Kim Purdy

March 30, 2008

TV 9&10 News personality Kimberly Purdy arrived in Northern Michigan 13 years ago at the age of 27. For many a young reporter this mid-major television news market is simply a gateway to landing work in a larger market. Not Purdy: while her talents easily could land her work in a larger market, she has found everything she is looking for professionally and personally here.
Now 40, Purdy sees time working against her. Not from a career perspective, but life itself.
“When I turned 40, I said I wasn’t going to have that ‘40 moment’ and I did.
But instead of being negative, I said to myself how grateful I was for my family, friends, my job, my medical benefits, and to be living in this wonderful place,” said Purdy. “After that I examined my whole life, primarily because my mother passed away at the age of 51 due to complications of lung cancer. So I asked myself, what if I only have ’til 51, or what if I have less time than that? What can I do to make the best out of my life with whatever time I have left?”
Last year, Purdy completed her Master’s degree from Eastern Michigan University through the University Center in Traverse City, meeting one of her educational goals that she hopes will lead to some teaching work at the university level in the future. Purdy has no plans to leave TV 9&10; she was recently promoted to the position of community news coordinator and spends her days seeking out positive news stories in Northern Michigan.

A NEW CHALLENGE
Kim Purdy, as family and friends know her, now has a new challenge in front of her: bodybuilding.
“I looked around and saw how active my friends are. My good friend, Amy Powell, won the women’s 50K at the VASA. Another good friend, Beth Gay, competes against men in snowmobile events, and my boyfriend is an active mountain biker. I wanted something for myself.”
Her past challenges in life told her that something would present itself and it did.
“I am a firm believer that life puts paths in front of you, but you have to take the initiative to go down those paths,” said Purdy. “Well, I was interviewing Lori Baclich about her career as a licensed electrician, which is not a typical female pursuit. I learned that she had won her age classification at the Grand Traverse Bodybuilding & Figure Championship (the same competition Purdy will compete in this weekend) and she inspired me to start training, and we decided we were going to do the competition together.”
Purdy began training last July and stepped up her efforts in November. She had spent time on and off in the gym in the past, but work made it challenging for her to be a regular. But Purdy hit a roadblock when her friend and training partner moved away for work. So Purdy asked herself if she wanted to continue to train or throw in the towel.

A TOUGH TASK
“I decided to stick with the competition. This is by far the hardest thing I have done in my whole life. Though it might be equally as hard on my boyfriend. Ask any significant other of a bodybuilder competitor and they will tell you that it is not easy living with that person during the training period,” said Purdy. “With under two weeks left I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I am so glad that stuck with it.”
She’s been able to stick with it because her boyfriend, family, co-workers, friends and her personal trainer Vern Gauthier have empowered her.
“I am so lucky to have so many people around me encouraging me and telling me I can do it,” said Purdy. “I think if we spent more time encouraging instead of discouraging people, life would be so much better. All of this has helped me to see the importance of staying away from negative people or putting harmful things into my body.”
Training at times has been brutal and as the competition nears, those thoughts of quitting do run through her mind.
“I start my day at 4:30 a.m. and am in the gym by 5:30 a.m. for weight training five days a week. I do cardio four times a week for 30 minutes during the day and seven times a week at night for 30 minutes. I like the strength and endurance I have built. But there are those days when I look at the treadmill and think, forget it. But I get on it, put my sweatshirt over the timer so I can’t see how much longer I have to go.”

ON THE DIET SIDE...
For Purdy, the diet she has been on in recent weeks for competition has been the biggest challenge.
“You have to reduce your body fat to show off the muscles you have been building, so your energy level goes down as well. I am down to six percent body fat, and to do that I have to weigh my food portions. Basically, I am just eating steamed asparagus, oatmeal and sweet potatoes right now; in fact Vern took the peanut butter out of my diet,” said Purdy. “One thing I can’t wait to stop eating is mustard. Mustard is great because it has no calories, carbs or sugars, so I put it on everything and am sick of it.”
Training for the competition has also given Purdy a different mindset about the foods she eats. While Purdy who is just less than 5‘ 6“ tall has never weighed more then 128 lbs. (she currently weighs 117), she hasn’t always taken the right approach to eating to maintain her figure.
“I have watched the fat melt off my body. My skin feels so much cleaner. I feel healthier. So after the competition I am really going to explore healthy eating,” said Purdy. “I am going to ask myself about things I am putting in my body. I think we all need to do that. I have been trying to inspire my co-workers and friends to watch what they eat. To get rid of processed foods.”
Surely there are a few temptations you will take after the competition?
“Yes, chocolate and champagne,” laughs Purdy. “I miss them, especially the chocolate. I go to all of these events and they have chocolates at your place setting. I grab mine and put them in my purse and take them back to my office where I have a jar that I have been filling up for after the competition.”
She quickly adds going out to eat on her list.
“It has been hard with all of the holidays. Plus all of these new restaurants that have opened, as I have been to several of them and watched my friends and co-workers eat while I sipped on my hot tea. As I am sipping and watching I would think to myself I am definitely coming back here after the competition.”

For info on the 28th Annual Grand Traverse Bodybuilding and Figure Championship this Saturday, April 5 at the Leelanau Sands Showroom, visit fitforyou.info or call 922-7285 for tickets.