OPTIMAL FITNESS FUELS DETECTIVE SARAH GISI’S
FIGURE PASSION AND PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS
(Indianapolis, IN ) – After turning 21, Sarah Gisi applied to a police force in southern Indiana expecting to easily pass the fitness test required of all applicants.
“I looked over the physical agility test requirements and thought this would be so easy,” she says. “I will just work out a few days a week and I’ll be fine.”
But her test didn’t turn out ‘fine’. “I failed the agility test miserably,” she says. “I was even told not to come back ever again until I was serious.”
For Gisi, failing that test once was all she needed to get renew her fitness focus, especially given her desire to enter law enforcement. Now a Domestic Violence Detective for Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Gisi says, “I think it is very important for anyone in law enforcement to take their physical fitness very seriously. If you can’t stay in the fight, you are no good to the people you are working around. You never know when you will have to chase someone down on a burglary in progress, warrant service, or traffic stop. Some suspects will want to fight you.”
Those suspects, however, have a formidable opponent in Gisi who incorporates weightlifting, cardio and running into her workout routine. She is registered to run in the Indianapolis Women’s Half Marathon on September 1st in downtown Indianapolis. Her goal? Completing the 13.1 miles in two hours or under and without injury. Following that event, she is interested in participating in a sprint triathlon.
But her true passion that guides her overall dedication to health and health is Fitness Competition, better known as Bodybuilding. Gisi competes in the category known as “Figure” where competitors are assessed from different angles by judges on athletic build and muscle shape. Workouts alone, Gisi admits, can only do so much when it comes to success in this type of competition. “Clean eating is the key to obtaining the body type I want. I love the challenge when it comes to muscle growth and trying to improve the last competition every time.”
Even though her fitness goals are to place in the top five at a national qualifying show and then compete at the national level, Gisi also shares the practical reasons for her staying in shape. “I am fighting against family genetics which consist of hypothyroidism, heart disease and diabetes.”
Gisi’s commitment to fitness is supported by her husband Joshua, who understands physical readiness due to his own obligations with the SWAT team and as a Lieutenant in the Army Reserves. “I married an amazing man that is driven and encourages me to dream big and go after it. We make each other better,” she says.
When Gisi toes the starting line at the Indianapolis Women’s Half Marathon, she knows she will be supporting an event that benefits Girls on the Run, a nonprofit that builds girls’ confidence, self esteem and teamwork capabilities through running. “It’s a great program, instilling the feelings of positive self-worth and strength in young women,” she says.
But what Gisi may not have considered is that just like Girls on the Run which give young women examples to live by, so does Gisi through her career dedication and her health and wellness commitment.
NOTE: Since the writing of this article, Sarah has accomplished her goal of placing top five at a National Qualifying Figure Competition. In fact, she placed 2nd at the 2012 NPC Tricky Jackson Classic!
