Meet the New Boss
An Interview With FA Editor-in-Chief, Olesya Novik
by TC

When we first met Olesya Novik, we assumed she was just another body; one of the seemingly endless supply of beautiful, fit girls that flock to Southern California for excitement or fame.

But as we got to know her, we realized that Olesya was something special, one of those rare creatures with the whole package: brains, talent, and looks.

C'mon, a Figure Athlete at the top of her game with a degree in Computer Engineering who reads physics books for fun? It's just not that common.

Beyond that, we don't think she even knows she's beautiful!

Maybe it's because she was born in a country where beauty isn't as highly valued as it is here. Maybe in Uzbekistan and Ukraine, where she grew up, what mattered more was your ability to work with rockets, or computers, or even your ability to plow a field.

Beauty? Ha! How is that going to feed your family?

I think it's only in such an environment that Olesya Novik could have been created.

We initially hired Olesya to be a Biotest spokesperson, but we soon found out that she was a born writer, which is all the more impressive considering that Olesya hasn't been speaking or writing English for a very long time.

She ended up writing numerous articles for FigureAthlete.com and has helped hundreds of aspiring Figure Athletes. We soon came to realize that her proper position with Biotest was as Editor-in-Chief of this site.

So let's begin a proper introduction.

TC: Olesya, let's introduce you to the readership. How about if we start with some of the David Copperfield stuff? Where and when were you born?

ON: I was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 1982. That's in Central Asia, in case geography isn't one of your strong points.

TC: Uzebekistan, isn't that where a lot of the Soviet rocket scientists lived? Were you from a family of rocket scientists?

ON: A lot of them [scientists] were living there after relocating from Eastern European countries during the USSR era. I remember my parents being friends with many of them, but both of them worked in completely unrelated fields.

TC: I understand the city you grew up in was unique?

ON: Oh yes, it was actually an entire small city created specifically for the blind and their families. My mom, who's visually impaired, was the president of the association that managed this community. My dad — whose sight has always been perfect — was one of her employees!

TC: How specifically was this city for the blind designed? I mean, what was different or special about it?

ON: All of the grocery stores and service shops were created with the blind in mind. There'd be people at each of these places to assist the customers with all of their needs as soon as they came through the door; they'd take them by the hand and get them all they needed.

Schools and kindergartens had a ton of classes that specifically targeted kids with vision problems; they taught them how to do everything from cooking, to sewing, to finding a job, or counting money.

The biggest draw for the blind adults was probably the factory that was at the center of all this. It produced different types of brushes, and employed most of the city's residents. This place was equipped with machinery that could be used by touch alone, no sight needed.

While the conveniences themselves were fantastic, the best part of it was the sense of community every one of its residents felt. I remember running up to complete strangers, grabbing their hand to help them cross the street, and not thinking that I did a "good thing." Little things like that really helped shape my personality as a kid.

I spent most of my childhood in Ukraine, though. My grandparents had a farm there and I spent most of my time climbing trees, targeting bats with my slingshot, and tending to cattle.

TC: How old were you when you first came to the United States?

ON: I was a teenager, around thirteen.

TC: What were the circumstances? Why did you move, and to what city?

ON: My parents decided that leaving Eastern Europe would guarantee an actual future for me. Things were turning bad fast in Ukraine. The country's economy was crumbling and most people were left jobless; it was tough for everyone to afford the most basic necessities, even food!

They felt that bringing me here would allow me to get an education and give me a shot at making a nice living — or at the very least, not have to worry about being unable to afford food, as an adult.

When we first came to the States, we ended up in Queens, NY. We lived in an incredibly old building, on the fourth floor, with no elevators and plenty of mice just roaming the tiny apartment freely. They weren't even afraid of us, they'd just walk straight down the center of the room to get to the other side!

We stayed there for about two years before moving out to Brooklyn, which is where I attended high school. It was in a pretty beaten-down area, and I remember being petrified my first few days of school. I did get used to it quickly and always did my best to make my parents think of it as a very safe place to be, just so they wouldn't worry about me too much.

TC: You speak English so well and it seems to have happened pretty fast. How did that come about?

ON: Well, it wasn't easy at first. I started going to school and definitely got teased a whole lot for the first few months. Thankfully, I had no idea what any of those bullies said since I didn't understand a word of English at that point!

After a while of listening to everyone around me speak English and doing my best to imitate them, it just started to come to me. That's when the teasing stopped and I started making some friends.

TC: Have you been back to Ukraine since?

ON: I did go back to visit a few times. It's always very emotional for me, seeing so much poverty, being unable to help all those people, and realizing that I could have been one of them. I always come back home with a renewed appreciation for life and a ton of gratitude for the smallest conveniences we have here!

TC: How did the people back in Ukraine respond to an Amazonian creature like you?

ON: "Amazonian," that's a first!

I think I get the same reaction in every country, it just depends on the person "reacting." Some are a little intimidated, others want to know how many times a week I train arms, and others just look at me as though I'm an alien.

TC: How did you first get involved in working out?

ON: My first real experience with weights was in high school when I somehow ended up as the only girl in the football team's gym class. I felt comfortable right off the bat because I always felt comfortable being "one of the boys."

I always did my best to lift just as heavy and do as many "regular" pushups as the biggest guy in that class could do. I was a very thin girl at that point — around 103 pounds at five-eight! — so needless to say I never succeeded in reaching his level of strength. I did do better than some of the other boys, which knocked down a few egos on that team!

TC: When did you realize you had a knack for it?

ON: That didn't happen until a couple of years later, in college. I noticed that I gained muscle and strength pretty easily and became a little obsessed with the lifestyle. I think it was mostly the curiosity in seeing what the end result of all that training that kept driving me. Still does!

