From Paralysis to IFBB Pro
My Journey Through Bodybuilding, Disability & Becoming an IFBB Professional Athlete
I was told I might never train again. In July 2026, I stood on an international stage in Portugal and became an IFBB Professional Athlete.
My bodybuilding journey has taken me further than I could ever have imagined.
It has challenged me physically and mentally, taught me more about myself than any qualification ever could, and reinforced something I now believe wholeheartedly:
"Your circumstances may change the route you take. They do not have to determine where you finish."
Where My Bodybuilding Journey Began
Bodybuilding wasn’t something I’d always dreamed of doing.
The journey really began in 2020, after the birth of my youngest son.
He became critically ill shortly after birth and we spent four months living in Neonatal Intensive Care while he fought for his life. During that time, understandably, my own health took a back seat. There was very little sleep, no exercise and whatever food was available in the hospital.
When we eventually came home, I made a promise to myself. I wanted to rebuild. Not just physically, but mentally too.
I started training consistently again, improved my nutrition and began taking back control of my health. By 2021, I felt I’d achieved the best shape of my life and celebrated that transformation with a photoshoot.
At the time, I thought I’d reached my finish line.
Then I discovered bodybuilding.
Suddenly, I wanted to know how much further I could go.
I didn’t want to be the quickest, the smallest or the bravest. I wanted to become stronger, more disciplined, harder working and more resilient.
Most of all, I wanted my three boys to see just how strong women can be.
In 2023, I decided bodybuilding would be my next challenge, and in January 2024 I made myself a promise that I would step onto a competition stage before the end of the year.
What started as simply wanting to “give it a go” became a passion that completely changed the direction of my life.
Inspired By The Smallest Fighter I Know
People sometimes ask me who inspired me to push myself this far.
The answer is my son.
He was born clinically dead during Covid and suffered HIE and multiple organ failure. We were told he might never leave hospital.
During those months, he had to be resuscitated eight times.
But I kept telling everyone the same thing:
“He's a fighter. He's going to make it.”
And he did.
Watching such a tiny human fight so incredibly hard for his life changed something in me.
I thought, if my son could fight that hard for his life, surely I could fight for the things I truly wanted from mine.
That mindset has stayed with me ever since.
Then Everything Changed
In 2024, bodybuilding suddenly became the least of my worries.
Following complications from a routine medical procedure, I became critically ill. An infection spread to my kidneys, causing kidney failure and severe fluid retention.
The pressure in my lower legs resulted in compartment syndrome, destroying muscles and nerves in both legs.
I underwent major surgery and was left with a permanent disability, including paralysis and foot drop below the knees.
There were moments when I didn’t know whether I would walk properly again.
I was told I may never return to Personal Training.
I was told I might have to give up sport.
Instead, I decided to focus on what I could still do.
The route had changed. The goal hadn't.
Finding My Place In Women's Physique
Sometimes the thing that feels like the biggest setback can unexpectedly lead you exactly where you’re meant to be.
Before my disability, I competed in Women’s Figure because it suited my body type. But most female bodybuilding categories require competitors to wear heels. Following the damage to my lower legs, heels were no longer possible.
Women’s Physique, however, is performed barefoot.
The only problem? Physique is traditionally a more muscular category, and I assumed I would be too small.
I decided to try it anyway. And it suited me perfectly.
Had I not become disabled, I may well have continued competing in the wrong category for my body.
I like finding silver linings.
Competing Without Feeling The Floor Beneath My Feet
My disability doesn’t disappear when I walk onto stage.
In fact, one of my biggest challenges is something most people watching would never realise:
I cannot properly feel the floor beneath my feet.
Bodybuilding posing requires incredibly precise foot positioning, balance and muscular control. For me, that means practising movements hundreds of times until the connection between my brain and the muscles I can control becomes almost automatic.
If my foot lands in the wrong position during a pose, I can lose my balance or fall. New routines that another athlete might learn relatively quickly can take me months.
Training has also had to adapt. Certain single-leg exercises requiring balance simply aren’t practical anymore, whereas supported or machine-based alternatives allow me to train effectively.
