The lights illuminated the stage, the music pounded and Andalusia native Mandy Wiggins felt right at home.

For more than two months, Wiggins put her body through stringent workouts and a strict diet to get ready for the Alabama Supernatural Bodybuilding and Fitness event that was held last Saturday at the LBWCC Martha and Solon Dixon Center for the Performing Arts.

Wiggins competed in the amateur class novice figure swimsuit category, and finished in third place.

The SNBF competition was her first, and Wiggins said it was “really fun.”

“When I got up there, I wasn’t nervous,” Wiggins said. “After all of the practice, it felt like second nature to be up there in front of everybody.”

Wiggins trained at Robert’s Body Shop in Andalusia to get ready for the competition, which drew men and women ages 17-54 primarily from Georgia, Florida and Alabama. Other competitors came from South Carolina and Maryland as well.

The event started with a pro class, and then transitioned to an amateur class start. In the pro class, competitors strutted their stuff in the men’s masters; men’s and women’s bodybuilding; and pro bikini swimsuit.

In the amateur class, the women competed in the novice women bodybuilding, bikini swimsuit, novice figure swimsuit, masters figure swimsuit, open figure swimsuit, masters bodybuilding and female physique. The men competed in the physique, short, medium and tall open categories.

After each competitor did their walk for the judges, the top five awards were presented. The first place winner in each amateur event was given pro status in the SNBF.

Wiggins will compete in her second event in November in Atlanta. The next SNBF event held in Andalusia will be for a workshop and posing seminar on Aug. 11.

“We’re hoping to get more people from around here to be in it,” Wiggins said.

Wiggins lives in Red Level with her husband, Brent. She is the daughter of Mike and Ann Patterson of Andalusia.