Debbie Brown
January 5, 2003

Debbie Brown come out of nowhere to defeat a pool of 25 competitors, and place number one in the tall level in the Figure division at the December 2002 NPC Ironman / Ironmaiden in Los Angeles. Since this was her first contest, we wanted to know more about Debbie and what she did to prepare for the show.

Here are some quick questions with Debbie.

Debbie Brown, interviewed by Ron Avidan.

  • What is your full name?

      Deborah Lynn Brown

  • Where and when were you born?

      Sun Valley, California, in 1971.

  • What is your dad's and mom's name?

      My Mom's name is Diane and my stepfather's name is Rod. My father passed away a few years ago.

  • Do you have any brothers or sisters?

      I have one sister, named Elizabeth, and three brothers named, David, Danny,and Lonnie. I am the middle child.

  • Where were you raised?

      In the San Fernando Valley, in Granada Hills.

  • What junior high / high school did you go to?

      I went to Porter Junior High School, then to Kennedy High School.

  • Eye color / hair color:

      Blue Eyes / Blond Hair

  • What religion are you?

      I do not practice any specific religion, although, I am a very spiritual person.

  • What do you do for work?

      I work for a private investor full time, working as a head of settlements. I also do process serving part time. I know I'm not what most people expect to see at their front door serving them - but that usually works to my advantage. It can be very dangerous being a process server. Some people get a "little edgy" when they find out someone is suing them.

  • How did you get into figure?

      Scott Marshall, my boyfriend / trainer / nutritionist / coach / sexual dynamite, got me into it. I enjoy working out, and I have seen Scott getting ready for shows at the gyms. I have also seen him prepare several athletes for their shows. I have always wanted to do fitness but I do not have the gymnastic background for it. If they let you get by with just summersaults and jumping jacks in the routine then I would be there!

  • So the 2002 NPC Ironmaiden Figure was your first show? How was the Experience?

      Yes, it was my first show. It was exhilarating. The experience of a lifetime!! The best part was having my friends and family there to share it with. There was a lot of hard work involved. I even enjoyed that, in some twisted way. I was willing to do all the necessary work associated with achieving a goal. It was incredible to finally be on the stage, after all that preparation. When I was awarded the first place trophy, in my class, it was absolutely amazing. Doing so well in this show has only added fuel to the fire, so to speak. I'm more motivated than I've ever been. I had so much fun at this show!

  • How long did you train for the show?

      I trained and dieted for 18 weeks. Because I had never dieted seriously like this before, we wanted to have plenty of time to prepare. To get used to walking in the heels, I did all my housework in them, vacuuming, dishes, laundry etc.... my boyfriend loved it. I was even tempted to go grocery shopping in them but due to the fact that I live in Canoga Park and not Hollywood, I didn't think that was a good idea....

  • What are your hobbies?

      Other than working out, my hobbies are reading fiction and horror books (like Stephen King and Dean Koontz), rollerblading at the beach and spending way too much time on my computer. Movies are the greatest, kind of takes you out of reality for a bit.

  • How did you meet Scott Marshall?

      At the Powerhouse Gym in Chatsworth. Scott used to train most of his clients out of that gym. We would see each other almost everyday, but we never really talked to each other. One day we just started talking to each other and he offered me a free session (in Training, that is). He trained me so hard that I thought I was going to hurl. Then he felt bad and took me out to lunch. From there we just started talking and found out we had so many of the same interests. We clicked!

  • So you were a bad girl in high school?

      I wouldn't say bad necessarily, how about rebellious? That sounds better. I did go to high school, but was not very interested in the classes. I spent a lot of time at friends houses, did a lot of partying but yes, I did graduate.

  • What is your favorite color?

      Blue....every shade of blue.

  • What kind of music do you like?

      Alternative (Disturbed, Foofighters, No Doubt), and Rap (Eminem, Xhibit, Dr Dre). Trance.... pretty much all music except Country. Never got into it.

  • What is your favorite and least body part to train?

      My favorite body parts are shoulders and back, I love the way the muscles feel when they are being worked so hard. My least favorite would have to be legs. My leg training is very intense, and afterwards it's hard to walk … or sit …or stand. I know how I want my legs to look, though. That is why when I do train them, they get blasted.

  • What kind of preparation diet did you do?

      I followed a very strict nutrition plan. Mostly consisting of chicken breasts, egg whites, turkey breast, lean red meat and protein powder for my protein sources. It gets pretty boring eating the same thing all the time if you don't mix it up a little. My meal plan would change, occasionally, depending on how I was responding. It got to the point where I would eat a meal and be hungry thirty minutes later. It seems like I was always eating, yet I was always hungry. I had my meal times and I had to eat right at those times. I had to take my food with me wherever I went. It's not easy, but when you see such amazing results it makes it all worth it.

