Photos by: Jeremy Charles
- Name: Raechelle Chase
- Place of birth: New Zealand
- Current residence: Auckland, New Zealand
- Height: 168cm
- Weight: 63kg
- Measurement: 36, 27, 36
- Favorite saying: “It’s hard to beat someone who never gives up!”
- Favorite Movie and actor: Point Break, Nicolas Cage
- Turn Ons: Ambitious, funny, caring and honesty
- Turn Offs: Arrogance
What’s your background? How did you get started in the fitness-modeling field?
My background is in fashion modeling, I did my first fashion show when I was just 5yrs old.
These days I prefer the challenge that comes with being in shape for Fitness Modeling and I have been fortunate to have had opportunities to do a lot of International fitness modeling over the last couple of years.
My most important role is as a Mother to my 3 children, Dior-Rose 5 years, Carlos 6 yrs. and Annaliese 12 yrs.
Growing up, I trained in Early Childhood Education, Computer technology & Personal Training, all professions that I decided not to pursue. I also worked in event Management for a few years organizing fashion shows and corporate functions.
I started training when I was 16 years old working part time in the gym, although I didn’t start training seriously until 2002. It wasn’t until I competed in 2007 as a novice, when I won my class, best posing routine & Overall Figure Champion, that I knew that the fitness industry was where I was meant to be. After spending my entire life wondering what the heck I was going to do with my life, I finally knew!! That was a great moment.
What is the #1 thing you like best about being into fitness and please describe a typical day for you?
I love everything that comes with training: the healthy lifestyle, positive attitude and the way training and being in shape makes me feel good.
My basic training philosophies have always been simple, train heavy, train hard and do the basics well. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I don’t like to do anything by halves, and for that reason I split my workouts into 6 training days, that way I can really give all my focus to each and every muscle group without having to train for marathon lengths of time.
My favorite time of day to train is in the morning after I drop the kids off at school, and before I do anything else. When I am dieting for a contest it is even more important to take this opportunity to train while my energy levels are high right after I’ve had breakfast, and there are more carbs in my body than there will be for the rest of the day.
Being the mother of three children is pretty hectic – no two days are the same and often things don’t go the way I plan. During competition season I have to make sure that I am extremely organized so that I am able to get in quality time with each of my three children along with training/cardio and meals.
What has been the highlight of your competitive career?
My greatest achievement to date is becoming the first ever female from New Zealand to compete in The Figure Olympia.
What is the most challenging thing you deal with to consistently stay in top shape?
Juggling motherhood and competing is definitely the most challenging aspect about staying in shape at a Pro level. I am lucky to have a very supportive husband who always helps keep me driven to achieve my goals.
What are the advantages of being a fitness model?
It’s your job to stay fit, healthy and in great shape all year, as you never know when the opportunity for a shoot will come up. The fitness industry has to be one of the best to be in, if your goals are to stay positive, motivated and healthy!
Please describe your normal diet. What do you eat on a typical day to stay in shape?
I’m constantly altering and tweaking about my diet based on the last show, and what I think might work better next time. I prefer my diet to be easy and a bit boring so I don’t have to do much thinking about what my next meal is going to be.
My diet often feels a little like ground hog day, LOL, however, I find that this is the easiest way for me to stick to my eating plan. I usually start out the day with oats, protein powder and berries, train, then have a meal replacement shake, lunch is fish or chicken with rice and salad, in the afternoon I have a meal replacement shake then dinner fish or chicken with vegetables and rice. During competition prep I substitute shakes for meals, just to make my metabolism work harder to burn the calories. And of course my calories decrease the closer I get to my competition, which can be challenging as my cardio generally increases about the same time. I think of food purely as an energy and growth source.
- Oats, protein powder & blue berries & raspberries, strawberries etc
- Sushi (after training)
- 200g fish or chicken with rice
- Protein shake
- 200g fish or chicken & vegetables.
- Protein shake with water.
What is your current training regimen like?
I prefer to train one body part at any given workout, that way I feel like I can give that muscle group 100% and not have to hold back because I know I still have other areas to train. I also get bored if I plan to train more than one muscle group which then leads to loss of focus and motivation, making training becomes a chore. Training one body part means I’m in and out of the gym within an hour & a half and stay highly motivated! That’s the way I like it.
I am in the off-season at the moment so I follow each workout with 45mins cardio, During contest prep I can do up to 3 hours of cardio a day.
What are the 3 things that can’t you live without?
My Family
My iphone
Lip gloss
What’s in store for you in future?
I’m not entirely sure, I like to take life as it comes to some degree without too much planning in advance; it leaves opportunities for exciting adventures to come into your life. We travel allot and make allot of impulsive decisions so who knows! But whatever I’m doing I know it will be the perfect thing for me.
Famous fitness icon/bodybuilder you would most like to have a coffee/protein shake with?
IFBB Pro Larissa Rees
What is the weirdest thing that ever happened to you?
I was offered a job as a ‘Peace Ambassador’ in the Middle East, they sent me through job descriptions, contracts and planned for my whole family to come with me. It was really weird.
What do you feel separates you from other talents in the industry?
I believe we can pick our seat in life, I choose to sit on top of the world. I will do my best to reach out and bring anyone just as high as I can.
I work in an industry filled with highly motivated and beautiful people. I feel very blessed to have been noticed and hope to inspire & motivate everyone I meet along the way.
Are there any top fitness models you look up to or get inspiration from in terms of succeeding in this industry?
I admire everyone that has done well in this sport. It’s hard work and it takes dedication.
I admire Jennifer Nicole Lee, & Jamie Eason for following their dreams.
Outside of the fitness world, what do you occupy your time with?
The majority of my time is spent with my family, and we travel overseas a lot. I am also the Fitness Director for Fitness Life magazine in NZ, and sponsored athlete for Sketchers shoes which involves travelling to Australia most of the time.
Any Last word to Physique Magazine readers?
It’s pretty amazing what our bodies are capable of handling, and just how much you can actually push without it breaking!
Competing is such a personal experience and what works for one person may not work for someone else. It’s learning the science of your own body and that comes with the experience of doing it over and over again and tweaking things here and there until you find out what works, and what doesn’t. It’s a continual process of trial and unfortunately error, and with each show you get to know your body better. It’s the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out. When it comes to shaping your body there are no magic pills or short cuts. First you’ve got to have a goal, so you know where you’re heading, then dedication and the motivation to get there. Often we experience bumps along the way; I do not believe that struggles are a sign of life falling apart, but rather a sign of life falling into place. Setbacks in the journey to achieving your goals only make the success that much sweeter.
I believe the biggest obstacle standing in the way of most people achieving their goals is their mind set. Once you believe you are capable and anything is possible, then there are no limits. That’s when life gets really exciting!
