Shrewsbury gym owner Suzanne builds up to world title

The 48-year-old was crowned the masters’ winner of the UK Pure Elite Fitness Model World Championships earlier this month.

Suzanne’s success in the world of bodybuilding has come less than a year after deciding to go down this route rather than concentrating on her previous running.

She now hopes to inspire others – not to take such extreme measures – but to get in shape and improve their fitness.

The co-owner of the Shrewsbury based Lady Pace gym and Personal Trainers, Suzanne has had to juggle her work and looking after her two children with an intensive training programme. But she says she was given incredible support by her family friends and those at the gym.

“To take part in these events you really have to change your way of life, particularly for the nine weeks intensive training leading up to the world championships. It was a case of eat, train, sleep, repeat,” she said.

“I was eating six small meals a day, weighing my food and drinking four litres of water. I have always eaten healthy, good food, this was just taking things to the extreme.”

She said the Fitness Model category was not the over-emphasised muscle body building.

Inspired

“It is more the shape of someone who you would want to be on the cover of a fitness magazine,” she said.

“I feel tons better since I started this journey. I have more energy, feel less tired and my skin, hair and nails have never been in better shape.”

Suzanne said her training had already inspired members of the Lady Pace gym who had been wonderfully supportive.

“I hope that, while what I am doing is the extreme, I can inspire other people to work out and get themselves into shape and feel fitter. I would like people to feel better about their bodies to whatever level they feel is best for them,” she said.

“There is a terrible obesity problem in the country and I want to motivate people to get healthier. I also want to show that weight training is not just for men and that women can enjoy it too.

"Resistance training is incredibly important for women to help them retain bone density and to help their metabolism.”