Theresa Ivancik found meaning through strength

Theresa Ivanick embodies toughness, and not necessarily just in the physical sense, although you can see her Olympic caliber physique and you can see that she checks that box too.

We're talking Mental strength, and in this case Theresa Ivancik is the real deal. Simply put, it gets the job done. She proves this by sharing some of her most personal moments of her life. She used her house arrest as a motivator to get her life in order.

She has also overcome bulimia, a devastating condition that consists of a vicious cycle that is very difficult to break without a significant motivator, and a condition suffered by many women in physical fitness. “Bodybuilding got me out of bulimia,” she said. "I can eat now because I'm a bodybuilder. I eat for a reason."

Why I say this comes from several different elements of her life that Theresa shared with me. The first is how she conquered her eating disorder. Bulimia is a devastating illness. It consists of a vicious circle that is very difficult to break without a significant motivator. I've recently become very aware of how many women in physical sports suffer from this; Theresa Ivanick is no exception.

What do you like about being muscular?

Besides having bulimia, it was good to have a goal. I also wanted to be different. I believe in daring to be different.

How did the bodybuilding bug bite you?

I was under house arrest for drunk driving in 2001. My parents had an old Weider system in the basement and I started playing around with it. Then I saw an Oxygen magazine and said I wanted to look like that! I got a job at a local gym and tried my hand. When I started asking about competitions, someone told me to go see Jeff Harlan. He had his own gym and he was the only guy in town who knew anything about the sport and competition. He told me I had to eat, and I didn't want to hear that, so I left him and thought I'd do it myself. While I was under house arrest, I was able to research all the shows and focused on one the day after my house arrest ended. I showed this myself. Then we came back with Jeff and we prepared for the 2008 Mr. Pittsburgh Figure. After that, we agreed to move up to bodybuilding. I took 2009 off so I could eat and grow. In 2010 I did my first bodybuilding show with my 83-year-old grandfather.

That was it then, you were addicted?


Yes.

When did drugs come onto the market?

Not long after. I went from 120 to 180 in a few months. So, yes, it was an easy decision to take drugs.

Like swapping one addiction for another?

Not specifically drugs. The whole thing – the lifestyle, the competition – but, yes, drugs are part of it. There are certain things you don't take. You have to be smart. I was able to maintain my femininity for 15 years without a break.

You obviously had good advice and did it right. What about the girls who don't do it right?

They don’t last – one and done…. maybe two years, then they just fall off.

Well, they don't fall off. They just go in a different direction and start serving the seedy end of things.

That's true, I suppose. It shouldn't come to that.

Porn, Sessions, Only Fans – is that what you’re talking about?

Yes. I treat this like a business. You don't get a second chance. If you want to be a bodybuilder, you have to act like one. I don't like what some of these girls do, but I understand. It's just not bodybuilding. I can't cross that line because I have a business.

Some girls cross this line quite easily. They don't seem to mind, but you never know what they'll deal with later. All I can tell you is that one minute you're on stage and the next thing you know there's a porn star standing next to you.

"That actually happened! I didn't know she did that until after the show, but it was interesting.

And the appeal of bodybuilding for women? Why not one of the other departments?

I thought so. I was too big for that. Then we thought I was too big for WPD. I wasn't "at home". I am a bodybuilder. I'm proud of it. I have pictures of myself when I was 6 years old flexing in a connected two-piece swimsuit! I tried to post on TikTok and they deleted it because it was “kids.”

But it was YOU!

I know it's crazy.

Do people in your city know you?

Yes.

Where do you live?

Butler, Pennsylvania. It is approximately 45 minutes from Pittsburgh.

A bit of a small town feeling?

Yes. Everyone knows us. People greet us by name on the street. Afterwards I ask Jeff who that is and we don't know.

Was it always like this?

At first people were rude. If I were traveling without Jeff, I would have to hide.

The usual ignorant comments.

At some point things got pretty bad. As a guest, I spoke at the local college about breaking norms. How to deal with bullies and stuff like that. The first time I did it, I was in the newspaper and the article said terrible things about me! While I was there, I did something positive for children.

How did you overcome that?

I stuck with it. I kept winning. I kept getting in the papers – I would kill them with kindness. Finally they accepted me.

Now that you and Jeff are part of the local community and well-liked, what is a typical day like in Butler? I can imagine you guys are pretty busy.

We have our own gym (Harlan’s Elite Fitness) that we operate and offer personal training and online coaching. We are also working on a film calledBeyond bodybuilding. It is an independent film project taken up by a local girl. She came to us with the idea and we tossed it around. We revisited it around 2020 when we first filmed. There are three of us in the film. It teaches girls to be powerful and beautiful and away from the sessions and the drugs.

A noble cause, sure, What about clothes? I think I read somewhere that you guys have a t-shirt company.

That’s what we do – Harlan’s Elite Customs. We originally started it to get rid of the middleman. When we started the gym, we had a backer. Instead of us paying him back, he wanted us to pay it forward. So we bought two presses and gave this opportunity to a kid we know who comes to the gym. He was a good boy who needed a chance. We said let's try it and off we went.

Don't you work for Jake Wood in some capacity?

I first worked for Jake in 2011 when I did a Wings of Strength photo shoot. Then I met him again in 2016 when I turned pro. I have been working for him as a fully sponsored athlete since 2017 when I made my professional debut.

Did you live in the Muscle Mansion with all the girls who did Buff Dynasty?

I did!

How was that?

It was very well run. All the girls were presented very well. They really cared about the athletes. So I was finally accepted into the family. All old episodes are available on the Wings of Strength YouTube channel if you would like to watch them.

What's the general message you're sending out there? What should people notice about you and your portrayal of the female bodybuilder?

That I practice what I preach. Bodybuilding plays a role because I play that role. When people come to our gym, we want to help them. Reversing diabetes, getting people off medications—that's the big deal. Presented correctly, people will seek you out for your knowledge.

How has this played out during COVID?

We didn’t fall into the negativity. We kept the gym open during COVID. We didn't let anyone tell us what to do. Instead of living with a bunch of rules, we just did what was sensible. Everyone has their own personal mechanism of what is right and wrong. You know what's really right in your head. And that's not always popular. I posted a lot of stuff that wasn't talked about - the fraud, the lies, the manipulation, the crap as they go, the corruption - I gained followers, but then I had to think about my business. I had to stop alienating people.

What about bodybuilding? Would you approach things differently?

This is a very difficult question. It's getting to the point where we can't afford it anymore. Preparing for an average pro show costs about $5,000 - it's hard for people to pay it. Something has to be done in terms of costs. We are the only professional athletes who pay to play. Pay-per-view helps and provides easy access to the audience. But the money has to come from somewhere. It's almost like a non-profit organization; in general there is no money. I don't know if there will ever be enough money. Maybe the top 5 or 10 will be sponsored? $2,000 for first place isn't enough. We have to pay for coaching, posing, flying, hotel, food, choreography, posing suits, tanning, hair, makeup, etc. It adds up.

Give us your final thought: What message would you like to leave us that defines your role as a human being?

Do what makes you happy. Do what you enjoy. Live without regrets. Do everything you can to be positive and motivating. Our goal is to help everyone become better and put them ahead of ourselves.