By Kyle Adams
It was a homecoming that Mikayla Vellenga will never forget.
The 2017 Pine Bush High School graduate is officially a professional bodybuilder and fitness model, after earning a second place finish at a July 2 NPC Universe show in Teaneck, New Jersey, to claim her IFBB Pro Card.
“It’s crazy because I missed the show I was supposed to do a few weeks ago, in Chattanooga, Tennessee,” said Vellenga, who now lives in Florida. “We tried to get on three different flights and spent 15 hours in the airport, but none of the flights took off either due to weather or maintenance issues. I ended up missing that show.”
It was initially Vellenga’s hope to earn her pro card at the Tennessee show in June, but circumstances beyond her control forced her to redirect her focus to the NPC Universe event – an hour and a half from her hometown of Pine Bush.
“I cried on the way back from the airport that day, but the next day my coach said that everything happens for a reason,” Vellenga said of missing the Chattanooga show. “He said, you were not meant to be at that show, and we’re going to put it in the past.”
While Vellenga was forced to maintain her strict training and diet routines for a few weeks longer than expected, it opened up the door for her family and friends to be present on the day she became a pro, and took second place in the Fit Model division of the NPC Universe event.
“None of my family would have been able to get to Chattanooga,” Vellenga said. “It felt like it was meant to be, after it happened. It meant so much more to me, with all my family there supporting me. It feels like it was supposed to happen this way.”
As a professional bodybuilder – an upgrade from the amateur ranks – she is now able to compete at shows for prize money, will have increased sponsorship opportunities and will look to take the stage against a new level of competition, including working towards the pinnacle of pro fitness and bodybuilding, the Olympia.
A former diver and softball player at Pine Bush, Vellenga began going to the gym in preparation for her sports for the Bushmen.
“I started going to the gym to get better at sports when I was in high school. But I actually started to like the gym more than the sport I was playing. It was a weird feeling, but after I stopped diving (in college at Hartwick) I continued going to the gym,” she said. “I was seeing a lot of bodybuilding and fitness shows on social media, and my boyfriend, Sean, competes as well. That made me want to do a show, but I didn’t know if I had what it took. I didn’t know if I had it in me.”
“I didn’t do well at my first two shows, and I kind of took that to heart, but that allowed me to go back to the gym with more of a purpose. It was something that I wanted to get really good at, and those first couple shows really lit a fire, since I loved being on stage and I loved performing.”
Over the past three years, Vellenga competed in amateur shows, looking for the chance to reach the national level. At a Junior USA event in Charlotte, North Carolina earlier this year, she qualified for an opportunity to compete for her pro card.
“The first time I stepped on a stage a few years ago, I didn’t remember anything. I looked at my friend and asked them what just happened. I kind of blacked out,” Vellenga recalled of her first show in 2023 in Boca Raton, Florida. “Now when I’m on stage, it’s like I feel every emotion and see everyone. I see my mom, I see the judges and I see my coach yelling at me. I’m becoming so aware while I’m on stage, and I think that’s what’s making it so addicting, because of the way I feel when I’m on stage. When I’m holding my pose and looking out and seeing everyone, it’s such a crazy adrenaline rush that’s hard to explain.”
While the competition itself is focused on an athlete’s overall physique and aesthetic, a competitors stage presence and preparation is much more of a physical and mental balance.
“I started preparing in February. It’s cardio everyday, not missing a meal, weighing out every gram you consume and controlling your water, working a 9 to 5 and teaching pilates classes,” said Vellenga, who works as a radiation therapist and an outpatient treatment center in Florida. “My body feels it. I’m tired, but I’m motivated, which is why I keep going.”
There is also the aspect of social media, and making comparisons between yourself and the competition.
“Oh, 100 percent. It’s hard not to compare yourself. My coach is always telling me to focus on myself, since I’m always the one backstage looking at everyone else,” Vellenga said. “Looking at social media ahead of time who you’re competing against, and it’s hard not to compare yourself to what other people post. It’s just an added internal pressure, and really you don’t even have to worry about it.
“I’ve learned not to compare myself, and that last show I did, I really didn’t stress out over anyone else. I just stayed in the moment and was so happy that I was at home with my family.”
Since officially becoming a pro, Vellenga has enjoyed a bit of a break from her regular training regiment.
“It sounds crazy, but I love sushi and I love a burger and fries. That was the first thing I had after my show, a burger and fries. I love my sweet treats too,” she said.
“I had a lot of rice krispie treats and cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. Really, it’s all sweets. I can’t wait to go to Hometown (Pine Bush’s ice cream stand) later today.”
It won’t be long before she’s back in action, looking to get to the next level.
“My goal right now, I want to go to the Olympia,” Vellenga said. “I want to take this all the way.”
