From 11,250 contestants, only eight remain and Sarah Anne Jordal is one of them.

The former Palmerton High School track star is in the finals to become Ms. Health and Fitness 2024, sponsored by Hers Magazine. The grand prize is a package worth $50,000 that includes $20,000 in cash and thirty grand in photo shoots, one of which will be the cover page for the magazine.

At Palmerton High School, Jordal was a state medalist in the 1600 meter race, a multiple year Colonial League and District 11 champion in the 1600 and 800 races and a league champion in cross-country.

A competitive nature runs through her veins.

“Since I was 12 years old, I’ve been very competitive in everything I do,” she said. “I was a runner and a figure skater and then my fitness journey kind of morphed into crossfit and weight training in 2010. That led me to body building, which I have done mostly six days a week since 2018.

Jordal, a Moravian University graduate with a degree in nursing, said that best efforts usually provide good results. Her regimen includes cardio workouts along with a programmed body building routine.

“Training is important, but just as important is recovery. Your body tells you to take time off when you need it,” she said.

Currently, Jordal lives in Abbington and works at Axiva Health Solutions in Huntington Valley where she administers vitamin infusion. She balances her training and work schedule with a nutritional diet of fruits, vegetables and protein.

“I like my sweets,” she said. “I make my own ice cream. For my main food, I love lean meats, especially chicken, which I season. I also enjoy lean fish and protein waffles and brownies. When I go away on vacation, I eat pizza and I’ll drink a glass of red wine. I am really enjoying life!”

The winner of the Ms. Health and Fitness 2024 competition finals will be decided by which contestant receives the largest number of votes by 10 p.m., Thursday. Anyone can vote once for free every 24 hours. Additional votes require a monetary fee, most of which Hers Magazine donates to childhood cancer research.

“I’m not a really big social media person and that’s where contestants lobby for most of their votes from friends and followers. I’m trying to reach 3,000 or more votes by Thursday.”

Winning the competition is not just a personal goal.

“I like to set an example for my 14-year-old son to live a healthy lifestyle which doesn’t have to be extreme or competitive like mine. Anyone can focus on good health. I especially like to help women, who might be intimidated by looking at fitness competitors, live a heathy life.”

Jordal is realistic about her chances of winning the competition because her opponents might be able to generate more votes. “I think it would be more fair if the competition was judged rather than decided by popular vote, but that said, I’m thrilled to be in the final eight out of thousands of women from all over the world.”

The word “losing” is not in Jordal’s vocabulary. “You can always take something positive or something good when you don’t win. You don’t lose. You learn and you take what you learn to be better the next time.”

With her stellar athletic record at Palmerton, she certainly knows what it takes to win, but now her chances for this elimination tournament are left in the hands of the voters. To vote for her, use the link, https://mshealthandfit.com/2024/sarah-jordal.

For now, the dream continues and come this weekend, Sarah Anne Jordal hopes to be named Hers Magazine’s Ms. Health and Fitness 2024.