Oxygen Australia — January-February 2018

120 Jan/Feb 2018 oxygenmag.com.au

Photography

: Matthew Harrison

B

efore I found bodybuilding,

I was just like everybody else —

lots of good intentions, wanting

to be healthy and have a figure I’m

proud of and confident in, but just couldn’t

find the right activity to keep me interested or

motivated.

I was introduced to bodybuilding three

years ago when taking part in a Clean Eating

Challenge; I started looking into the eating

styles of bodybuilders and their training

methods. I had really felt the health benefits of

a clean eating diet and to be able to continue

that style of eating and train in a way that I

enjoyed just made sense to me.

Then I came up with the idea that I too

could take my interest in weightlifting to the

next level and enter a bodybuilding contest

myself! My 40th birthday was slowly creeping

up on me and I wanted to do something ‘a

little out there’ before I hit my next age

mile-stone.

I attended my first bodybuilding

competition, INBA Female Classic, in June

2015 and saw these amazing women get up

on stage in the tiniest bikinis and heels, and

the confidence these women had was unreal.

They looked unbelievable. And that was it. I

decided that I could do that too. I was going

to prove to myself that I could do something

just as amazing. I would train and remain

dedicated and I would enter the INBA Female

Classic the following year!

She was the perpetual

on-off exerciser who

liked weight training

but thought cardio was

the key to getting toned

and couldn’t find the

right activity to keep

her motivated, but then

Caroline Harrison

discovered bodybuilding.

My training changed into a more structured

program. I would train five days a week

alternating between hypertrophy training

(higher rep, lower weights) to strength

training (lower rep, heavier weight). My

strength increased and I can now bench 65kg

quite comfortably! I love how strong it makes

me feel, both physically and mentally; it’s very

empowering.

FAST FACTS

Name: Caroline Harrison

City: Greensborough, VIC

Occupation: Stomal Therapy

Nurse

Age: 39

Height: 177cm

Weight: Off-season: 68kg;

on-season: 63kg

CONNECT WITH CAROLINE

Instagram: @cazz_78

Caroline

Harrison

I have now competed twice — last year

in the INBA Female Classic, where I placed

second in the Fitness Model Momma and

fourth in the Fitness Model 30+! I was over

the moon! I instantly knew I would do it again.

In September 2017, I entered my first

Figure competition at the ICN Victoria State

Championships and placed first in Figure

Novice, second in Figure Over 52kg and

second in Figure Open Class 2!

I still cannot believe how well I did, but what

tops it all is how proud I am of the hard work

and dedication I had during the process. It has

left me with a confidence I never knew I could

have in myself, not only in how I physically

look but what I am capable of, physically

and mentally. The other rewarding aspect is

the positive influence on my sons. They have

seen me consistently work toward something

I want. They have seen me tired, but still

pushing on for my goal.

You really have to find what makes you tick,

and bodybuilding is it for me.