What is your athletic background, and how did you get involved with bikini competitions?
GRACE De La ROSA – Search Images was not an athletic child, but at the age of 18, when I saw a magazine photo of Rachel McLish as the first Miss Olympia, I knew this was a sport for me. I wanted to sculpt my straight and skinny body with healthy curves and definition. I learned all I could about proper weightlifting techniques and nutrition. Eventually, I became an AFAA-certified group exercise instructor before I decided to compete in the NPC Bikini division. There is nothing about bodybuilding that I do not enjoy.
Quick Stats
- Name: Grace De La Rosa
- Location: Jacksonville, FL
- Born: May 11th, 1967 (58 years)
- Height: 5’1”
- Competition Sport NPC Bikini
- Major Accomplishment 5th Place, Ft. Lauderdale Cup 2010, Bikini Over-35 Short Class
- Years Training: 27
- Contest Weight; 103 lbs.
- Off-Season Weight: 115 lbs.
- Website: Click Here
When did GRACE De La ROSA start training
Grace De La Rosa has been training for 27 years. She started her fitness journey at the age of 18, inspired by a magazine photo of Rachel McLish, the first Miss Olympia. Over the years, she has honed her skills in weightlifting, nutrition, and even became an AFAA-certified group exercise instructor before competing in the NPC Bikini division. Quite the transformation!
I love how I feel productive after every workout. The only thing I do not like is the post-competition blues. It’s hard to get back into the swing of everyday life without the regimented pre-contest training and dieting schedule. And getting back to a “normal” weight is depressing, knowing how good I can look. Is it vain to think this way? Sure, but it’s merely part of this lifestyle—always striving for better than average.
What were the major milestones that gave you that “extra” motivation boost?
I was diagnosed with Stage III Colon Cancer in 2005, ironic because I had always eaten well, worked out on a regular basis and never had a weight issue. I have no family history of any type of cancer. By the end of my 12th and final chemo treatment in 2006, I gained over 50 pounds due to the steroids in my chemo and lack of activity (and energy!).
I lost most of the excess weight over a three-year period and decided to train for a figure show to keep me on track. I was ecstatic to hit the stage in April 2010 with my best physical shape since my cancer diagnosis. I then hit my peak in November of that year at an NPC bikini show. Two weeks later, I won 5th place at my final bikini show of the year.
What keeps you motivated?
Memories of my chemo days, when I was hooked up to my chemo pump and stuck in bed because I didn’t have the energy to do anything but look outside my bedroom window and watch my kids play. A side effect of the chemo that I experience to this day is peripheral neuropathy – I don’t have much feeling in my toes, feet and fingers. I tend to trip while walking and fall when running. My chemo memories remind me of how lucky I am to be alive and in good health; to work around what I cannot do and take full advantage of what I am able to do TODAY!
Home Page – Chemocare.com is a comprehensive resource for cancer patients and their caregivers that provides chemotherapy drug and side effect information, cancer wellness information, and links to additional reliable resources and organizations.
What are your future goals, dreams and plans?
I hope to always be involved in the fitness industry in one capacity or another, not necessarily as a competitor, but maybe as a TV/Internet host, reporter or even a judge. Otherwise, I plan to fulfill my dreams of traveling the Greek Islands and Italy with my husband within the next year or two. I’m learning Italian as we speak!
Do you have any gym, muscle building or fitness pet peeves?
Yes, I certainly do have some pet peeves! Please use the sanitary wipes/spray after equipment use, especially the sweaty ones using benches! Please re-rack your weight plates – I’d like to conserve my energy for my actual workout!
What advanced training techniques work well for you?
I like using all of the techniques, but I favor supersets. Supersets allow me to maximize my time in the gym in the shortest possible time. I don’t like moving from one side of the gym to the other nor do I like moving my bench position from incline to upright to complete a superset. This wastes time and energy. I will grab all what I need for my supersets and place them in front of me.
I sometimes superset incline dumbbell bench presses with incline dumbbell curls or flyes; flat bench dumbbell pullovers with dumbbell skull crushers; wide-grip barbell curls with barbell upright rows or stiff-legged deadlifts. Or if I’m concentrating solely on delts, I’ll superset seated Arnold presses with bent-over reverse flyes and standing alternating lateral raises with alternating front raises. I finish up with my targeted muscles du jour, and I’m out the door. You get the picture (smile).
What are some of your favorite motivational quotes?
Just DO it!
If someone wants to connect with you, where can you be found?
My website address is www.grace delarosa.com. It includes my online Cancer Journal, Before/During/After Chemo photos, plus my TV demo reel, modeling portfolio and contact information. I am also on Facebook.
Do you have any tips for someone who is looking to compete in your sport?
Hire a trainer/nutritionist who specializes in competition figure/fitness/bikini athletes. Be strict with your diet…the results won’t lie. Don’t forget to take before and after photos! Enjoy the journey to becoming the best you!
What attracts you to the natural side of sports and competition?
There’s nothing but hard work and dedication involved…no ifs, ands, or buts!
Favorite activities and hobbies you enjoy when away from the gym?
