Tiana Ta responds on SC on this issue
I started with Cathy Savage Fitness in July 2009 after a friend had recommended her. I wanted to compete in the NPC New Englands in Oct '09 but she suggested I compete in NPC Team U in Sept '09. At that point, I had researched different federations and found that NPC was the federation I was most interested in being a part of. I proceeded to compete in Team U and the New Englands, where I won first and overall. I continued to Nationals in Nov '09 where I earned my IFBB Pro card. My pro debut was the 2010 Pittsburgh Pro where I secured a spot at the inaugural 2010 Bikini Olympia. Now this goes to show that Cathy supported NPC the whole time and she sent all of her girls to compete in the local shows. In fact, the attendance of CSF girls was immense.
In the weeks leading up to the Olympia, Cathy and I were supposed to meet on several occassions for posing for the show, but she continued to "resechedule" and blew me off. I was not fully prepared and my diet was off, so I ended up losing a drastic amount of weight within the last 3 weeks leading up to the show. I felt awful and knew I was not bringing a strong package to the stage. Looking back on the video, I felt as though I had no business being on that stage with those other women. After the O, instead of being a supportive coach and motivating me for the next season, Cathy simply said "You should leave IFBB to go to WBFF" .
In response, I told her that I am not a quitter and that I would not leave a federation that has been so good to me. After that, I took a step back to observe and realized that CSF did not care about me, or my success. She did not support me (when I qualified for O, she said she booked her hotel and flight but never came, nor did she tell me she wasn’t going. I found out days before the show that she had cancelled.), she did not care about my success, and she was too wrapped up in her own life. I then decided that CSF was not a place for me any longer, and when I reasearched different coaches and teams, I found that Team Bombshell ran by IFBB Pro Shannon Dey. After speaking to Dey, I found that this team was what best suited me and this would be my new home.
I set up a few meeting to let Cathy know face to face that I would be departing from the team, but again, she continued to cancel on me and kept rescheduling (3 times that week). In fact, I was supposed to meet with her at 8 am one Sunday morning and at 7:00 when I texted her to make sure she’d be ther (I live 45 min away), she said she’d have to reschedule because something came up, so I told her that it was imperative we speak that day. So finally that night, she called me and I told her. Although she wasn’t quite pleased with the team I wanted to be with, she claimed to have support for whatever I decide. I hung up the phone feeling great, knowing our split was amicable, only to find out days later that she emailed all of her coaches and said “F*ck Tianna for leaving us”.
At this point, I was completely happy with Bombshell and promoted them, but received an email from Cathy to ask me to stop “badmouthing” CSF. Now if you all recall, all of my interviews and FB & Twitter posts since Dec, I have NEVER once badmouthed CSF. I have never even mentioned her company. I politely told her I have not and asked HER to stop trashing me, in which she replied “I am way far into my season to be thinking about you. Peace.” So I left it at that.
I am not one to cause any conflict or drama. I am a neutral person that gets along with everyone. I feel as though since my departure in Dec, I have been very professional and tasteful in NOT commenting on her company. After the email was brought to my attention early Monday morning, I was initially hurt, but very disgusted, and embarrassed that I was ever affiliated with the company. I am saddened that she would take it this far and bash an entire federation that she supported up until I decided to part ways with her. I think what she did was immoral, pathetic, disgusting, and it clearly shows her unethical business practices.
When I signed up to be a part of CSF, everything was different. I felt as though she sincerely cared about everyones well being and success. There was not much drama and backstabbing and she would always be available. As time went on, its clear that everything changed. I still receive messages from girls who are with her that tell me that “things aren’t like they used to be and I don’t like the direction its going in”. Whomever a competitor chooses to be with, its their choice, but I know I found a great home for me with Team Bombshell.
What makes me sad also is that Cathy uses scare tactics with her girls and bashes other teams to try to get them to stay on her team. This bashing will only go so far before her girls realize that all she is doing is brainwashing them to think that everyone else is evil, and drugged up. Her cookie cutter diets are also not “custom” as she claims them to be. It is also imperative to point out that several women have left her team (including staff) because everyone feels as though its more of a cult, instead of a “sisterhood” that its supposed to be.
I find it a mere coincidence that this email was sent right after my first show of the season, and the clip that she decided to post was one I was in 3 x. The season started back in March, so if she felt so strongly about the situation, then why not send this anytime since then? Its sad but true to say that in my opinion, she thought I wouldn’t improve without her, but I have to say that the wisest decision I made was to leave the cult…errr team.
Thank you for all of the outpouring support for everyone that has reached out to me. Those who are on CSF team also feel as though this email was sent as insult to the federation, but more mainly for me. If you don’t understand the correlation, its because you don’t understand the history between she and I, and I hope this brief synopsis helps. I wish the best of luck to those who continue to stay on her team and hope that one day, she will run her business as a business instead of a drama filled, lying, cult.
