Ruth Saunders said she might be a little crazy, but she loves being an athlete, and bodybuilding fits the bill. After training in mixed martial arts for eight years, a combination of injuries and politics resulted in a change of focus for the 35-year-old mother of two.
In the recent Western Canadian Bodybuilding Championships — her first show — Saunders came home with a silver medal in the women’s figure division.
“I’ve been training in the gym since I was 17,” said Saunders, who works with coach Allison Dawson at Encore Fitness and Sport. “I love being in the gym, lifting heavy weights, and just challenging myself.”
An account manager at Island Savings Credit Union, Saunders was kept out of the 2013 World Martial Arts Games by injuries. Then, she got frustrated with visa holdups preventing her from competing in the Superfight League in India, where she has a three-year pro contract.
Despite enduring the exhausting and gruelling fight camps to prepare, Saunders missed three bouts, because she couldn’t get through the government bureaucracy. Eventually, she’d had enough.
“I needed something to to give my body a break,” she said. “Now, I don’t come home with black eyes every night.”
Saunders was among five of Dawson’s athletes who had success at the Western Canadians. Chelsea Woloshuk came second, and Dianne Goodfellow third in figure masters, while Alyssa Whyte was fourth and Regan Byron fifth in figure tall.
Other than Whyte, who’s 23, all the women are in their 30s or 40s. Dawson said their reasons for taking on the sport include seeing friends compete and becoming enthused to try it, wanting to regain a former athleticism and fitness or getting in shape before a milestone birthday.
“There’s a lot more interest now, and the sport has grown so much,” said Dawson, a trainer for the women’s national cricket team. “It pushes your body to the limit.”
The B.C. Amateur Bodybuilding Association competitions, which Dawson said have close to doubled in entries since she began coaching and competing in 2007, feature various divisions. They include bikini, figure, fitness, physique and body builder, with the amount of muscle definition increasing with each division.
All of them require a feminine esthetic in the presentation of poses, which Saunders admits to finding a little strange — like being Barbie for a day.
“It’s wearing heels, and getting all dolled up. Anyone who knows me … I’m the biggest tomboy.”
The look is for the show stage; otherwise, it’s a demanding, challenging sport. Saunders, Woloshuk, and Goodfellow all qualified for the world championships this August in Winnipeg. The athletes also have another competitive route, which includes provincials, at the end of June in New Westminster, leading to nationals.
Sticking to the regime of training and diet that produces championship results, or possibly a pro career, can take anywhere from months to years. Saunders isn’t sure where the future will lead, but she’s leaving all the doors open.
“Knowing me, I’ll probably throw myself at both nationals and worlds,” Saunders said. “I like to push myself, just to see how far I can go.”
