Chasing Trophies
BUTLER TWP — As a Knoch cheerleader, Taylor Crede was pretty good at building up school spirit.
Now she's working at building up herself — and accumulating a few trophies along the way.
Crede, 21, a 2014 Knoch graduate, has been training as a bodybuilder for three years. She recently competed at the NPC Pittsburgh Championships — a Mid-Atlantic regional event — where she took first overall in the novice division and second in open physique.
The competition was the fourth in her budding career.
“When I was on stage and they announced my name as first overall ... I couldn't believe it,” Crede said. “I had been chasing that big trophy. Now I finally got it.”
Crede placed second in her first competition in Munhall, took a pair of category firsts in her second meet at the same location, then placed second at a competition in Erie.
She has been training and working out at Harlan's Elite Fitness in Butler, under the watchful eye of Jeff Harlan and Theresa Ivancik.
“When I got out of high school, I went (weight) lifting with a friend just to stay in shape,” Crede said. “I started getting more and more into it, then sat down one day with Jeff and Theresa about taking the next step.”
That next step was competition.
Harlan's gym sends numerous bodybuilders to National Physique Committee (NPC) events on a consistent basis.
“We try to stay local in the Pittsburgh area because there's plenty of competitions here,” Ivancik said. “But we've been to Ohio, Maryland, Virginia... There's a competition somewhere about every other week and we send as many as eight out of this gym to compete.
“Taylor has an awesome shape. I'm trying to point her toward getting her pro card. That's the kind of potential she has.”
Crede was a cheerleader from second grade through her senior year at Knoch. She recently graduated from Butler County Community College and is on a waiting list to enter a nursing program.
In the meantime, she's looking for a stop-gap job while continuing to train.
“There's a dedication to this,” Crede said. “The specific dieting took some getting used to for me. I'd go to family events and watch people eat in front of me. ... Now it doesn't bother me at all.
“The last couple of weeks before a competition, I'd eat exclusively fish, rice and broccoli, six times a day, every three hours.”
There won't be another competion for a while, however.
“I'm taking a year off from competing to focus on building my body a little more,” Crede said. “Next year, I plan on going after my pro card and I want to be prepared.
“Ultimately, I'd love to have that pro card and maybe go after being in the Olympia some day.”
Crede trains at the gym six days a week, for 60 to 90 minutes each time.
Taylor is a standout,” Ivancik said. “We had a good idea she'd do well at this regional meet. With each show, she's gotten better and better.
“She's been in this gym since day one. At first, she was here for cardio classes. Then she wanted to try to build some muscle tissue. Now she's one of the backbones of our (bodybuilding) program.”
