Fit Mum Feature

 

High Voltage!

Vania Smith

So often I hear first time mums complain that finding the time to train is impossible. Our feature Fit Mums have certainly broken the mould when it comes to fitness, motherhood and juggling life’s challenges with flair. They have made the choice to prioritize their personal health and their families health, as number one. Vania Smith is a figure competitor, mother of 2 and we are proud to say our first Feature Fit Mum of  2010. 

I had the pleasure of sharing a stage with this energetic Darwinian, with the mega watt smile in Sydney at the IFBB Nationals 09. “I was never particularly athletic and didn’t have to watch what I ate as I was growing up. It wasn’t until I fell pregnant with my first child at the age of 23 that I started to put on weight.”  Vania’s story of the baby- body- battle is certainly not uncommon, she was a tiny 53kg when she fell pregnant and ballooned to 84kg in 9months. That is a massive gain in any circumstances, couple this with fluctuating hormones and the other pleasures pregnancy can dish out and you can get an idea of how this can be such a difficult time for some women.  “All of the advice you get as a young mum is tailored around the birth, there is virtually zero advice about how to safely keep your weight in check and the consequences if you honestly believe you need to eat for two! For some bizarre reason I thought that after I'd had the baby and breastfed for a few weeks all the weight would just fall off and I'd be back in my jeans again. Boy was I mistaken!” 

The eating for 2 statement is very interesting, one of those mysteries of the modern era "who feedsnew mums this drivell?A strange idea when you think, for the most part the new addition to be is the size of a 50c piece. Sadly for those who deffer to this idea the aftermath can be very distressing, “I had a big, saggy stomach after I gave birth and when I asked the doctor when it would 'go away' he told me that it would never change and that it was a small price to pay for a beautiful, healthy baby.” Nice! 

“I was seriously depressed for a long time, a new baby and a large soft body made me feel very tired and unattractive. 4 years passed and one day I heard about a Body Jam aerobic class was starting at my local gym. I'd always loved a bit of a boogey so I started doing the classes. Eventually I started doing back to back classes and started seeing some results. It was around this time that I met a very muscular albeit a little bit grumpy, bodybuilder at the gym who took an interest in my training and encouraged me to start on a weights program. This was a real turning point for me, my attitude and my body started to make real changes and so I started on my journey towards a fitter, happier, sexier me!  

In 2007 I decided to compete in my first local bodybuilding comp. That bodybuilder who wrote my first program had become my partner and he was a driving force who really encouraged me and gave me the confidence to compete. I was amazed at what my body could do! I couldn’t believe that after having a child it could look so amazing, when I competed in 07 it was the best I had ever looked.  I really caught the competing bug and competed again in 08. Unaware at the time that I was actually 8 weeks pregnant before the 09 NABBA Southerns in Queensland. I felt a little off but continued to compete and placed 2nd amidst a very strong lineup. I discovered I was pregnant a couple of weeks after comp and I was very excited.


I gave birth to a gorgeous baby girl 9 months later. I had a really difficult birth and ended up having a c-section that was very difficult to recover from. I cant understand why some women CHOOSE to have them! In the midst of my pregnant euphoria I had decided that I was going to compete again in October 09 - just 7 months after the birth of my baby. So as soon as I was able I started walking little Miami around town. I grew stronger I gradually started adding weights back into training.  

Preparing for the IFBB Nationals in 09 was by far the most difficult thing that I have ever done, but I knew that my body could do it if my mind was strong enough. I ordered an amazing custom made bikini from Style on Stage, 5 months out to celebrate my decision and to give me incentive to work hard. It certainly did give me a push to do the stunning suit justice on a good body. I have never been happier with the package I presented at the IFBB Nationals 09. Preparing for the competition was reward in itself because it got me back into amazing shape better than anything else could have. I hope that my children see that you can truly accomplish anything that you put your mind to and that you should never ever let anyone get in your way, not even yourself!

You can only achieve if you dare to believe and Vania is an example of what a heap of determination, some unreasonable goal setting for yourself and a never back down attitude can bring rewards that you can personally be proud of. Your children also learn valuable lessons from your achievements. Well done Vania and we look forward to seeing you on stage very soon, better and better each time.

 

If you would lie to tell us your story please contact sara@pocketrocetproductions.com.au