15 reps of one or two supersets, such also performs at least an hour of cardio 11 miles. She does at least one 18-miler as dumbbell chest presses on an exer- and five minutes of ab work. and one 22-miler when prepping for a cise ball superset with one-arm punches >> Tuesday: Chest and back. As with marathon. with resistance tubing. She wraps up arms, Stevens does four sets of 8–12 >> Thursday: Cardio and abs. Stevens with 1–2 “metabolic circuits”: 10–20 1 reps of two chest exercises such as laces her running shoes back up for 1 ⁄2 reps of several exercises in a row such hours or hits an elliptical machine for an as speed squats/reverse bodyweight hour followed by a half-mile swim. Then lunges/quick step-ups/rotational jumps. she does three sets each of three abs >> Tuesday/Thursday: Cardio condition- moves such as Pilates-style V-sits, ing — fast walking for 20–40 minutes crunches and ab machine “super- with high-intensity intervals. crunches” (kicking her legs straight out >> Saturday: Steady-state cardio, again and curling them in as she crunches up). fast walking, for 20–40 minutes. Brown >> Friday: Total upper-body workout. also burns calories in more leisurely Putting it all together, Stevens does ways, such as swimming laps in her three sets of 8–12 reps of one exercise pool, throwing a lacrosse ball around for each bodypart. with her son, playing racquetball, scuba >> Saturday: Cardio. Another 11-mile run. diving and skiing.

>> Sunday: Rest day. >> Sunday: Rest day. GYM: IMPROVE, WOODLAND HILLS, CALIFORNIA, IMPROVEGYM.COM. APPAREL: ON DEBI, DIVINE WEAR TOP, BEBE CAPRIS, RYKA SHOES; ON JILL, NIKE TOP & SHORTS, ASICS SHOES; ON ANASTASIA, GAP TOP, CHAMPION SHORTS, NEW BALANCE SHOES; ON TRISH, DESCENTE TOP & PANTS, ASICS SHOES. BOTTOM LEFT: COURTESY OF JILL STEVENS. BOTTOM RIGHT: COURTESY OF ACTION SPORTS INTERNATIONAL

82 MUSCLE & FITNESS hers SEP/OCT 2007