Hello! I'm Tanya Hyde, fitness model, figure competitor, bodybuilder, and professional chef. I was born and raised in Sydney Australia, then when I was 10 years old my family moved up north to Cairns. Cairns is in Queensland Australia. It has some of the world's most beautiful and visited destinations. Looking back now, it was the best place I've ever lived and the most beautiful place I've been so far!When I was about 14 my father received a job offer in Cincinnati, OH, which is a far cry from the tropics. After many family meetings we all decided to make yet another big move.

The move was particularly difficult for me being so young, I was the new girl with a strong Aussie accent. You may think ohh great, well it wasn't so great! I have never really been into team sports so to soothe my loneliness I would ask my mother to drop me off at the gym.Working out became a hobby and a necessity for me, and I grew very attached to the gym and what it offered me. It was a stress relief, an outlet for expression. It was a comfort zone for me and ultimately a lifesaver!

Once I graduated highschool I attended The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park NY, as cooking had always been a passion of mine. My grandparents are Italian and I grew up and spent every summer in Nonna's kitchen! Next door to my school was Gold's Gym, so naturally the school's gym was not sufficient enough for me! To this day it was the best most functional gym I have ever trained at. I began to research more, educated myself about nutrition and finding different ways to train. I bought every fitness magazine - men's, women's, you name it. I explored endless fitness websites and my hobby grew.

I started meeting new people at my gym and discovered the world of physique competitions ...at this time I was 21. The guys at the gym said that I should try to compete in figure. I was intrigued, and I decided that I would. I certainly had my work cut out for me. Don't forget I was going to the best Culinary School in the United States. So you can imagine the food that I was preparing, walking by, having to merely taste - then SPIT OUT! So it was a true love/hate relationship with food. It was one of the hardest things to do especially when you love food as much as I do!So I was a full time student, worked a part-time job and was trying to compete in my first figure show by training twice a day. I did the INBF Natural New York State Bodybuilding and Figure show in 2004 I placed first in my class and first overall. Then two weeks later I did the Monster Mash (which I didn't diet for because I was told 3 days before about it) and I finished 3rd! Competing was fun and definitely hard work - especially the dieting, the hardest part for me.

After I graduated from the CIA, I returned to Cincinnati and got my first job. I continued to train hard and gain muscle mass. Slowly but surely my physique started to change and I was itching to compete again. However, other things became more important to me at the time. Not long after I graduated I tried starting my own company "Rightlifestyles". I would educate people how to cook and prepare healthy meals in their own homes. It gave me alot of self gratification helping others to live a healthy life and to help them make positive choices. However having my own business didn't bring a steady pay check nor health benefits! So I moved on and became a restaurant manager, definitely not as much fun as my own business!

Now I am 28 and took the plunge and moved to California from Cincinnati in September 2009, for a positive life change. I feel that this move will better me in the long run and it feels more like home...Australia! I am still getting settled into my new state however I have big plans and goals that I am working towards. I have decided to compete in Bodybuilding and not Figure come Spring of 2010. I have morphed my physique into a more muscular yet still very feminine Tanya. Throughout the years, physique sports have changed, especially female bodybuilding. I want to bring back a new and improved muscular yet feminine physique that can be appreciated by the masses not just the bodybuilding industry.

I do have my work cut out for me, as my upper body is quite stubborn to grow, my legs on the other hand seem to grow in mass by simply walking!!! So be on the look out for me early next year on stage!

Thank you for stopping by my site and showing your support. Feel free to check out the fitness tips, workout videos, and my delicious, fit lifestyle recipes! Hopefully something you find might improve your life. And if you are a fan of my physique, I appreciate you joining my members section and supporting me!!! I promise regular updates of my posing, modeling, and flexing!