BODYBUILDING is still generally perceived as a boys’ club, despite an increase in female competitors over the years, but Swan Hill’s Sharelle Grant has chosen to ignore the haters on her way to outstanding results in recent competitions.
The 22-year-old is of the belief being “ripped or muscly” should be considered sexy on both genders, preaching to the world about positive body image, especially in young girls.
The Swan Hill local wanted to challenge herself.
That one decision has since pushed her to win the ANB Fitness Model Novice, ANB Fitness Model under 30s, WFF/NABBA Overall Sports Model Champion and take third place in the WFF/NABBA Sports Model Juniors recently.
At the start of 2015, Grant said she made a goal to complete a half marathon. She went on to finish two and began searching for something else to do.
“ I had seen a lot of the transformations of normal people who had just completed the max/Maxine’s challenge and decided to give the next one a go,” she said.
“The 12-week get strong Maxine’s challenge taught me how and when to fuel my body, as well as introducing protein shakes post workout. It also taught me how to incorporate a training program which focused on specific muscle groups each day, allowing my body to recover efficiently and keep my program interesting.”
At the end of the program, Grant was happy with how her body had responded, and a new passion was discovered.
She committed to preparing for the shows, a tough experience on most.
With a full training regime in place, Grant had to muster all of her willpower to stay on track with her progress, a difficult task.
“Everyone knows the physical hardship of training, but the mental and psychological impact comp prep has is something that isn’t really discussed in the bodybuilding world,” she told The Guardian.
“To stay consistently motivated for the 12-16 weeks is a challenge in itself, but the biggest struggle for me was how isolating it can be at times. You can find yourself avoiding social events or dinners and prioritising sleep over partying makes your weekend pretty dull.
“ However, when my motivation lags I look back and reflect on how far I’ve come in my fitness journey and how lucky I am to be fit and healthy.”
The challenge has slowly turned to a way of life for the youngster, shaping her life around her willingness to compete.
For more on this story, check out Wednesday’s Guardian (June 8).
