Amber Eagle of Abilene set to compete at the 2025 Masters Olympia in Tokyo, Japan on August 9 and 10 at the Tokyo International Forum; photo courtesy of Memorial Health System (Abilene, KS)
Memorial Health System
ABILENE – Amber Engle of Abilene has always loved sports and competing. She had been running marathons, but she did not love doing that anymore. Her body was also starting to suffer injuries from too much running. She decided to become a member at Impact Sports and Fitness in Abilene.
“I was fearful of it at first, because I did not know much about lifting weights,” said Amber. “I met this woman at Impact, Erin Signer, and was inspired by her physique. As I got to know her, she told me that she competed in bodybuilding shows. I was so intrigued, and decided to join her at her next show,” Amber continued.
Amber loved the challenge, the push outside of her comfort zone, and she was fascinated by what the body was capable of, with the right tools. She competed in her first show in 2017.
“After that first show, I was hooked, and it spurred me to keep setting another goal and working towards it.”
Her last competition was in Chicago. This was a strategic show, in the sense of getting some practice on the stage and receiving feedback from the judges. This would help Amber know what she needed to improve upon going into her next show – the 2025 Masters Olympia in Tokyo, Japan.
“The Chicago show provided us a lot of good insight and we learned a lot. It had been almost two years since I had been on stage, and the criteria for what the judges were looking for has evolved substantially from two years ago until now. My conditioning has always been where it needed to be, however at this show, I was over-conditioned. Which meant that I needed a lot of extra food to fill out my muscles,” Amber said.
This was something she had never done right before a show, and she hopes to never have to do it again. A lesson learned.
Amber also was more nervous getting on the stage again, and she did not expect that. Amber and her training coach knew it would be best to simplify her routine, to make it easier to focus on the poses needed and keep her nerves controlled. After the show, the feedback from the judges was for less conditioning for her upper body, but more conditioning for her lower body.
“This is a bit tricky to accomplish. My coach and I are working to come up with a better plan with my nutrition going into the Japan competition, so that we can come in at the right spot with conditioning.”
Emotionally, it took Amber several days to process through her show in Chicago.
“As an athlete, your goal is to win, that’s what you work for. However, that does not always happen, so how you handle yourself and your emotions, when you don’t get the results you had hoped for, is so key to your success moving forward. You have to be able to separate the emotion from the job, and step back to evaluate with a level head.”
Her first reaction was disappointment because she knew she did not come in at her best for the Chicago show, but she also knew she had two choices – “I could wallow in my frustration or I could pull myself out of any negative thinking and take in the feedback, and go right back to work. Your mind is such a powerful tool and the body follows what the mind tells it.”
Looking back, after the Chicago show (where she had a second place finish), Amber really feels like this experience was necessary and good for her to go through.
“It fuels a drive within me to dig deep, heading into the show in Japan, to execute the best as I can. My goal for Masters Olympia is to be able to stand on that stage knowing that I gave one hundred percent of everything I had within me to improve. If that happens, I will feel success, no matter what the final outcome is. That’s the beauty of any sport, when you fight for something you are passionate about, it builds a confidence within yourself that changes your perspective for a lifetime, and I think that is so cool!”
Amber stated that there is always a mix of nerves and excitement when she steps on the stage at a competition. That is, definitely, the part of the sport that is the most challenging for her.
“I have a tendency to get too excited and rush through my presentation, so my goal at Masters Olympia is to stay controlled and calm when on the stage,” Amber said with a smile. “I’m very excited to stand on stage with some of the top athletes from around the world. I have followed many of these women on social media, so to be able to meet them in person, and stand on stage with them, is going to be such a cool experience and a fun memory to hold onto.”
When Amber was asked if she had anything else to add about this exciting fitness journey that she is on, Amber stated, “You know, there are so many different emotions throughout this journey. From excitement, fear, anxiety, the feeling of always having this be one of my biggest goals, and feeling so grateful to be able to get to participate and do what I love. It really is a blessing to have the support and encouragement from so many friends and family, especially my husband, Matt. He is always there to give me a positive word when I needed it most. He has been by my side, nudging me to keep going when I have moments of questioning if it is possible. He is my biggest cheerleader, and I’m so thankful for his love and support. I feel so honored to have this opportunity. It is so special to live in a small community like Abilene!”
The 2025 Masters Olympia in Tokyo, Japan takes place August 9 and 10 at the Tokyo International Forum. The staff of Impact Sports and Fitness wishes Amber the best of luck at the competition and safe travels. We are excited for you and are humbled to be a part of your journey.
AloJapan.com