[FONT="]
Bodybuilders Rachel Bond (front) with James Poke, Alexander Sringall and Jason Moore are competing at North Queensland and national titles. Picture: Evan Morgan
Sport
[h=1]Local bodybuilders ready for national stage[/h]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]MICHAEL THOMPSON, Sports reporter, Townsville Bulletin
September 22, 2017 12:00am
[/FONT]
[FONT="]THE stage is set for a group of Townsville’s most determined bodybuilders.
Alexander Sringall, James Poke, Jason Moore and Rachel Bond are in the final stages of preparation for the upcoming Australian Natural Bodybuilding North Queensland Naturals and Australian Nationals.
They will be joined by fellow local Mervin Dodd, 74, at the NQ Naturals in Townsville on September 30 followed by nationals from October 7-8.
All their endless gym work will be put before a panel of judges, but for Bond in particular the journey to fitness has reaped the greatest prize of all.
The mother of two once weighed 115kg but is now a picture of health and self empowerment.
“At one time I just hit rock bottom and I was actually diagnosed with depression and anxiety, and I just felt powerless and I felt horrible,” Bond said.
“One day I thought to myself ‘I have to do something’, so I just starting exercising.
“It was actually my sister who dragged me into the gym, and I’m like ‘I’m going to hate this’, but she kept encouraging me.
“So she got me in, and I started to really enjoy it.
“That’s when I got my PT (personal trainer), my coach and I just went from there.
“I never would have believed I could do this.”
Bond competed in her last nationals tournament two years ago, placing third, and has won NQ and Queensland titles.
She will compete in the open physique category at the NQ Naturals and Australian Nationals.
Sringall is competing in the teenage bodybuilding division, and Poke and Moore are taking part in the under-80kg category.
“It keeps me motivated and this has literally been in my head for two years, I made up my mind that I was going to do this again,” Bond said.
“I just wanted to see if I could improve my physique a little bit and see how I go.”
Bond, who works as a high school teacher, has little time to spare in her daily life when it comes to preparing for competition.
“I get up at 4am everyday, I go and do 35 minutes on the stepper and then one hour of weights after that,” she said.
“Then I do some stretching, go home and then go to work.
“After work I go home and then go for a walk, which is every afternoon, so it’s about two and half hours worth of training everyday.”
The ANB NQ Naturals will be held at the Townsville Civic Theatre, with tickets available at ticketshop.com.au
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.a...e/news-story/4f192d9f34d1740ba8bc93757020b95f
[/FONT]
Bodybuilders Rachel Bond (front) with James Poke, Alexander Sringall and Jason Moore are competing at North Queensland and national titles. Picture: Evan Morgan
Sport
[h=1]Local bodybuilders ready for national stage[/h]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]MICHAEL THOMPSON, Sports reporter, Townsville Bulletin
September 22, 2017 12:00am
[/FONT]
[FONT="]THE stage is set for a group of Townsville’s most determined bodybuilders.
Alexander Sringall, James Poke, Jason Moore and Rachel Bond are in the final stages of preparation for the upcoming Australian Natural Bodybuilding North Queensland Naturals and Australian Nationals.
They will be joined by fellow local Mervin Dodd, 74, at the NQ Naturals in Townsville on September 30 followed by nationals from October 7-8.
All their endless gym work will be put before a panel of judges, but for Bond in particular the journey to fitness has reaped the greatest prize of all.
The mother of two once weighed 115kg but is now a picture of health and self empowerment.
“At one time I just hit rock bottom and I was actually diagnosed with depression and anxiety, and I just felt powerless and I felt horrible,” Bond said.
“One day I thought to myself ‘I have to do something’, so I just starting exercising.
“It was actually my sister who dragged me into the gym, and I’m like ‘I’m going to hate this’, but she kept encouraging me.
“So she got me in, and I started to really enjoy it.
“That’s when I got my PT (personal trainer), my coach and I just went from there.
“I never would have believed I could do this.”
Bond competed in her last nationals tournament two years ago, placing third, and has won NQ and Queensland titles.
She will compete in the open physique category at the NQ Naturals and Australian Nationals.
Sringall is competing in the teenage bodybuilding division, and Poke and Moore are taking part in the under-80kg category.
“It keeps me motivated and this has literally been in my head for two years, I made up my mind that I was going to do this again,” Bond said.
“I just wanted to see if I could improve my physique a little bit and see how I go.”
Bond, who works as a high school teacher, has little time to spare in her daily life when it comes to preparing for competition.
“Then I do some stretching, go home and then go to work.
“After work I go home and then go for a walk, which is every afternoon, so it’s about two and half hours worth of training everyday.”
The ANB NQ Naturals will be held at the Townsville Civic Theatre, with tickets available at ticketshop.com.au
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.a...e/news-story/4f192d9f34d1740ba8bc93757020b95f
[/FONT]