ISSA Certified Champion Armwrestler Seeks Sponsorship for 2006 Worlds

Patterson, CA – May 10, 2006 – As a youngster, Judy Dodd would always armwrestle the boys in school, beating them all, until they hit puberty. So Judy put her armwrestling career on hold to grow up, go to school and start a family. About ten years ago, she entered the armwrestling tournament held at the annual Apricot Fiesta in her hometown of Patterson, CA. She made a good showing and has been competing ever since.

41-year old Judy Dodd, recently certified as a fitness trainer by the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), has been armwrestling competitively for the last ten years. Most recently, this April, Judy won the women’s pro right hand in the 132 lb class at the 2006 Ultimate Armwrestling tournament in Las Vegas presented by the Professional Armwrestling Conference and Arizona Charlie's Decatur and Miller Brewing Company.

Raised on a 4,000 acre ranch with her father and two of her four sisters, Judy grew up doing the work of a boy. “It was a hard life,” she says, “but it taught me how to work hard, make due, and be strong.” These are lessons that she has integrated into her training philosophy, believing that, for the most part, if a person puts in the time to exercise and eat healthy well-balanced meals, they will reap the rewards. “The key is sticking to it,” says Judy. “It’s not a quick fix. It takes hard work and dedication. Each person needs to find it in themselves. It’s up to me as a trainer to help them find what works for them, what they will stick to.”

Judy herself works out 4-6 times a week, including armwrestling practice once a week and group training. To sustain and increase the strength in her arms, she does many different variations of pull-ups in addition to as pushups, weight training, and isolated forearm exercises. Mindful of maintaining a balance, she works out her legs once a week. Throughout her training program, Judy focuses on making her core as strong as possible, incorporating ball exercises as well as working with bands.

Having taken the ISSA certification course to bolster her knowledge of fitness and health, Judy has since been able to augment her training in many ways. The knowledge she has gained of nutrition alone enables her to better eat in a way that supports her fitness goals. The course also served as reinforcement of the information that Judy had picked up over her years of training and competition. “ISSA’s CFT course mostly showed me how to put it all together for the most effective training and the best output. It also let me know that I knew a lot more than I had thought.”

Judy is the current national champion, right and left handed, at 132 lbs. At the 2005 World championship in Japan, she won in the masters division at 132 lbs, again with both hands. What’s more, besides winning the Nationals in her weight division three consecutive years, Judy has won multiple times at the world championships in Petaluma, CA. She has also competed at the Arnold Classic three times, placing second one year and fourth another.

Motivated by her competitive nature and the rush that she gets at a tournament or even pulling in her garage, Judy doesn’t see herself slowing down anytime soon. “It’s a great feeling beating someone whom I thought was a good armwrestler,” she says. “I plan on armwrestling until I can’t do it anymore. I just can’t seem to give it up.”

Judy’s next big event is the August 2006 Nationals in Denver, Colorado. This is the only qualifying tournament that will guarantee a spot on the team that will represent the United States at the WAF World Championships being held in Great Britain in October 2006. 1st & 2nd Place in all divisions automatically qualify to attend the WAF World Championship. She is currently looking for sponsorship to these two events.

About Judy Dodd

Judy Dodd is the current national champion, right and left handed, at 132 lbs. At the 2005 World championships in Japan, she won in the masters division at 132 lbs, again with both hands. To contact Judy for sponsorship purposes, or for more information, please call 209-892-5663 or email hooder5@aol.com

About ISSA

Since 1988 the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) has provided certification and continuing education to over 75,000 fitness professionals. ISSA certifications are recognized worldwide. From Sports Conditioning to Youth Fitness, ISSA offers 10 certification programs and dozens of continuing education courses. For more information on the ISSA, please visit: www.issaonline.com

To schedule an interview with a representative of ISSA, please contact:

Sabeen Sadiq
Director of Public Relations for the ISSA
Email: ssadiq@issaonline.com
Toll-free: 1-800-892-4772
International: (805) 745-8111

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