“It is worth every moment of blood, sweat and tears when you hold that trophy.”
This is the reason why Suzanne Stirland puts her body through such intense physical training when pursuing her dream.
Suzanne is a professional bodybuilder and commits much of her time, when not looking after her 11-year-old daughter Polly and working as an administrator, to perfecting her body at Rolls-Royce Leisure Fitness Centre.
She won the UK Drug-free Bodybuilding Association Championship in September last year.
And now, she has her sights firmly set on the ultimate goal.
Suzanne, 47, of Oakwood, said: “The ultimate achievement would be to win the world champion-ships.
“I made my debut as a professional bodybuilder in the world championships in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 15 and finished third among the best natural female bodybuilders in the world.
“I also won in the UK finals last year so it would be great to win the worlds.
“It gives you a massive sense of achievement.
“All of the hard work is worth it if you are on stage.
“It’s an amazing feeling to know that you have achieved perfection, you have sculpted it.”
It is only over the last few years that Suzanne’s love for toning her body developed.
In her younger days while working for Derby City Council she used to enjoy going to the gym with her friend before or after work.
“It started really when I was about 28 and I started going to the gym,” she recalls.
“Quite quickly I noticed results and people were commenting to me on the difference it was all making. It was the best I had ever looked.
“I just trained like everyone else did, about three times a week and I would go straight from work.
“Even if I had a bad day I would go to the gym and by the time I finished I would be in a better mood.”
But she stopped going to the gym so regularly and had Polly.
It was not until she joined the Rolls-Royce gym in 2009 that she was introduced to the idea of bodybuilding.
And with that came an entirely new regime for her diet as well as her workout.
Suzanne, who is a vegetarian, said: “You need to eat a really strict diet in order to tone the body, otherwise there will always be a layer of fat.
“I do eat fish, as well as sweet potatoes, rice, pretty much any vegetables and porridge and drink protein shakes.”
Suzanne does not use any enhancement drugs as she is a natural bodybuilder and has no intention of changing her ways, as she likes being healthy.
“I am happy to do it naturally,” she said.
“I’m told there is less chance of injuries and if I was to starting doing it I would need to take as much as everyone else just to compete with them.”
She already has a strict training programme each week that includes working on her chest and biceps on Tuesday, sculpting her body on Wednesday, back and triceps on Thursday, shoulders and abs on Friday and her legs on Saturday, with an hour of cardiovascular-based workouts each day, before resting on Sunday and Monday.
In competitions, she is scrutinised on the symmetry of her body, as well as its conditioning and muscularity and must carry out an individual posing routine.
In her first competition season she won three competitions in the ladies’ physique lightweight category.
And this has all been despite the need to balance work with being a mother first.
“My daughter is really supportive,” she added. “At first she didn’t like it because I looked different to other mums at school but now she is quite proud of what I’m doing.
“She has a busy schedule herself. She goes to Trent College in Long Eaton and is in lots of dance and cheerleading competitions at the moment. I train when I have dropped her off wherever she needs to be and then I go and pick her up again after.”
But she added that she would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in starting bodybuilding.
She said: “Since I have been competing I have met some of the loveliest people, the other girls are warm and supportive. I could not wish for nicer people to share the stage with.”
Courtesy of: Derby Telegraph