South Texas College of Law Annotations (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 40, No. 3, Ed. 1, November, 2007 Page: 3 of 8
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November 2007
Page 3
Body of Law, Body for Life
By Brad Poronsky
Business Manager
Today I had the pleasure of speaking
with one of our fascinating students
here at South Texas, Ms. Courtney
Gahm. It
never
ceases to
amaze me
that the
longer I
attend this
1 a w
school,
the more
intriguing
the fellow
students I
meet here.
Take
Courtney—
a first year
part timer who is also a competitor in
Fitness Competitions (the female,
aesthetic version of bodybuilding). She
not only worked full time in Houston's
finance/audit industry, and not only
trained and competed on a regular basis,
but also was simultaneously studying
for the LSAT.
So who is Courtney Gahm? This
local Klein High School grad grew up
with law on her mind and an eye
towards competing physically from a
very early age. Indeed in junior high
her two goals were to either be a lawyer
or to go into finance. After graduating
from Baylor with BAs in Finance and
International Business, Courtney had a
highly successful career here in
Houston in the field of financial audit.
Once she was firmly established, she
recognized that finance was not what
she wanted to do for the rest of her life.
Thus she turned to her other life goal.
Then how does bodybuilding fit in I
wondered?
Courtney recognized at an early age
that she had an instrument—a body—
that she enjoyed taking care of and
shaping, and that her body seemed to
respond more quickly to stimulus of
different exercises and diets. She was
involved in playing softball and
running track throughout high school,
which helped prepare her for her
ultimate dream. After seeing the early
professionals in both men's and
women's bodybuilding competitions,
Courtney became captivated with the
idea of competing. Once she saw how
successful her cousin had been in the
field of Figure Fitness Competitions,
Courtney made a new years resolution
to do the same. She hired a professional
trainer and nutritionist to help her lean
up.
Before her first competition was
over, she had won first place all around
in the novice group, first place for
height class, and first place overall
show champion. She continued to
make strong showings as she garnered
sponsors and endorsements. Even
today, Courtney is planning her next
major competition for '08. So with that,
let's take a look at her sport.
The sport of "Figure"—or Figure
Fitness Competitions—is a physically
grueling sport wherein the women
exercise to a very lean, feminate body
with approximately 5-7% body fat.
These bodies are critiqued with the
female form in mind. To train for this
sport Courtney keeps careful track of
her diet, eating proportioned meals
every three hours She also completes
forty-five minutes or more of cardio per
day and does two-a-days of exercise-
each day focusing on a different muscle
group. For how long? 11 weeks, with
the 12th week spent solely in final prep
for competition. With such a schedule,
it is a wonder she found time to work,
much less study and get into South
Texas.
But why put up with such hard work
to compete? And why go into the field
of law, a field far removed from Figure
Fitness Competitions? Surprisingly,
Courtney maintains the fields go hand
in hand. As seen at the mock trial and
moot court competition levels, law
school—indeed the actual practice of
law—can be quite competitive, very
much in the manner that bodybuilding
and other sports are. "Growing up I
was just amazed at the rules and
procedures of law and really enjoyed
its practicality. I think our adversarial
system appeals to me practically as well
as competitively."
While the sky is the limit as to what
she may ultimately apply her future law
degree to, it is almost certain that the
field of sports and bodybuilding
competitions will play a role in that
future practice. Having already made
it professionally in finance, she now
knows that she will be a success at
whatever she does and looks forward
to doing so in an area she loves.
Two STCL students have a good time at
SBA's annual Halloween party. Photo by
Jessica Crawford.
Sam Johnson, Allison Curbo, and
Zachaiy Allie pose for a photo at the
Triple Play softball tournament.
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Lewis, Tamara E. South Texas College of Law Annotations (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 40, No. 3, Ed. 1, November, 2007, newspaper, November 2007; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth144582/m1/3/: accessed June 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting South Texas College of Law.