Melissa Taplin enters bodybuilding comp after losing 25kg’s

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A MEMBER OF HEALTH MATES?

I have been a member of Health Mates Fitness Centre for five years.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO JOIN HEALTH MATES?

I am an emergency services worker and in order to perform my job to the best of my ability I need to ensure that I am as fit and healthy as possible.

WHAT HAVE YOU ACHIEVED SO FAR, AND HOW HAS IT CHANGED YOUR LIFE?

When I first started at Health Mates my primary focus was to lose weight, since starting I have lost 25kg going from 85kgs to 60kgs. Coming to the gym is now a part of everyday life for me and I constantly enjoy challenging myself and trying new things. The latest challenge I set myself was to participate in a bodybuilding competition. In September this year I completed that challenge and I competed in my first INBA Bodybuilding competition. Preparing for this competition made me learn a lot about exercise and different training styles; I wanted to continue to learn, so I then went on to complete my Certificate 3 in Fitness.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE FUTURE?

My future goals include completing my Certificate 4 in fitness and competing in more fitness competitions. I want to challenge myself and improve on the physique I currently have.

WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE SOMEONE WHO IS IN A SIMILAR POSITION AS YOU WERE?

Something I used to read when I first started out on my journey was that change does not happen overnight, I now know that this is so true. There are challenges, life is going to get in the way and there will be days where you don’t feel like training. You need to remember that each training session is a step closer to your goal and that the hard work and dedication does pay off.

There is no guarantee that physical exercise will achieve specific outcomes. Results will vary depending on personal commitment, genetics, nutrition and lifestyle factors.