Share Your Story. Inspire Someone Else to Rise.
This Is Bigger Than the Stage
Every athlete who steps on stage has a story. Not just discipline and training… But of growth. Struggle. Resilience. Becoming. The Fit Show Story Project was created to give those stories a voice. Because behind every physique is a woman who had to overcome something to become who she is today.
In 2020, we started the Fit Show Story Project with one mission:
To share real stories of overcoming — so that other women can find hope, confidence, and strength in their own journey.
This sport is about more than how you look. It’s about:
Who you become in the process
What you push through when no one is watching
And the strength you discover along the way
Your story matters — and it deserves to be heard.
The Overcomer Award
Each year, one athlete is selected to receive the Whitney Wiser Overcomer Award. This award is not about being the leanest, strongest, most polished, or even who has overcome “the most” per say. It’s something that honors something deeper:
✨ The courage & strength to keep going
✨ The resilience to overcome adversity
✨ The willingness to grow through challenges
✨ The decision to rise and keep showing up — again and again — despite
Because true strength isn’t just built physically. It’s revealed through resilience & daily choices and actions.
This Is Your Invitation
If you’re competing in this year’s NPC/IFBB Nashville Fit Show, we invite you to share your story. Not because it has to be the perfect story of overcoming adversity, but because it’s real.
Your story might be the exact thing someone else needs to hear in order to keep going.
*At this time, the Overcomer Award is reserved for amateur NPC athletes only.
2026 Winner - Brandy Morrison
A Note From Whitney
When I read these stories each year, I’m reminded that this community is built on so much more than a competition.
It’s built on courage, growth, and women choosing to become stronger — in every sense of the word. No matter where you are in your journey, I want you to know:
You are already an OVERCOMER!
Prompting Questions
These questions are to use as a guide. They are also optional. You can answer them OR write your story in your own way however you see fit to submit.
✨ Ready to Share Your Story?
Round 1 Submission Deadline: July 27, 2026
Round 2 - Video Entry for Top 7-10 Finalists Deadline: Aug 3
Round 3 - Top 3-5 Interview with Whitney Wiser
**Detailed instructions will be sent to finalists for Rounds 2 & 3 of entry process.
The First Award Winner in 2020 - Brittany Weddington
FINAL REMINDER: There is no “perfect” story — only a real one. And yours matters more than you think.
Past Years Overcomer Award Winners
2021 Winner - Celia Jenkins
2022 Winner - Christina Kearney
2023 Winner - Sydney Raines
2024 Winner - Dr. Lauren Yancey
