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The Wall Street Journal No Less.
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By Anne Marie Chaker - WSJ
I Never Thought I’d Write This: I Am a Female Bodybuilder
A few years ago, I stopped taking care of myself after two kids, my father’s death and the end of my marriage took a toll. Then, I discovered bodybuilding—and my outlook on life changed.
Two weeks ago, I stood on a stage in a hotel ballroom wearing a rhinestone bikini small enough to fit into a zip-lock bag.
I was competing in a women’s bodybuilding contest, and it was the culmination of months of hard work. I once would have been likelier to jump out of a plane than put myself on display in such skimpy attire. But here I was, flexing to thumping house music in clear four-inch heels as judges ranked my 45-year-old body.
To some friends and family, it seemed superficial. But beneath the layers of fake tan and blue eye shadow, the sport of bodybuilding had transformed me. It gave me confidence and reshaped how I view my physique, valuing strength over skinniness.
It’s a long way from where I was six years ago. In 2014, I had just given birth to my second daughter in December. My father died suddenly two weeks later. Six months after that, my marriage ended. Amid these tectonic shifts, I stopped taking care of myself. Though I had never been much of a drinker, wine started to feel pretty good. With food, I would eat the leftovers off my toddler’s plate and joke that I was a human vacuum cleaner.
Full Article Here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/i-never...er-11598274003
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By Anne Marie Chaker - WSJ
I Never Thought I’d Write This: I Am a Female Bodybuilder
A few years ago, I stopped taking care of myself after two kids, my father’s death and the end of my marriage took a toll. Then, I discovered bodybuilding—and my outlook on life changed.
Two weeks ago, I stood on a stage in a hotel ballroom wearing a rhinestone bikini small enough to fit into a zip-lock bag.
I was competing in a women’s bodybuilding contest, and it was the culmination of months of hard work. I once would have been likelier to jump out of a plane than put myself on display in such skimpy attire. But here I was, flexing to thumping house music in clear four-inch heels as judges ranked my 45-year-old body.
To some friends and family, it seemed superficial. But beneath the layers of fake tan and blue eye shadow, the sport of bodybuilding had transformed me. It gave me confidence and reshaped how I view my physique, valuing strength over skinniness.
It’s a long way from where I was six years ago. In 2014, I had just given birth to my second daughter in December. My father died suddenly two weeks later. Six months after that, my marriage ended. Amid these tectonic shifts, I stopped taking care of myself. Though I had never been much of a drinker, wine started to feel pretty good. With food, I would eat the leftovers off my toddler’s plate and joke that I was a human vacuum cleaner.
Full Article Here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/i-never...er-11598274003