Taylor Crede figured she had a head start in bodybuilding — through cheerleading.

The 2014 Knoch graduate was a cheerleader for the Knights and was always into physical fitness.

“I always had muscle tone,” Crede said. “I was physically lifting girls up all the time in cheerleading.

“A friend and me walked into Harlan's (Fitness Center) one day to lift some weights. I saw Theresa (Ivancik) in there and decided I wanted to look like that someday.”

So she went to work on it.

Ivancik, a co-owner of Harlan's, is a professional bodybuilder. She earned her pro card at age 33.

Crede, 22, earned hers by winning the Class G (based on height) Figure division at the National Physique Committee (NPC) North American Championships Aug. 30 in Pittsburgh.

“It's extremely rare that somebody gets a pro card that young,” Ivancik said. “Taylor is way ahead of schedule. Taylor is one of the most dedicated young girls I've ever met.

“She came in here, told us what she wanted to do and we had her follow us around for a year. Then we hired her as a personal trainer, she was so good.”

Crede competed in her first amateur show after a year of training. She's done six shows over the past four years.

“When I first came here, I came in seven days a week and lifted for an hour to an hour and a half each day,” Crede saied. “I hit it pretty hard.”

In the Figure division, competitors are judged by their shoulder definition and how well cut their legs and hamstrings appear, along with a solid back.

Crede said the competitions “are all mental.”

“The competitions are difficult because of that,” she said. “I just try to keep myself calm and not psyche myself out by looking at other girls and seeing if they're bigger than me.

“But competition is fun. I love it.”

And, apparently, she's good at it — even better than she thought.

“When I won that pro card, I was shocked,” Crede said. “It didn't hit me right away. It was all a blur until I stepped down off that stage.

“That's when I realized what I did and started crying. I was so, so happy.”

Ivancik figured Crede would eventually turn pro, just not so soon.

“We gave her all the knowledge we had because we knew she would work hard and do something with it,” Ivancik said. “We started her out with a few local shows and when she won a big show in Pittsburgh, I said, 'Honey, it's time to go.'

“We took her to Chicago to compete in a national amateur show and she placed in the top five out of 12 or 13 girls in her division. She's just taken off from there.

“You have to be determined and driven to succeed at this and Taylor definitely is,” Ivancik added.

Crede has accepted the lifestyle of being a professional bodybuilder, including the diet. For 11 weeks leading up to that Aug. 30 show, she stayed on a no-carb diet “with plenty of protein and veggies,” she said.

“As I've gotten better and better, my training has gotten a lot more intense,” she said.

Crede plans to wait a full year before competing in her first professional show. She recently signed a contract with a national supplement company, which will sponsor her.

“I want to take a year off and gain more muscle mass,” she said. “My long-term goal is to get to the Olympia stage.”

The Olympia, held each September in Las Vegas, is considered the Super Bowl of bodybuilding. Only the top competitors in the world reach that level, as the athletes qualify through points accumulated at other pro shows.

Ivancik believes Crede will one day get there.

“I truly do,” she said. “I think Taylor can someday be among the top five at the Olympia. She's got that kind of ceiling.”