Mum finds her new passion uplifting | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

Linda Oldfield, a 45-year-old Masterton mother of two, says the sacrifices of bodybuilding are worth it for the boost to her body, mind and self esteem.

Mrs Oldfield, acting clinical nurse manager at Wairarapa District Health Board, won the tall women's figure category at Saturday's North Island bodybuilding championships in Masterton Town Hall.

She first started in the sport two-and-a-half years ago, first going to a gym "to lose some weight".

"Once I started, I kept going," Mrs Oldfield said.

"I started building some muscle, I started seeing my body change shape, and I thought, 'I'm heading down the right track'."

And after seeing some other women in competitive bodybuilding, Mrs Oldfield realised perhaps she wasn't too old to take part and she hasn't looked back since.

While it is "nice to have a toned, trim body" Mrs Oldfield notes the benefits have not been just physical.

"It's increased my self esteem," she said. "Mentally it has made me a stronger person. It's made me better in my working life and I'm able to cope a whole lot better.

"To actually get to this point there is a lot of discipline required, constantly turning up to a gym five days a week, and coming up to competition it's your second home," she said.

"I put in the hard yards, but I do it because I want to do it."

Diet is also important, and in the last two days before competition, watching the food and liquids is crucial.

"You watch your intake of protein and carbohydrates."

On the day of competition, Mrs Oldfield was carrying a lunchbox with tiny cubes of cooked chicken, which apart from a little water and coffee, was all she had consumed.