There is nothing better than being with my husband, children, parents, siblings, nieces and nephews for family dinners! We also love having picnics at the beach.
Which college or professional sports teams do you root for?
My husband would kill me if I didn’t mention his alma mater–Virginia Tech Hokies (gobble-gobble!)! I always root for my hometown team, the Jacksonville Jaguars!
Grace De La Rosa Bio:
Grace has over 35 years of experience in the health, wellness and fitness industry as an AFAA-certified fitness instructor, professional fitness/swimwear model, contributing fitness writer and NPC fitness and bikini competitor. Her evidence-based approach to holistic health and wellness includes weaving mindfulness in both movement and stillness meditation.
Grace was diagnosed at the age of 38 with Stage 3 colon cancer in 2005 and treated with a “chemo cocktail” called FOLFOX, a mix of several drugs plus steroids. Looks can be deceiving: she’s deemed permanently physically disabled due to the long-term side effects of chemo. This includes bone and joint degeneration as well as peripheral neuropathy (extensive nerve damage particularly to hands and feet).
After years of chronic pain, medical scares, complications, numerous surgeries and what seemed like never-ending doctor appointments, she decided that enough was enough. By then, her daily pill box included up to 24 prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications–half of the pills supposedly counteracted the side effects from the other pills. With the help of her general physician, she titrated down and discontinued all but one of her medications.
Today, Grace attributes her good health to the practice of mindful living, to include prayer and meditation; Taoist Tai Chi, a form of martial arts and moving meditation; non-violent communications; choosing more whole foods vs. processed; and maintaining healthy, meaningful relationships with family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances and yes, strangers–who are simply, in essence, potential friends.
In 2014, she created Be a Blue Buddy, a colon cancer awareness campaign with a mission to advocate for and support patients, survivors, and their support system (friends, family, caretakers, clergy). As a survivor wanting to give back to the community, Grace educates on the disease and shares her story to empower and inspire others, and to help save lives.
Be a Blue Buddy is not an organization, but rather a grassroots, personal call-to-action to educate the community about the disease through public speaking engagements, participating with other organizations, and connecting with the community through social media to help raise awareness of colon cancer, the importance of screening and early detection in support of survivors and their support team; to give hope to newly diagnosed patients; and to honor those who have died from this disease.
Grace has also been a professional TV Commercial and Corporate Training spokesperson, voice-over talent and print model since 1986. She attended the University of North Florida (UNF), received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications/TV Broadcasting with a minor in Psychology, volunteered at WJCT public radio, shadowed at WTLV TV-12 and interned as a TV reporter at WJXT-TV4.
Grace strives for joyful learning and living, and is willing to step outside of her comfort zone. She has experienced snow skiing, scuba diving, skydiving, paintball wars, and traveling. Grace likes to soak in the culture’s history of traditions, arts, architecture and daily lifestyle–eating and sleeping as the locals do. She realized her childhood dream of visiting Greece; Oia-Santorini completely captured her heart!
She enjoys the arts (e.g. music/theatre/live entertainment, museums, paintings, photos, architecture), literature, and botanical gardens. She is a beach girl at heart. Anything related to the sun, clouds, moon, stars, rainbow and other skyscapes capture her attention.
Her favorite splash of color is bright citrus orange. A few of Grace’s favorite scents are flowers/plants (magnolia, rose, gardenia, peony, plumeria, honeysuckle, Hawaiian ferns, citrus), aromatic wafts of food cooking in the kitchen, the ionic shift just before rainfall, and the scent of a freshly mowed lawn.
A voracious researcher and a lover of life experiences, her interests include philosophy, neuroscience, astrophysics, quantum physics, cosmology, the collective consciousness, semiosis, audiology, adult giftedness, equanimity in the realms of social justice, cultural diversity, global cohesiveness, economy, trade, politics, government, education, healthcare, media, religion, non-religion, and spirituality.
Grace is committed to community wellness endeavors. She is the President of the Holistic Chamber of Commerce Jacksonville Beaches Chapter. She serves as a member of The Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Center Advisory Council and assists 150 men being treated for alcohol or substance use disorder (SUD), mental health issues and homelessness.
She served as the Founding Chairperson of the First Coast Recovery Advocates, Inc. (FCRA), a Recovery Community Organization (RCO) addressing the needs of people with addictions and mental health issues. She served on the Forensic Peer Work Group for the Florida Department of Children & Families and assisted in the development of the Forensic Peer policies and procedures.
She also recommended that the incarcerated be assigned a peer six months prior to their release date to begin the process of beginning a new life by obtaining a place to live, finding a job, or returning back to school. This will allow for the individual to transition back into the community as a productive, law-abiding citizen.
She is a member of the Taoist Tai Chi International Society; Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice; Florida Recovery Advocacy Project (RAP); Northeast Florida Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NEFCADA); and the World Affairs Council of Jacksonville. She also volunteers her time at local mental health and corrections facilities as well as various alcohol/drug/substance use addiction treatment and recovery centers.
Grace is an ordained minister of non-denomination/non-religion. Her philosophy is based on love: acceptance, kindness, hope, inclusivity and non-violence. She espouses celebrating diversity while communing in unity.
