TUSTIN : Aerobics Champ Ready for Next Step
Aileen Sheron spends hours each day perfecting her body. Her diet consists of almost no fat and “no cheating.”
But she says it’s worth it.
Sheron, 32, won the regional championships of the Reebok National Aerobic Competition earlier this month. She will represent Southern California, New Mexico, Arizona and Hawaii in the April national competition in Los Angeles.
Sheron, who has been teaching aerobics for 12 years, said that it wasn’t until last year that she decided to enter competition.
“I was watching my friends compete, and it influenced me to motivate myself and attempt it,” said Sheron, who lives with her husband, Michael, and her 3 1/2-year-old son, Andrew, in Tustin. “I hadn’t taken the time to do something for myself in a long time.”
In addition to the two hours of aerobics classes she teaches each day, Sheron employs a trainer, a coach and a choreographer to help her prepare for competition.
Competition began eight years ago and is governed by the U.S. Federation for Aerobic Competition. Sheron describes the sport as a cross between gymnastics and ice skating. “You need specific skills and good endurance and physique, and it’s to music,” she explains.
Routines consist of choreographed moves lasting three minutes, some of which are compulsory. Competitors are judged on skill and presentation. “All can be done with different levels of ability, and in different original ways,” Sheron said.
Sheron said that aerobic competition will be a part of the Goodwill Games in 1994 and that promoters hope aerobics may be an Olympic event by the year 2000.
In the national Reebok competition, Sheron will compete against 10 other women from across the country. The winner will go on to world championships. There is also a competition for men, mixed pairs and threesomes.
“It’s a very positive and health-oriented, enthusiastic sport,” Sheron said. “It appeals to everybody because of the music and athleticism.”
As intense as her training is, Sheron said it remains a positive activity in her life. “It’s not an obsession for me, though it encompasses a large part of my life,” she said. “When I started (training), I decided to give myself a year or two to see how far I could get. Then I could decide if I wanted to walk away.
“Competitive aerobics is like any competitive sport,” Sheron said. “Once you get a taste of it, it becomes part of your routine, and once you get the thrill of competing, you want to continue.”
