This cop flexes her muscles in 4-inch heels

When Kim Swatts isn't walking a beat, or riding a bike, she pumps iron, sticks to her diet and works on her aerobics routine.

The Sarasota police officer competes in fitness and figure competitions at Florida bodybuilding shows. That means shedding her uniform to stride across stage in little more than a swimsuit and 4-inch heels.

"I don't have those little stilettos," she says, laughing. "Mine are a little bit wider, so I have a little wider platform to walk on."

Swatts, 27, stands 5-foot-10 and weighs a sculpted 137 pounds. She's a former gymnast and cheerleader who played college volleyball on scholarship at Florida Atlantic University.

This year she'd like to qualify for a national figure competition, and do some fitness modeling, without giving up her badge.

During a 12-hour shift, her partner puts up with her eating light protein meals every three hours. Her buddies on the police force haven't made her a pinup just yet.

"A few of 'em went to a show last year," Swatts says. "They're supportive; everybody's real good about it."

On May 29, local bodybuilders and fitness contestants will flex their muscles at a regional competition in the Lakewood Ranch High School auditorium.

More than six months before a show, figure competitors begin bulking up, adding muscle to their shoulders and legs. As the competition date nears, they begin dieting to drop body fat and add definition to their physiques.

This routine requires discipline and dedication.

"It's hard, at times," says Stacie Vernon, 28. "You have cravings -- sugar, definitely, because you're not allowed anything like that. So you crave a lot of sweets."

Son Tran, a Sarasota bodybuilder who organizes local shows, knows the routine. He trains his wife and many of the fitness and figure competitors.

"A lot of people think, 'Oh, they just come out and look good,' " Tran says. "No. They have to diet. They have to work hard. They have to take this seriously."

The goal for figure contestants is a lean, feminine look. They want to be less bulky than female bodybuilders, but just as fit.

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