Written by Kathryn Lekas, Editor-in-Chief
Photography by Haley Capasso
For the past while, Kathryn (Kate) O’Rourke could easily be found behind the chair at her popular hair salon in Noank, Connecticut. As a talented hairstylist, she’s devoted years to creating winning looks for her clients through her love for fashion and style. Recently though, another one of her passions has been leading her to pursue a whole new world of opportunities. Ones that are also extending to women everywhere.
Fresh off her win in the 40+ category at the WBFF NY fitness competition—and earning her Pro Card—Kate is not only busy making plans for her Pro debut at a fitness competition in 2025, she’s creating a platform to help other women learn how to make fitness fit the lifestyle that suits them by accounting for their other responsibilities and interests, as she’s managed to do so successfully.
“After seeing and feeling how much a commitment to fitness has helped me grow lately, I really want to extend my experience and expertise to others in whatever capacity will have them living a life feeling fulfilled. Whether that’s specifically through meal prep guidance, tailored training programs, or overall motivation and support.”
Recognize Kate from the summer issue of STRONG? Prior to earning her Pro Card in July, she appeared in the Competitor Spotlight as someone to keep an eye on up on stage. Looks like we were onto something.
Kate initially kicked off her foray into fitness competition two decades ago, before starting her small business. “I was inspired by a gal at the salon I used to work at when I began my career as a Hair Stylist. She was competing and intrigued, I followed her lead…her coach provided my meal plan, and I trained myself, not really knowing what I was doing,” admits Kate. It sparked something though, and Kate put in the effort, not only in the gym and the kitchen, but doing the legwork to find out about all sorts of competition details, like stage presence, posing suits and heels. “Long before the launch of social media and limitless accessibility, this was a challenge in itself!”
Although Kate fell in love with the fitness industry and the process of competing, once she opened up her salon and her business took off, she accepted that her days were done as a fitness competitor. “I really thought I was retired from the stage… until I started to feel the effects of being cooped up during the COVID-19 pandemic,” explains Kate. “I wanted to get myself in top shape again, so I cleaned up my diet and started training more judiciously.” The results were notable, and when a few of her friends signed up to do the WBFF Fitness Atlantic show this past March, Kate decided to join in—at 43 years old, with just four weeks to prepare.
Julie Page Photography
As a small business owner, hair stylist and fitness competitor, Kathryn is showing women you can be multiple things successfully.
“The WBFF Fitness Atlantic show was the last one I did before I left competing all those years ago, so the idea of returning to that space felt pretty symbolic,” says Kate. Understandably, when she placed third in the 18+ category and fourth in the 35+ category after only preparing for a handful of weeks 20 years after stepping on stage, it also felt incredibly special—and motivating. “The experience really had my heart full remembering how much I had fallen in love with competing, and how joyful it was meeting so many wonderful women during the process. It also got my mind racing about what I could really do if I could allocate more time to prep,” shares Kate.
Fuelled to make her mark in Fitness, that’s when Kate set her sights on the WBFF NY show this past July, where she earned her Pro Card, won the 40+ category, and placed second in 35+ as well as Open Fitness Diva. “Since training for the show back in March, I just knew there was something more for me beyond owning my hair salon and being a super stylist. I love my career and my clients, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t more layers to me. Competing in fitness excites me and maintaining a fit lifestyle keeps me feeling good. That’s why I want to share my experiences with other women through my new venture Fit with Kate O’Rourke, so they, too, can begin to discover how to feel fulfilled.”
Kate says one of the aspects she’s really pumped about is helping people re-create recipes to enjoy their favorite foods in more healthful ways. “I love to cook healthy foods and after visiting Italy last year, I just wanted to eat the traditional meals all the time!” Kate admits. “I knew that wasn’t sustainable, so I started making my own version of things like pasta Bolognese and quickly realized that was an approach I could take with so many meals to help myself, and others interested in learning.”
For Kate, it’s really about applying new systems to live a life that makes you feel good. Perhaps, even better than ever. “There’s a lot that’s different about my life now compared to when I was competing in my 20s,” says Kate. “I’ve adapted my training, doing less cardio and more heavy weights and I’m getting better results. I’m also a married mom to two step-kids, so I have to properly prioritize time for myself and consider how other people fit into the lifestyle I prefer to lead, unlike before… but age and circumstances shouldn’t stop us from trying to improve. I always tell people, it’s possible, you just have to make the choice to try, and then keep trying.”
To get on track, Kate suggests mastering a number of things before diving into deeper plans. Things like structuring the day, rising early to consistently get workouts in, doing meal prep for a few days in advance, getting plenty of rest and drinking enough water. “It’s also key to enjoy the process!” Kate says. “When I first started getting back to fitness seriously, a lot of people would hound me about when I would return to a ‘normal’ way of living. Now they understand this is my normal. Of course leading up to a competition I am more diligent with prep, but overall, eating healthy, working out and taking care of myself makes me feel good, so this is a lifestyle I choose to maintain year-round. It’s not simply for a special occasion or goal.”
As she looks ahead to competition plans for 2025, Kate says there’s always something to learn and she’s aiming to raise the bar for herself once again.
As she looks ahead to competition plans for 2025, Kate says there’s always something to learn and she’s aiming to raise the bar for herself once again. “As a Pro, I’m considering entering the Atlantic show, or even the World’s.” Whatever she ends up deciding, Kate will keep one of her favorite quotes top of mind: Trust the process. After all, it’s gotten her this far. “It’s funny, thinking back to when I started being interested in fitness so long ago I remember being fascinated with the strong women I would see in fitness magazines and now I’m one of them,” says Kate. “I hope by learning about me now helps other women, whatever age or stage they’re at, to not be afraid to try something when they feel inspired, because you never know what it may ignite. A lot of people tell me I’m lucky I can do all of these things, but I tell them, ‘So can you. It’s that easy. You just have to make the decision to try.’ Hopefully with my new programs, I’ll help them realize that.”