Grace grew up in Atlantic Beach, FL–the eldest of four in a family where her parents are still happily married after 50+ years. She is a proud U.S. patriot and considers herself an honorary military veteran having had both a father and former spouse who served in and retired from the Navy. She traveled around the world, including Spain, Guam, California, Hawaii, the Philippines and Japan. Grace’s former spouse of 20 years served as a USN F/A-18 Strikefighter pilot (think Blue Angels jets); a P-3 pilot; a commercial pilot, and Boeing Subject Matter Expert (SME). She has two adult children: daughter Armani and son Andrew, and after having lived in South Carolina, Hawaii and Maryland, Grace is happy to be “back home” in Jacksonville, FL.
Services:
Guided Meditation Facilitator
Support Group Facilitator
Mindfulness Coach
* Stress
* Overwhelm
* Addictions
* Alcohol/Drugs/
* Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
* Weight Loss
* Chronic Pain
* Cancer
* Trauma
* PTSD
*Anxiety
*Stress
*Worry
*Depression
*Suicide
*Grief
*Divorce
*Empty Nest Syndrome
Recovery Peer Specialist
Ordained Minister
(Non-Denominational)
* Marriage Officiant * Celebration / End of Life Officiant
Relationship/Couples
& Spiritual Counselor
Systemic Wellness Analysis
Public Speaker
Public Speaking Coach
TV Commercial &
Corporate Training Video Spokesperson
Voice-OverTalent
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You’re conscientious of your diet and you work your body hard, but how often do you think about the fitness of your mind, especially at a time when it seems like mental health issues, including stress, anxiety, worry and depression are front, center and on the rise?
We can certainly recognize our state of consciousness through our actions and inactions. Thoughts are things. So too are emotions. They color your world and it shows through all that you do and don’t do. And when your thoughts and emotions are in alignment with your values, you will find yourself at peace no matter the challenges.
SNAP SHOT
Grace De La Rosa
[Mayo Atrium, 2p-3p]
My first day as a Volunteer Improv Pianist at Mayo Clinic has come and gone—and I’m holding this moment with quiet gratitude.
Over ten years ago, I sat in this same space as a patient, soothed by the unexpected grace of live piano music during post-chemo appointments. I remember thinking, “When I heal, I want to become a vessel of healing hope, peace and comfort to others in their journey.” That quiet prayer stayed with me. And this week, it came full circle.
A few dear friends showed up to support me on this first day. Dr. Terri Gnann, John Arnold, and Meditative Mare—THANK YOU! Your presence alone made the day even more special. Just seeing you there—centered, encouraging and joyful—added a layer of meaning I’ll carry with me.
Terri, you brought roses 
. Simple in their offering, rich in presence. Their scent was soft but certain, like memory. They didn’t fill the space; they held it. A reminder that beauty, when offered with care, can steady the soul.
In that instant, I came across a small rubber Jesus figure—one that makes you smile and sense that Divine fate is at work. I placed it beside the vase. It reads simply, “Jesus 
You.” Indeed!
It felt like grace wrapped in whimsy, a playful but powerful reminder that love often speaks in small, surprising ways.
Some moments don’t ask for attention. They simply open your heart and remind you that you’re exactly where you’re meant to be. This was one of those moments.
Wednesday, 05/28/2025 on Facebook
My first day as a Volunteer Improv Pianist at Mayo Clinic has come and gone—and I’m holding this moment with quiet gratitude.
Over ten years ago, I sat in this same space as a patient, soothed by the unexpected grace of live piano music during post-chemo appointments. I remember thinking, “When I heal, I want to become a vessel of healing hope, peace and comfort to others in their journey.” That quiet prayer stayed with me. And this week, it came full circle.
A few dear friends showed up to support me on this first day. Dr. Terri Gnann, John Arnold, and Meditative Mare—THANK YOU! Your presence alone made the day even more special. Just seeing you there—centered, encouraging and joyful—added a layer of meaning I’ll carry with me.
Terri, you brought roses
. Simple in their offering, rich in presence. Their scent was soft but certain, like memory. They didn’t fill the space; they held it. A reminder that beauty, when offered with care, can steady the soul.
In that instant, I came across a small rubber Jesus figure—one that makes you smile and sense that Divine fate is at work. I placed it beside the vase. It reads simply, “Jesus
You.” Indeed!
It felt like grace wrapped in whimsy, a playful but powerful reminder that love often speaks in small, surprising ways.
Some moments don’t ask for attention. They simply open your heart and remind you that you’re exactly where you’re meant to be. This was one of those moments.
Health is more than just a lack of disease or illness. Rather, it is a balance of the WHOLE[listic] person’s human experience–mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, occupational, financial, social and environmental–that determines one’s overall wellness.
Fitness Model And Bikini Competitor Grace De La Rosa Talks To Muscle & Strength | Muscle & Strength
Holistic Wellness Consultant
Advocate for Quality Healthcare, Social Services and Justice – Freedom of Choice
Fitness Model And Bikini Competitor Grace De La Rosa Talks To Muscle & Strength | Muscle & Strength
About | Living With Grace | Mindfulness