SAY to somebody that you are a Fitness Model and some people’s first reaction might be — you are what?

Then tell them you are a champion and they may look at you slightly perplexed.

But that’s exactly what Kate Cummins is, even though outside of the federation she may not be very well known around Cork.

Kate is at the top of her game and spend a few minutes in her company and you can see just why this athlete is just that.

Words like dedicated, determined, passionate and highly motivated come to mind, but above all of them is her love of the sport.

Kate, aged 27, competes in the Fitness Model Category and if ever there was an ambassador for it she certainly fits the bill.

For this Mayfield lady it has become a lifestyle choice and one she is delighted to have made. For Kate, this is about improving herself and competing against the best in the business.

But this is not achieved easily and Kate points out that it takes a lot of sacrifices and dedication to get to the top, just like in any sport.

“Some people might look at competitors and would love to be like them, but it takes years of work to get to the top level, with plenty of ups and downs along the way.

“Just to prep for a competition takes anything up to 16 weeks where everything you eat and how you train is totally controlled. Add in you have to learn how to pose and it is a tough time before any competition.

“But when you get out on stage then the buzz you get makes it all worthwhile and makes all the sacrifices worthwhile.”

Like all journeys, Kate’s had to start somewhere and unlike many people who start out wanting to lose weight she was the opposite.

“When I was in my teens I was very thin and comments about how skinny I was really hurt me. Things like you mustn't eat anything or you must vomit back up all your food were nasty and used to really upset me.

“So when I was in my early 20s I started to go to the gym and mainly did leg work as I wanted to make them bigger. I used to do German Volume Training, which is made up of exercises like squats and deadlifts.

“Then I met my boyfriend, Conor Carlson, who is a muscle model and he started to help and advice me about training.

“Then I went to one of his competitions in England and after that I was hooked.”

While all this was going on Kate was also studying and attended Colaiste Stiofain Naofa, where she qualified after doing a Coaching and Physical Education course. That means that she is qualified to coach/teach a number of sports, including the likes of soccer and basketball. But Kate didn’t stop there, she went on to do a course in nutrition at the Institute of Health Sciences (Ireland), both of which have been a great help to her.

By now training was a huge part of her life and they both she and Conor were becoming well known, especially in the UK. They set up their own business, Accomplish Fitness, where they do online coaching and Kate is also a posing coach.

Kate is one of the top posing coaches in the country and clients travel from all over the country, as well as the UK, to be coached by her. This aspect of their business is so busy that she can be booked up for months in advance.

These posing sessions last about an hour where Kate will, on a one-to-one basis, show competitors how to play to their strengths so they can best show off their physiques.

As Kate says herself: “This probably sounds easier than it actually is, but my ballet background, which I used to do when I was younger, has been a huge help to me in developing this part of our business.”

With all this going on 2017 was a huge one for Kate, where she gained her Pro Card.

Kate competes in the Pure Elite Federation, one of the top federations in the world and in 2017 she became the Pure Fitness Model Amateur World Champion, which then saw her granted a Pro Card.

“To win and get my Pro Card was out of this world and I couldn’t believe it when I won. Years of hard work finally paid off and to know I was now a professional was a special feeling.”

Spurred on by this Kate then went on to compete in her first professional show in 2018, where she came second at the world championships.

Again Kate wasn’t finished there and earlier this year she took part in the UK Championships and won her category. So Kate is the current Pro Fitness UK championship titleholder – not bad for a girl from Mayfield to beat all the competitors across the UK.

Again this has raised her profile even further, so naturally leads to the what’s next question?

Well, as can be revealed here, in the last week or so Kate has decided to take part in the world championships on November 12, which are taking place in England this year.

Her ambitions at the championships are two-fold, the first is to win her category and then win the overall title. “The winners of each category, (which includes the likes of physique, fitness, bikini and muscle and can be up to 15 competitors) are called back onto stage and from them an overall winner is picked.

“So I first want to win my category and then with a little luck win the overall title as well. Of course I won’t be taking anything for granted and I have a lot of hard work to do between now and then to have any chance of winning. That work starts in earnest next month (August) and my life will be structured around work and training between then and November.”

But before that competition Kate will be heading to the Helix in Dublin on September 7 for the Pure Elite Show, the first time such a show has come to Ireland.

Kate said she is really looking forward to this event and meeting all the competitors.

If determination and dedication are enough for someone to win then Kate will be returning home as a world champion and it would be no great surprise to see her dream come true.

If you want to get in touch with Kate or Conor to learn more about their online coaching business then email: AccomplishFitness@hotmail.com where they will be happy to set up an individual programme to suit your needs.