I was born and raised in Lengenfield, a small village in Germany. At 18 I moved to Nuernberg and lived there until I immigrated to the US in 1987. Being German, unlike my American counterparts who share the same last name, my name is pronounced shee-der.

In 1987 I immigrated to the US and landed in San Diego, CA for a few months before moving north and settling in Tacoma, WA. There is a strong German community in the area and this community helped me to grow my hair design, styling and coloring business to what it is today. In fact, even though I now live in Orlando, FL, I still travel back to my long standing clients in Tacoma every month.

I started training in 1989, more to workout, not to bodybuild. I was interested in bodybuilding but never pursued it, until 2004. I finally took the plunge and started looking deeper into what it took to train for bodybuilding. There was so much more to bodybuilding that I anticipated and I sought help from others who had competed. While attending a bodybuilding clinic I met my current coach, Gerri Deach-Davis. I've trained with her guidance ever since.

I love to train hard and heavy, continually pushing myself to lift heavier and more intensely, but with strict form. I have a few training partners that push me very hard and we have an unspoken competition that pushes us even further. The challenges in the gym motivate me to be my best, to focus on my nutrition and rest, so that I can be better the next training session. All this focus will only help me to attain the level of physique that I need to compete at an elite level.

People ask me how far I want to go in bodybuilding. My answer, as far as I can take it. When will I be done? Never, this is my lifestyle, this is my life. I want to live a clean, healthy life, to be strong, and to be able for as long as I possibly can. I may not always compete, but I'll always train, and I'll always eat right.

Outside the gym, I enjoy dancing; hip-hop, rap, and club. Living in Orlando, of course I love themeparks. What better place is there to live for that? Disney, Universal Studios, Seaworld are minutes away, and even Busch Gardens is just a few hours away. I enjoy working on my house; decorating it to reflect my tastes, and making it home. I love to cook, which is a good thing, because I love to eat. I could really put some hurt on an all-you-can-eat buffet. I try to eat clean year round, but offseason I do take liberties and enjoy the foods that I can't have getting ready to compete.