A mother who survived a horrific birth experience has defied doctors by making a miraculous return to her favourite sport: bodybuilding.
Jenna Thompson, 33, from Essex, lost three pints of blood and suffered severe internal damage when she gave birth to Emilia, now 14-months-old.
Super-fit Jenna was devastated when doctors told her she’d never compete in bodybuilding due to the damage she had suffered.
But the defiant mother-of-one had trained throughout her pregnancy to maintain her muscles and refused to give up on her dream.
Speaking about her ordeal, Jenna said: ‘I was terrified when doctors rushed into my delivery room, I feared something was wrong with Emilia.
‘Once I’d got over the trauma, I was determined to get back to bodybuilding.
‘I had spent my entire pregnancy lifting weights so I was devastated when doctors told me my dreams of becoming a bodybuilder weren’t possible.
‘I couldn’t pick Amelia up for three months and I had six months of physiotherapy to improve the muscles that had torn, thankfully my supportive family and partner, Daniel Wylie, helped me through.’
‘After eight months of not lifting heavy weights, I was finally able to do so once again.
‘I returned to the gym just four months after giving birth but I took things slow as I needed to slowly build up my muscle strength.
‘I had found myself a great personal trainer before Emilia was born and even managed to compete in a bodybuilding event last month.’
Jenna balances being a new mother and lifting weights by using the gym she set up at home.
She said: ‘I time my weight sessions with Emilia’s naps and feeding times.
‘A week before my competition I was working out six times a week, I ate six meals a day, which consisted of white fish and green vegetables but I still managed to put Emilia first.
‘It was tough but the results were fantastic, I came third in the “Yummy Mummy” section at the Miami Pro championships, it was such a great achievement after the year I’ve had.’
Jenna decided to start bodybuilding seriously in 2012, when she met her personal trainer, Anita Albrecht, on Twitter.
Jenna said: ‘Just before falling pregnant I was in the best shape of my life.
‘I had weight trained for five years but other female bodybuilders inspired me to give competing a try.
‘Anita was a successful bodybuilding trainer and I loved how lean and curvy she looked rather than overly muscly.
‘I was training daily for a competition called Miami Pro but I had to pull out when I fell pregnant.’
But pregnancy didn’t stop Jenna from hitting the gym nor did doctors warning her about weight training after birth – she refused to give up.
Jenna said: ‘I suffered two prolapses after lifting Emilia and heavy shopping bags too soon.
‘Luckily they were corrected through physiotherapy but the whole experience was terrifying.
‘I’m so thankful I’ve been able to get back into the sport I love, I’m hoping to compete with the professional athletes next year.’
Jenna, like most mothers, found it difficult to get back into shape after giving birth but now she and her personal trainer are thrilled with her results.
Personal trainer, Anita said: ‘Since competing, not only has Jenna defied doctors and physio predictions by actually being able to lift weights again, she has been an incredible source of inspiration to other women, friends and family since hitting the stage in her best shape ever.
‘On a weekly and sometimes daily basis she is getting emails, messages and questions asking for advice and insight as to how she did it.
‘Other mothers Jenna knows or has met can hardly believe her transformation and are especially inspired by the way she has bounced back and escaped near death after the birth of Emilia.
‘Jenna has been overwhelmed with the kind messages, compliments and questions seeking advice but also realises every woman is an individual and is sensitive about giving the right advice given she is not a qualified trainer.
‘Her advice to them was hire a great coach, follow their advice, eat clean, train hard and never give up.
‘It is safe to say that Jenna is one to never give up and visualisation is a tool Jenna used to bounce back from the traumatic birth of Emilia.
‘It just goes to show if Jenna can do it and overcome a traumatic birth and defy doctors by being able to weight train again, with determination and self-belief, any woman can do it.’
Courtesy of: Daily Mail UK
