A mum of two has muscled in on the bodybuilding big time after being crowned Miss England.
Dee Bolton, from Penwortham, came first in her latest competition, after taking up bodybuilding last year.
And the 41-year-old is now pumped up to take on international competition, after being invited to the world championships this month.
Dee, who also works as a cleaner, will head to the championships in Rome, after being crowned Miss England at a contest in Pudsey.
“I’m a single mum of two and I just do it as a hobby,” said Dee.
“I only started it last year and I’ve just carried on and done well this year.
“I used to go to the gym and always used to do cardio and never did any weights.
“I’ve always watched what I look like and a few people said have you ever thought of competing and I said no.
“I got a proper diet set for me and went to a bodybuilding gym, started doing weights and some competitions last year and it’s carried on from there.” Dee said people now stopped her in the street to tell her how good she looked.
She said: “I’ve eaten properly and trained properly and to look back at photographs, I’ve got a lot more muscle now.
“I just look a lot better than I did last year.”
Dee will head to Rome later this month to compete in the world championships.
She said: “I’m dieting now so I’ll need to be really strict.
“I’ll follow a strict eating plan, it’s like broccoli, turkey, cod, sweet potato, oats, I have to do low carbs.
“At this stage my diet can change each week, depending on how I’m looking.
“I’ve to do fasted cardio in the morning, I go to work all day, then train and do weights at night and then do cardio again.
“The next four weeks are tough, and it’s really mentally tough as well.”
Dee said she has had to train herself not to “cheat” and eat the wrong foods.
She said: “A lot of people get to this stage and drop out because, once you get towards the end, it’s so mentally hard.
“I’ve been craving chocolate and cakes the most.
“There are a lot of times when I think to myself why am I doing this, but I do enjoy being on stage looking good.
“At the competition I’ll go on stage and I’ve got to do mandatory poses, I’ve got to show them the right muscles.
“Then I’ve to do a minute’s routine.”
Courtesy of: Lancashire Evening Post