Today we’d like to introduce you to Jovana Nikolic.
Hi Jovana, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born and raised in Montenegro, a beautiful European country on the Adriatic coast where I lived until I moved to NYC at the age of twenty-two. With a pocket full of dreams and $300 to my name I immediately started working as a waitress at a local coffee shop in Astoria, Queens. What came after were the most amazing and transformative ten years of my life. Like most immigrants I worked two jobs and financed my studies at Berkeley College in New York. During the last semester, I worked 9am-5pm as an intern at the New York Times, attended my evening classes and worked as a cocktail waitress at night. Ah, the sweet days of struggle as an immigrant student in the big city. The city of dreams. It’s safe to say that New York shaped me into the person I am today. It gave me the knowledge, the experience and the connections needed to become successful.
Soon after graduating, I was introduced to fitness and it became an instant passion. I fell in love with improving myself and helping others achieve their goals. I acquired five nationally recognized fitness certifications and worked as a personal trainer in local gyms for several years. During the pandemic, I decided to go after my modeling career and got serious about getting in shape and competing. In May of 2021, I signed up for Miss Bikini US and moved to Miami to start my three month long competition prep. I poured my heart and my soul into my first national pageant in the US. Ten years of hard work have finally paid off. On July 8th, I was crowned Miss Bikini Fitness 2021 and soon after, I was lucky enough to add New York and LA Fashion Weeks to my modeling portfolio. I currently live in Miami where I’m working on my modeling career and writing my first ebook as my fitness journey continues.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The hardest thing about living in the US on my own is being away from my family and not being able to see them for so long. We Skyped through my graduation and FaceTimed after the crowning ceremony. Despite of being apart for an entire decade, they still encourage and support everything I do. They are my ultimate inspiration and the reason to keep working hard. I live to make them proud.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Besides modeling and fitness coaching, I’m working on building an online wellness platform where my audience will have access to my workouts and nutrition tips. In the next five months, I’m hoping to publish my first Vegan recipes ebook which includes my top diet secrets that help me attain my bikini model figure. I also offer virtual training sessions, if you’re interested send me an email!
Contact Info:
- Email: getfit@fitnessandtraveling.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jovana_montenegro?utm_medium=copy_link
Image Credits
__evolv__ happytrigerla smithcophotoimages
