WS Chronicle

Francesca “Fancy” Adams got into the world of bodybuilding back in 2012. After years of training, dealing with injury and personal sacrifice, she won her first competition at the NPC (National Physique Committee) Elite Muscle Classic in Greensboro on Nov. 10.

Adams, a native of Toledo, Ohio, began her journey in weightlifting right out of college. She says initially it was just to stay in shape, because she worked a desk job. Following a meeting with a coach at the gym, she decided to pursue her career in weightlifting more seriously.

“He said I would be great at competing, so I wanted to explore that world, so I started going to the gym and training myself and he would help me out during extra sets,” said Adams. 

Early on in her career, Adams suffered nerve damage that caused her to take several years off from the sport to endure physical therapy. Upon her arrival in Winston-Salem in 2016, she had healed from her injury and still had the fire to compete.

“I work for the city and I even told them that I wanted to do a competition; however, it is expensive to compete, so I wanted to get my foundation set here before I started going into it,” she said.

For the past few years, Adams has maintained a vision board. One of the goals on the board was to compete in an event this year. This past spring, she set her mind on accomplishing her goal and it became a reality earlier this month.

“I finally said to myself that I wanted to follow through on what I dreamed,” she said.  “I got sick of not following through with it, so I said that I was going to do it this year. Honestly, what really pushed me into it this year was just me going through a phase of me finding myself.”

Going into the NPC Classic, Adams said she really didn’t know what to expect. She knew the posing was going to be tough for her because she did not know how the event was structured. She said she learned a lot during this process.

“People won’t really understand what a bodybuilder goes through unless they go through it themselves,” she continued.  “It is a lot as far as the preparation, going through the show process, and everything like that.”

Adams said she was not as nervous as she thought she would be, stepping out on the stage for the first time. Most of her nerves and anxiety came from the fact that there were many of her friends and family in the audience to see her perform.

When she was announced as the winner, Adams was very excited and felt that the moment was “surreal,” she said.  “I couldn’t believe it and I was thankful because I knew I had worked my butt off,” Adams said.

The preparation for the event took 10 to 12 weeks, she said. She would perform two-a-day training sessions because of the short time frame. Adams stuck to a specific diet and training regimen in order to be at her best for the competition.

According to Adams, God, praying, and gospel music brought her through the preparation and the competition. She says not only was she battling finding time to fit everything in, but she also suffered two injuries during the lead-up to the competition.

Adams says she will take a break from her rigorous training and nutrition routine for now. She says she would like to perform in another competition next year. She will focus more on her fitness coaching duties, along with starting her own radio show.

“I just fell in love with the process,” she said. “The discipline of it, the focus it takes, and I just enjoy working out.”

Adams says for any person curious about the world of bodybuilding, they should do their research and be ready for a large time commitment. She says the win was even more satisfying due to her battling injuries, as well as a digestive issue on her way to the top of the podium.