TC: What about college? Where did you go and what did you study?

ON: Hofstra University, out on Long Island in New York and I studied — this usually surprises people — Computer Engineering. Yes, I'm just a math and physics nerd deep down inside!

Math team, anyone?

TC: A nerd, really? Give me more examples.

ON: Do you know a lot of young girls who'll sit home on a Friday night, reading "Theoretical Concepts in Physics: An Alternative View," for fun? Great book, by the way.

I also love analyzing mathematical formulas and solving equations for no real reason — just to see how long it'll take me.

TC: Did you graduate, or are you one of those people who say they were in pre-med because they took Biology 101 and then dropped out?

ON: I did graduate, but it's funny that you mention pre-med; for the past few years, I've actually been considering going back to school to finish up some pre-requisites and apply to Medical School!

TC: Tell me this, can you actually build a computer?

ON: Building a computer is easy. It's getting it to work that's the hard part. Just kidding. Yes, it really isn't hard.

TC: What have you been doing since college? What kinds of jobs have you had?

ON: I've worked doing just about everything but what I studied in school! 

I've worked for a plastic surgeon in NY — as a secretary first, than an O.R. assistant — I was a secretary/interpreter for the Police Department in Brooklyn for about a year (talk about an exciting job!), worked as an esthetician and makeup artist while living in Florida, and managed a fitness center while living in Austin, TX. My favorite and longest-lasting job is personal training.

TC: I noticed that "computer engineering" is missing from your resume. Why didn't you take any jobs in the field you studied?

ON: I got extremely bored with it back in college.

I wanted to graduate anyway, just to have it as a backup, but could never really picture playing with computers for a living.

I like being active, and I love to have a change in schedule. I don't like the idea of any kind of a predictable 9-5 at all, especially when it's centered around doing the same exact work day after day.

Besides, I really love interacting with people. I like to feel that I'm making a difference in someone's life... and you can't really accomplish that feeling through playing with wires and a motherboard all day.

TC: We know you competed in Figure. What was the impetus?

ON: It was just a natural progression of all that training in that I wanted to see how far I could go with my body.

TC: What Figure competitions have you been in? How did you do?

ON: I've only competed in one show. I placed first in the San Diego Classic Figure and Bodybuilding show and I'm apparently now a "National Level Figure Competitor."

TC: People often think Figure Athletes are just glorified beauty queens, populated by many of the same bimbos who struggle to answer the most basic questions concerning just about anything. Is that an accurate perception of Figure Athletes?

ON: Anyone who knows me knows how passionate I am about proving this idea wrong! In fact, I wrote a whole article debating this issue about a year ago. It was called Tales of a Bikini Babe.

Figure Athletes, at the risk of sounding redundant, are athletes. Many disagree, but to me, anyone who dedicates their life to training in the gym, following an impeccable diet, and forever searching for ways to improve on various points of their physique, deserves that title.

An ignorant "bimbo" would never have the discipline or the knowledge to survive even a couple of weeks of the intense preparation it takes to be a Figure Athlete.

TC: What do you think is the draw of becoming a Figure Athlete? Why are women interested in it?

ON: Unlike many pursuits, it's really all about being a better version of yourself.

I've seen formerly obese women change their lives around by setting a goal and shedding the fat. It's all about determination and will power, it really has the power to change the lives of those who are ready for the challenge!

TC: What are your goals for FigureAthlete.com?

ON: I see us becoming the ultimate portal for all things related to developing the ultimate femalebody. We already have the right foundation. There really is no other place a woman can go to get professional advice on everything from training and diet to supplementation, along with boundless support from all of our fantastic members.

FigureAthlete.com will provide all the resources for obtaining the physique of your dreams. We have an amazing group of coaches who have limitless knowledge when it comes to chiseling the perfect female shape. Not only can they provide all the information needed to reach your goals, but they're actually available to answer any questions directly on the site!

TC: But this site isn't really about competing in Figure Competitions, is it?

ON: Well, we'll certainly help women do that, if that's what they want to do. However, we want to create sort of a paradigm shift. In my mind, a Figure Athlete is a woman who's in shape all the time, a woman who's literally only days away from being in shape for a modeling (photo shoot) or acting job.

Really, what good is having a body that's only "photo ready" a few days a year? It seems counterintuitive to why we all started working out.

In my mind, women will gravitate to FigureAthlete.com not because they want some plastic trophy that will gather dust on a shelf, but because they want lucrative modeling or acting careers, or more likely, they just want to look incredibly hot — all the time — no matter what their age!

TC: That sounds pretty damn logical, but we'd expect no less from you. You're incredibly ambitious and motivated, but what do you do for fun?

ON: Train. Seriously, that's how I have fun.

Outside of that, I love to draw and paint. I'm also huge on the outdoors. Anytime I'm out hiking, it brings back memories of going hunting with my dad when I was a little girl, so it's always a good time.

TC: One of your e-mail addresses incorporates the word "Anomaly." Are you an anomaly?

ON: That nickname was actually given to me by some friends, a while ago. I must say, I think it's right on!

My entire life, I've been unable to "fit in" with any one group of people, or even narrow down my interests into one neat category. I have a myriad of interests and a ton of opinions on a huge variety of topics.

Because of my varied experiences, I share personality traits with everyone from the kid who grew up in the projects, to a driven athlete; the hunter, to the "sophisticated" fashion model, and everyone in between.

I absolutely feel like a "deviation" from the norm, so the nickname suits me well!

TC: Thanks Olesya, you are an "anomaly." Knock 'em dead.

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