Sault woman transforms self, seeks cover model prize

Sault Ste. Marie’s Marcie Logan is in the running for cover model of Muscle & Fitness: HERS Magazine. You can vote for her every 24 hours, from June 14 to 24 for this level of the competition. To vote for Marcie, simply click on the link and remember to come back and vote every day! 

What started as a quarantine fitness challenge days after her 50th birthday, became a year-long mental and physical transformation following a period of struggle and difficulty. Now 51, Marcie Logan has come out the other side of the pandemic, happier, healthier, and in the running for cover model of Muscle & Fitness: HERS Magazine. 

Previously, Logan had trained and participated in the Sudbury Classic bodybuilding competition in 2017, and both the King Kong Natural Classic and Sudbury Northern Rock Naturals competitions in 2018. Significant accomplishments for the Saultite after years of battling physical and mental health fluctuation. 

“I used to have this all or nothing, restrictive mindset.” Logan shared with SooToday, days before her photo shoot with local photographer Roy Iachetta.

“Thinking - once I reach this size or weight, I’ll be happy. I would hardly eat then binge and feel horrible, making me want to quit all together.” Logan reflected on the yo-yo dieting and disordered eating in her past. 

Following an injury in 2019, Logan could no longer train to the full degree required to compete that year. With the new shift in routine, Logan says her “all or nothing” mentality caused her to completely let go of her goal.

Logan shared that binge-eating became a means of soothing her emotional dysregulation. This led to a cycle of feeling low about her health, then binging further to distract. She says that the shame she experienced during this period caused her to withdraw socially. 

“I was hiding. You can’t even find a photo of me during that period. It was like this release from restriction that turned into a full self-sabotage. When you’re a perfectionist, you want to feel that you’re in control. Once I lost that feeling, I just let it all go. Which I guess, still felt like a choice that was in my control.” Logan shares the self-awareness she had during a depressive period in 2019. 

Entering 2020, Logan felt eager to return to her previous life of fitness but continued to battle both internal and external obstacles. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Logan was turning 50 and had just returned from a family trip to Florida. The age milestone, a now-cancelled group birthday trip, and the realization that she would not be able to access the gym caused her to feel that her goals were becoming even further out of reach.

During this time, Logan received an email from her coach, Jase Stevens of Hammer Fitness.

Stevens asked Logan if she would be interested in joining an 8-week quarantine challenge, to create a new goal during lockdown. 

“The timing couldn’t have been better,” Logan tells SooToday. 

By July 3, 2020, Marcie Logan had gained strength, lost weight, felt her mental health improving, and was energized to keep going. With the new burst of motivation came a new personal goal - to compete again, this time, with Hammer Fitness.

“To compete under Hammer Fitness, you have to be approved by the founder, Amer Kamra. Just being able to meet that standard is an accomplishment.” Logan explains. 

Logan was fully committed and working towards competing under Hammer Fitness in 2021 when Ontario lockdown restrictions once again caused the closure of local gyms. Logan continued to train despite this setback, determined to not let her previous perfectionist habits sabotage her progress. 

Shortly following the beginning of yet another lockdown, a friend tagged Logan under a Facebook post about a fitness cover model competition. She entered for fun, not expecting to hear back.

Weeks later, Logan received an email informing her that she had been selected to compete for cover model of Muscle & Fitness: HERS Magazine. With a list of instructions and a deadline now approaching, Marcie contacted Sault photographer Roy Iachetta to shoot the photos she’d have to submit. 

No longer restricting herself in a self-punishing way, Logan shared how her health has improved in every way. She also noted the major role her support system has played in her success.

“From the very beginning of my journey towards being a healthier version of myself, my husband, Mike Briglio, has been my biggest supporter and fan. He is always proud of me, and loves me unconditionally just the way I am,” Logan shared with gratitude. 

“Part of the reason I took on this lifestyle was for my family. I wanted to be a good role model for my two daughters, Hannah and Abby. I was raised by a very strong woman and I raised my daughters the same way,” Logan added. 

When asked why she agreed to open up about her struggles with SooToday, Logan told us, 

“I have learned that in order to be courageous, I must be vulnerable. So this is me being vulnerable.”