A dream come true!

I consider myself truly blessed.  After I won in the Mr. & Ms. Great Bodies 2001 competition, so much has happened to me in the world of fitness. Unang Hirit, Channel 7’s morning show, got me to host its fitness segment and I have been doing this for the last two years.  Never did I imagine I would be able to share with others what I had learned about fitness.

And then when I endorsed Panasonic, the company put up a huge billboard along EDSA.  This made me feel like a teenager. I never had a billboard of myself as big as that! I also did a 555 Carne Norte commercial where I lifted a bed, made a bathroom sink move, lifted a car and caused a kitchen cabinet to come off because I was so "strong."

  All these happened after I won the Mr. & Ms. Great Bodies 2001 title. I never imagined that my winning the award would have such an impact on my life.

All I know is that I was very happy after I won. All my hard work has paid off. I was able to achieve the kind of body I had always dreamed of, and that was that.

   Little did I know that many people, women especially, would be see themselves in me.  They would come up to me and say, "If you can do it, we can, too!" or "I’ve returned to the gym because you inspired me." Wow!  Ang sarap pakinggan.  In my small way I have been able to inspire women to have a healthier lifestyle.  That to me was more import than winning the title.

   I am thankful to Allure because it has enabled me to share my thoughts and feelings about fitness and just about anything that could be of help especially to women.What more could I ask for?

   Aside from being a mother, which is I consider to be one of God’s purposes for me, being able to help others in the ways I am able to now is another of my life’s purposes.  And for this I am truly thankful.

  Recently, another wonderful thing happened to me. Something that was supposed to have happened three years ago finally became a reality.  I have just finished doing my first workout video. I am so excited! The video is another way of reaching out – and  to even more people. It’s another way of encouraging them to be fit and healthy.  The video is simply titled Working out with Jackielou Blanco. It will be released by Viva Video and will be available in VCD and DVD starting March 9.

I was asked just the other day in a press conference, "What makes your video different from the others?"  It is very personal because it is a workout I do, only a simpler version. I wanted a workout that would be easy to follow, one that can be done at home.  Because this workout is simple, women and men feel that they can do it and will do it consistently.  This will make them stronger and enable them later on to do more different ones.

The video features a circuit workout. This means that you can repeat it more than once depending on your fitness level.  It is good for those who are busy because in 30 to 40 minutes, they can finish warming up, stretching, doing the main workout and cooling down. Health tips that may be of help to you have also been featured.

    I would like to thank my first trainer, a lady who helped me believe I could achieve the body I wanted, the lady who trained me for the contest I joined. My Inay, Kristine Yu.  Thank you so much Inay, for your love and for being such an inspiration to me.

  Thank you to my trainer now, Louie Angsico, for helping me conceptualize this video, for making me strong in so many different ways.  Thank you for your support and for unselfishly sharing with me what you know.

Thank you also to my friends Tikoy and Mon who joined us in this video.  Thank you for your support.

This video is a dream come true.  It is a big part of who I am. It is my way of saying thank you.

  Be on your way to a healthier lifestyle.  Challenge yourself!  Have fun working out with me and my friends.  Enjoy yourselves!

(E-mail me at babyjackster@yahoo.com)