A mum from Northern Ireland has told how she took up bodybuilding to help with her mental health.
Manager in the corporate world, Sarah Davies (49) is now an award-winning bodybuilder and says her husband Clifford (53) and daughter Evie (13) could not be more proud of her.
The Co Down woman, who works for local full-fibre broadband provider Fibrus, said: “I’d saved up for botox but at the last minute I was too scared to go through with it.
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“I decided to use my ‘botox money’ to pay for personal training classes instead.
“There was a mental aspect to it as well. I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety for many years so having this to focus on kept me going, especially during the pandemic.”
In 2019, Sarah competed with the British Natural Bodybuilding Federation (BNBF) and came second in the qualifiers in Belfast. She then came third place in the finals in Perth, Scotland.
The Bangor woman stuck to a strict training regime during lockdown and entered the Belfast qualifiers of the BNBF in June. She finished first in her category – Master’s Figure (for women over 40).
She also won the Overall Female for the Day prize and will compete in this weekend’s finals in Leatherhead, Surrey.
Sarah is grateful that Fibrus has agreed to sponsor her and added: "Fibrus has been amazingly supportive.
“The flexibility I get working there means I can fit in my training and my family life without feeling compromised or short changed.
“My colleagues at Fibrus also love to support me and have been on this fitness journey with me.”
Her daughter Evie sees Sarah as a role model.
The Co Down woman said: "I was worried that Evie would be embarrassed by the whole thing. But she was sitting in the front row at my last show and I could see her face beaming with pride.
“When they announced that I was the Overall Female winner I looked down and she was crying.”
Sarah is currently dropping calories to drop body fat so she can get as lean as possible.
The mum-of-one said: “I’m still eating five or six times a day, which is quite a lot in comparison to some people.
“I walk Evie round to the bus stop and then the dog and I go for an hour’s walk.
“That gets me back home at 8.45am and I’m ready to start my work with Fibrus.”
She trains every evening from 6.30pm until 8pm, leaving 'family time' for weekends.
Sarah's immediate goal is first place in the next competition, so that she can get her pro card and be classified as a professional bodybuilder.
The Bangor woman says she's “eternally grateful” to everyone who has helped her along the way.
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