GET YOUR BODY MOVING: FROM THE CLOSET TO THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Do you remember what you were doing on November 4,1980? Sharon Turrentine of Monroe, Louisiana, does. It made her the slim, strong woman that she is today
On that particular day Sharon was lying in bed, watching TV and eating candy. At age 36, she was unhappy and feeling sorry for herself. Her son was about to get his driver’s license, and she felt that she wasn’t needed anymore. Then there was her weight: At 5 foot 2 and 132 pounds, she dressed in the closet to avoid looking at her body.
As Sharon nibbled on her candy bar and brooded about her life, the images on the TV screen grabbed her attention. It was the first-ever Ms. Olympia Bodybuilding Competition. As she watched the women show off their strong, shapely physiques, Sharon snapped out of her funk. “I announced to my husband, ‘I’m going to be a bodybuilder,’” she recalls.
The very next day, Sharon—who had not exercised in years— dug out an old leotard and headed for the local gym. Gradually, she established a regular workout routine using information she had gathered from books and magazine articles on weight training.
“When I first started out, I couldn’t climb a flight of stairs without being out of breath. Five pounds was the most I could lift,” Sharon says. “Now, I bench-press more than 100 pounds.”
To support her exercise program, Sharon made some changes in her diet, too. “I remembered all the nutrition information that I had learned from third grade on, such as the basic food groups and proper portions,” she says.
Within 3 years of starting her exercise program, she dropped four dress sizes. And Sharon, a woman who had once hidden in her closet to get dressed, was ready to show off her 109-pound body in competition. Over the next 7 years, she entered a number of bodybuilding contests. She collected a total of 15 trophies, never placing less than second. “I was old enough to be my competitors’ mother,” she adds.
Now age 55, Sharon runs her own business, teaching other women how to lift weights and shape their bodies. “I want to set an example,” she says” I want them to know they can do this.”
W IN N ING ACTION
Show off your accomplishments. Sharon’s quite an achiever! But don’t feel you have to try out for the Ms. Olympia competition to get a sense of accomplishment. Training for any special event—a 5K, a swim meet, a bicycle race—will give you something to strive for. It will also motivate you to stick with a regular workout routine. If you’re not into competition, do it for charity. Many nonprofit organizations raise money through noncompetitive athletic events.
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