Rosemary Jennings
by Forrest Curran : - January 2003
Photography by James Cook
Hurricanes
have a nasty habit of slamming into the beautiful islands of the Caribbean
with an almost Biblical wrath, leaving devastation in their wakes when
they finally swirl away. But nestled deep among those islands is the British
Commonwealth of Barbados, West Indies-a place where those rules dont
always apply.
Its residents
are quick to say that when skies howl and waters rage in their hemisphere,
their island rarely experiences the harshness felt by their northern neighbors.
In fact, its been said that Barbados reflects a certain strength
and serenity that its citizens carry with them-even after they depart
for new worlds to conquer. One such voyager who embodies that Caribbean
adage is Rosemary Cheeseman-Jennings, a peaceful woman with a warriors
spirit.
Born
on the island in 1963, in the days before it achieved full independence,
Rosemary calls herself a New Yorker these days. But growing up in a family
of eight children, Rosemary says she was often found outdoors, enjoying
the sultry Barbadian climate. I played all sports when I was growing
up, she recalls.
Like
the island from which she hails, Rosemarys own independence is highly
prized, as is the diversity of her musical tastes. I dont
think like the average woman, she attests. I dont stand for
things that many females allow in their everyday living. Im a no-nonsense
person who speaks her mind when she needs to.
That
diversity and self-assuredness shows itself when you borrow her Walkman
uninvited: Your ears might be met with anything from jazz to opera to
reggae to R&B on her headphones-that is, right before she firmly-but-politely
takes them back!
That
firm approach must have helped her this year, when Rosemary became something
of a hurricane herself. In July she descended upon the Nevada desert with
enough force to claim the Middleweight and Overall titles at the USAs.
The Vegas victory enabled her to turn pro, but she looks all the way back
to a former coach who initially turned the key in the engine of her bodybuilding
psyche, in 1992.
I
did not have an initial attraction to the sport at first, she confesses
of her first venture into a gym, when she weighed no more than 110 pounds.
I just wanted to keep my figure. But my motivation came from Aereal
Johnson, who was very persistent in transforming my body into that of
a bodybuilder, Rosemary states. He was on my side, doing everything
for me. The rest is history!
But if controversy still follows the female bodybuilders dedicated
pursuit of muscularity, Rosemary is not particularly attuned to the discordance
that sometimes accompanies it in the public eye. When faced with the inevitable
puzzled grimace, or the occasional insensitive comment on the bustling
streets of New York, Rosemary shrugs it off with a casual flex of a broad
shoulder and the knowledge that her musculature did not develop overnight.
Rather, its the result of a long march down the road of training,
nutrition, commitment, dedication and motivation.
For
me, muscle constitutes a work of art on my body. It is my armor,
she says of the physique she has labored to create. People in the
street who behave like that know no better, and often it is just jealousy
because they do not have the discipline and determination that I have
to succeed, says the fulltime Administrative Assistant and ISSA
Certified Personal Trainer. Besides, (negative) reactions from people
are no concern of mine, since I was the one who wanted to be a bodybuilder,
she states matter-of-factly but free of rancor.
Rosemary
cites enthusiasm from co-workers as a pleasant boost in her pursuits-from
the beginning, they were and still are very supportive, she says-but
is equally swift to list one special person whose opinion still holds
a particularly exalted place in her heart.
My
loving mother, Rosalind Cheeseman, has been very supportive of me and
what makes me happy makes her happy. Rosemary also tips her cap
to her folks for the birthday gift they passed along to her.
Not everyone has the genetics to try to pull off such a sculpted
body, she allows.
Notwithstanding
her natural pride in what she has accomplished, and a no-apologies approach
to any public ignorance, Rosemary is still fairly laid-back regarding
her day-to-day presentation of a physique sporting 24 quads, symmetrical
16" biceps and calves, a 42 chest and a tapering 28 waist.
I dont show off in public, she says, adding that she
dresses according to the same guidelines many women follow. It depends
on my mood. Some days Ill be fully covered and other days I might
wear a little less clothing.
Besides,
the 52, 150-pound (off-season) competitor is also aware that
her muscular pursuits can occasionally conjure up wolf-whistles as much
as catcalls, albeit silent ones. Some men find the look extremely
attractive on women. There are different types and reasons for it, but
primarily I think they just have good taste.
