Today we’d like to introduce you to DeBlair Tate.
Thanks for sharing your story with us DeBlair. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up very active and with a passion for sports. It has always been second nature to me. After high school, my goal was to join the military. I grew up in a small town in Mississippi, so I wanted to do something different and explore the opportunity to see beyond that which I had been accustomed to. However, my grandmother had a different plan for me. Her protective nature desired for me to attend a nearby college where two older cousins were already enrolled. To her, this was an ideal move for me, so I applied, and that is where young adult life began for me. I was not content with just attending college, but I was willing to make the best of it.
A few weeks in, I was heading to class one morning and noticed people in uniform running around the campus in formation. It immediately caught my attention, so I began to inquire about who they were and how I could find more information about them. This group was a part of the college’s ROTC program. I wasn’t familiar with the program because we didn’t have it as an option when I was in high school. The next day, I located the ROTC building and inquired around for someone who could answer some questions. After all, I had already honored my grandma’s wish by attending college. She never said I couldn’t join the military, so I joined the college’s ROTC program, which would allow me to attend school and work towards my military goal as a commissioned officer.
During my time in ROTC, I became very knowledgeable about military life and the many options serving my country had to offer. I found a way to stay in college and join the military, which would help pay for my college degree. I connected with a recruiter in the surrounding area, and we discussed options to take a break from college to attend basic training and technical school, and then return to finish my degree. The only requirement was for me to attend military duty one weekend each month and two weeks each year. It was all in the books now. I was an active member of the military, college ROTC program participant, and a college student. I was WINNING.
After college graduation, I moved to the coast to work for the Air Force. I was there for less than a year when Hurricane Ivan hit, and I decided that I did not want to continue fighting against the storms. I moved to Atlanta and landed a job as a loan officer, as well as worked part time at a gym near my apartment. One evening while working at the juice bar in the gym, a gentleman who had come to purchase supplements asked if I had ever thought of doing fitness competitions. He said I looked like I worked out and that I probably would do well in the competition. Not knowledgeable of the competition world, I responded with an “absolutely not!” My image of female bodybuilders was not something I wanted for myself, so I politely declined. He attempted to explain the difference, but I wasn’t interested.
Later that day, a young lady came into the juice bar with a book. She introduced herself to me and stated that she was asked to come in and show me some pictures of her as a fitness competitor. I was in awe. She looked amazing. At that moment, I was sold and ready to begin training to become a fitness competitor.
I joined their gym and began training and prepping myself for upcoming shows. I learned quickly that fitness competitions are not for the faint of heart. It is a serious business, and it requires a commitment of time and effort, as well as a flawless diet. I began training for my first fitness competition in 2006. I hit the stage in April of 2007, where I placed 4th out of 32 competitors in the nationally recognized Supernatural Bodybuilding and Fitness Competition. I later competed in another show where I put first overall, which allowed me to compete world-wide in a Pro-Status—an accomplishment that can take many years to reach. From that point, I competed in shows where I’ve won many titles and awards. I was also crowned Miss Georgia Fitness for two years in a row.
During this time, my body changed dramatically, and everyone noticed. I would be out shopping and people would approach to ask questions as if I was a professional trainer, and would ask if I could train them. For a long time, I would say no and direct them to one of the trainers at the gym until I realized that this had become my lifestyle, and I had the knowledge to guide people just as I had been guided.
It became a journey of not only sculpturing my body but having the ability to affect the lives of others as well. I trained clients to compete in numerous shows. Along the way, I gained several certifications and was on the road to becoming one of the best trainers in the game. To experience the impact my training had on transforming people’s lives—whether for image, health concerns or self-confidence—passion burned within me and grew increasingly over the years.
As a trainer and professional figure competitor, my passion was focused on helping people achieve their goals in living a happy, healthy, and successful life. I was dedicated to developing results-driven programs that were individually designed to help people achieve optimal health. Although my main focus was on personal training and fitness, my ultimate goal was to help people become successful in all areas of their lives; physical, personal, and professional. Everything I did was meant to educate, inspire, motivate, and, above all, empower people to create the life they deserved.
After almost 15 years in the game, I had created a lane for myself. Celebrity trainer and coach, nutritionist, First Sergeant and Instructor in the US Air Force, an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Vice President of my motorcycle club, LaFemme TTG, MC. It was time to branch out and embark on a new journey in the world of health and fitness—creating the fitness apparel brand, 8Figured.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This journey has definitely been a struggle. The hardest part of it all was trying to achieve a work-family life balance. I struggled to balance my career, extra-curricular, and personal life for a long time. I can’t even say today that I have it all together, but my priorities are much better aligned. I was always the one that wanted to support everyone and participate in everything. I valued my clients and the organizations I was a part of, so it was important for me to share in the things that were important to them. That sometimes meant neglecting self-care. I was always sleep deprived and exhausted, but I found energy in knowing that I was able to support the ones that supported me- which was not healthy at all to my body. The younger mind took a lot for granted. Saying no was not in my vocabulary. I had to learn through my experiences how important it was to make an effort to provide myself the opportunity for balance and downtime. I also learned how important it was to create boundaries between my work, extra-curricular, and family. That meant determining where my priorities should lie. With clear boundaries, it made things easier. My health was no longer a factor, and my family no longer had to ask where was I. Moving too fast and taking life for granted is something that definitely can catch you off guard, especially as a career worker and business owner.
8Figured – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The name 8Figured represents the idea of self-worth. When it initially derived, of course, dollar signs popped into my head. I thought to myself, “That’s it! Our bodies are worth millions of dollars—8Figured—that’s mega!” I ran this idea across to my friend and he made me realize that I needed to go deeper so my mind wouldn’t settle with just that. Something didn’t feel right about it anyway, so I knew something deeper and bigger was missing. I never felt like my body or anyone else’s carried a price tag, so that thought countered what I believed. This idea lead to 8Figured being coined a “lifestyle”. It’s about accepting who you are and being an engineer of the body you were given. Self-Love, Acceptance and Self-Respect. It’s also about being resilient and bouncing back from the things life throws at us. These experience may bend us, but they do not have to break us. That’s the 8Figured Mindset.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Our proudest moment was discovering the more profound impact we would make by helping clients to embrace who they are at all health and fitness levels and to focus on total wholeness instead of being influenced by society’s interpretation of health and beauty.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.8figured.com
- Phone: 678-744-4534
- Email: info@8figured.com
- Instagram: @8figuredBrand @DeBlairfitness
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/8figured/
- Other: www.deblairfitness.com
Image Credit:
pics by @Awpmedia and @reydez
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