  • Do you have any tattoos?

      Three, one on my back (Tribal) , one on my bikini line (Rose), and on one my ankle (Tribal). I really liked the design of the tribal tattoos. I had all three done before the age of 21. The rebellious issue coming back into play.

  • What do you tell someone who wants to compete in figure?

      You have to be very disciplined. From the timing of your meals to the timing of your workouts, everything is structured. It is a lot hard work, but it is fun. You have to make it fun! I would tell them to either do 100% or don't do it at all. If you do it 100% it will be very rewarding. I would also recommend that they find a good trainer/nutritionist that has experience preparing people for competitions. I'm fortunate enough to have a boyfriend that does this for a living. I have seen him prepare his clients for competitions for years, so I kind of knew what to expect before I started.

  • What do you consider a great experience in life.

      This was a great experience. I had never competed before. I have worked in a office of some sort my whole life, so this was so out of the ordinary for me. I can say this is very addicting and I can see why people love to compete. I had hopes to win but you never know who is going to show up and what condition they will be in. All you can control is how hard you train, diet and prepare. The feeling of knowing that you did everything in your power to be your best is an amazing experience.

  • Who do you admire?

      Madonna, because she is a great businesswoman. She has been able to stay in the limelight for such a long time, and she does what she wants. Sets her own boundaries. She has never sold out and has followed her heart with her music. I admire anyone and everyone who can do that. To me that is what life is about, taking what you love and making that your life.

  • What kind of people turn you on / turn me off?

      People that turn me on are selfless people, generous, kind hearted. People with strong leadership qualities. I hate arrogance, but I love confidence. A confident person doesn't need to be arrogant or pretend to be something they aren't. People who turn me off are those who are just out to get what they want and will not stop at anything, or step over anybody to get it.

  • Do you like to party?

      I keep it at a minimum. I do like to have drinks occasionally, but I keep everything under control. Before I started working out seriously, partying was all there was. Loved to go dancing, drinking but now the hangovers are just too much!

  • What made you get more serious from the partying in high school, and later?

      I did not want to take the same road as my brother. He started to smoke crack at a pretty early age and has continued to do so. He can no longer function in society and feels the need to be on the streets. I will not say homeless because he always has a home with his family. There seems to be this addictive personality trait running through our blood. I felt I needed to get serious, and channel it in a more positive way. It was about five years ago when I felt the need to change. The gym became a refuge for me.

  • What makes you happy?

      Life makes me happy. Having a loving boyfriend, a wonderful family, a growing circle of friends, all the things that most people take for granted are what makes me happy. The smells of summer, walking on the beach, the beauty and serenity of T's garden, ice cream and my kitty are but a few. The simple things.

  • Tell me something we do not know about you?

      I am deathly afraid of sharks. I always have been. I love going to the beach, but I am scared to go in the water past my shins. The funny part about this fear is that I love to watch programs about sharks, especially Great Whites! On the Discovery Channel or Animal Planet, they show these huge sharks ripping things apart with their giant jaws and razor sharp teeth. It's no wonder I'm so afraid when I go to the beach!

  • What is the next competition for you?

      I will be doing the Figure Nationals in New York City this year in August! I am very excited! I have never been to the "Big Apple" and I have always wanted to. I can't wait to try a slice of that incredible pizza I hear so much about, after the contest. In the meantime, I am training harder and smarter than ever. Scotty is kicking my butt in the gym so I can make some serious improvements in my physique! I know I need to be as "polished" as possible to compete at the National level. I'm working very hard and I am extremely focused on my goals. At the same time I am having the time of my life! I truly enjoy every aspect of this and I can't wait to be on stage again.

  • Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

      That is a hard question... I tend to take things one day at a time because things are always changing. 10 years from now I would like to have my own line of fashion designs out. I love clothes, taking them apart and putting them back together "my style". My life is an adventure and I'm looking forward to seeing where it leads.

  • What are your best and worst qualities as a person?

      Let's start with the worst, I am very impatient at times and I don't like to be wrong, but then who does, right? One of my best qualities, is I tend to be a perfectionist with everything I do. There are times when being a perfectionist is sort of a "pain in the ass", but usually it really pays off in the long run. There is a great feeling of accomplishment that accompanies a leaving "no stones unturned" approach.

  • What was the lowest point in life to you?

      My lowest point was probably when my dad was dying of Alzheimer's. Around 6 years ago. That was a very disturbing time of my life. I was very depressed. I did not like myself as a person; therefore I couldn't like anyone else. I was pretty much mad at the world. I had so much anger building up and no where to vent it. That is where the gym came into play, a place where this anger could be used in a positive way.