Speaking
of public exhibitions, Rosemarys cameo appearance at a New York
Muscle Club show (www.nymuscleclub.com)
several months before her USA victory convinced the assembled audience
that she was ready for the Big Show of bodybuilding, the pro ranks. She
was called up onstage to take a bow, and compete in some arm-wrestling
exhibitions, one audience member recalls. She was wearing
a full-length skirt and a modest, though sleeveless, blouse. But when
she starting posing, everyone could see this was a highly developed, exciting
physique. She was standing on the same stage with Joanna Thomas and Andrulla
Blanchette, but every eye in the room was glued to Rosemary. She seemed
to enjoy the crowds approval and the whole performance-related environment
That
opinion is right on the money: Invariably, shell mix laughter with
posing oil, and will be found enjoying a joke backstage at contest time,
while trying to put other competitors at their ease. I tell them
not to be tense. After all, were all winners and it is just a competition,
she philosophizes.
Maybe
some of that laid-back attitude can be attributed to a healthy approach
to dieting. I dont even call it dieting, Rosemary insists.
I call it eating well. (Rosemarys Rules even allow a
little off-season indulging in a favorite food-chocolate!)
With
one major pro show already under her belt-the 2002 Jan Tana, where she
took 5th place in the Middleweight division-Rosemary can list any number
of women in the sport whom she admires. Lenda Murray, Iris Kyle,
Lesa Lewis, Denise Masino and Juliette Bergman are all women I appreciate,
she relates, adding that she didnt find anything surprising in Lendas
comeback victory in the 2002 Ms. Olympia. She was phenomenal. Lenda
brought a total package to the stage and earned that title!
But her
bodybuilding hero is still the same as its been for years, and its
not someone youd immediately suspect: When I started bodybuilding
I didnt have a female bodybuilding idol. It was and still is Shawn
Ray!
When
speaking of the sport she loves, Rosemarys enthusiasm wanes only
slightly when refraining a popular call from her Sisterhood Of The
Iron, so to speak; namely, the lack of prize money and sponsorship
in the female corner of the sport. She also places a desire for more consistent
and clear judging criteria at the top of her Christmas wish list. Its
sad that the judges are the ones to have the final say in whose body is
better than the next body. We all have different genetic make-ups!
Regarding
some of the more peripheral aspects of the sport, Rosemary also takes
a live-and-let-live approach to issues such as the session market. Its
not my personality, but I dont judge the other female bodybuilders
who want to do it. In the end you have to be able to look yourself in
the mirror, beyond your image, and like what is looking back at you,
she says. Instead, Rosemary prefers more sedate pursuits, such as reading,
dancing, cooking, and traveling.
Turning
a youthful 40 in April of 2003, Rosemary has begun marketing and promoting
herself via a new Web site, www.rosemaryjennings.com,
and has also flexed for the cameras of both Womens Physique World
and Fast Twitch Video. My shoot with James Cook was a great one,
she recalls, citing the comfort level of working with him as key to the
success of the production. We got to know each other on a personal
level and we were both at ease with each other. Hes an exceptionally
great guy and Id go even further to say that I value James as a
friend.
The video
was shot just after her coming-of-professional-age win at the USAs,
a moment that truly validated her dedication to the sport she loves. Its
been my most fulfilling moment competitively, she says. Ive
accomplished one of the many goals that I set when I first started bodybuilding.
But like
any IFBB Pro, she isnt content to rest on the laurels of a pro card.
Now Im working to get qualified for the Ms. O. Thats
my next goal, and Ill keep competing until I accomplish my final
goal-to win the Ms. Olympia at least once!
Competitive
Summary:
1997 NPC Suburban - 1st Placing Middle Weight Division and Overall winner
1997 NPC N J State - 1st Placing Middle Weight Division and Overall winner
1997 NPC Metropolitan - 1st Placing Middle Weight Division - Overall winner
1998 NPC Jr. USA - 2nd Placing Middle weight Division
1998 NPC Nationals - 1st Placing Mixed Pairs
1998 NPC Nationals - 14th Placing Middle Weight Division
2000 NPC Nationals - 12th Placing Middle Weight Division
2001 NPC East Coast - 1st Placing Middle Weight and Overall Winner
2001 NPC Nationals - 3rd Placing Middle Weight Division
2002 NPC USA - 1st placing Middle Weight Division and Overall Winner
2002 Jan Tana - 5th Placing Middle Weight Division
2002 GNC Show - 6th Placing in Light Weight Division
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