But adapting isn’t the same as giving up.
My disability changes how I train. It doesn't change why I train.
My 2026 Competition Season
What followed in 2026 was beyond anything I had imagined.
28th March
NPC Worldwide Condition Coaches Cup
1st – Women’s Masters Figure
1st – Women’s Masters Physique
11th April
NPC Worldwide Ben Weider Pro Qualifier
1st – Women’s Open Figure
1st – Women’s Open Physique
19th April
BPA Masters Allstars
1st – Women’s Trained Figure
2nd – Women’s Athletic Figure
Overall Champion + Best Presentation
17th May
NABBA South & South East
1st – Women’s Trained Figure
Overall Champion + Pro Card Awarded
23rd May
PCA Universe Qualifier
1st – Women’s Trained Figure
Overall Champion
24th May
PCA Universe
3rd – Women’s Trained Figure
30th May
IBFA Liverpool ACB Classic
1st – Women’s Disability
1st – Women’s Trained Figure
Overall Champion
7th June
WFF European Championships
1st – Women’s Disability
1st – Women’s Trained Figure
1st – Women’s Sports Model
Overall Champion + Pro Card Awarded
13th June
NABBA British Championships
1st – Pro League Trained Figure
14th June
UKBFF Cumbrian Classic
1st – Masters Women’s Bodyfitness
1st – Open Women’s Bodyfitness
Overall Champion
4th July
Amateur Olympia Portugal
1st – Women’s Physique Open
1st – Women’s Masters Physique
Overall Champion + IFBB Pro Card
And that was the moment everything changed.
Portugal: The Moment I Became An IFBB Professional
Travelling to Portugal for the Amateur Olympia brought a mixture of excitement, pride and genuine uncertainty.
It wasn’t simply another show. It was my first time stepping onto an international IFBB stage, surrounded by some of the best amateur athletes in the world.
I had no idea where I would fit within that standard.
International travel also brings additional considerations for me because of my disability. Managing swelling in my legs, transporting equipment, preparing food and ensuring I recovered properly all had to be meticulously planned.
But mentally, I kept coming back to the same principle I use both in bodybuilding and with my clients:
Control what you can control
I couldn’t control who entered.
I couldn’t control their physiques.
And I certainly couldn’t control how the judges would score us.
I could control:
My preparation
My presentation
And the version of myself I brought onto that stage.
I didn’t travel to Portugal expecting to win a Pro Card.
I went hoping to prove that I belonged there.
“Did They Just Call My Number?”
When I looked around backstage, I wasn’t intimidated by the other athletes.
I was inspired.
I remember thinking:
“I've earned my place here. Now let's see what happens.”
When my number was eventually announced as the Overall Winner, there was a moment of complete disbelief.
Did they just say my number?
As I walked forward to receive the trophy and my Pro Card, everything started to sink in.
The surgeries.
The rehabilitation.
The mornings I’d wondered whether I’d walk properly again.
The endless training sessions.
The months of preparation.
The moments of self-doubt.
And suddenly I was standing on an international stage as an IFBB Professional Women’s Physique Athlete.
That evening, when the adrenaline finally disappeared, the emotion arrived.
I’d achieved something I’d dreamed about for years.
Naturally, I celebrated by calling my husband and children…
…and then going out for a massive dinner and cocktails!
What Does Becoming An IFBB Pro Mean?
An IFBB Pro Card marks the transition from amateur bodybuilding into professional competition.
It means I have earned the opportunity to compete as an athlete within the IFBB Professional League against some of the very best female physique athletes in the world.
For me, earning Professional Status wasn’t simply another trophy. It was confirmation that years of consistency, resilience, preparation and belief had come together when it mattered most.
But I don't see my Pro Card as a finish line.I see it as a starting line.
Behind The Stage Lights
The polished photographs you see from competitions represent just a few minutes at the end of months of work.
Contest preparation is incredibly detailed. It’s not simply a case of “eat less and exercise more”.
Training, nutrition, cardiovascular exercise, recovery, hydration, sleep, posing and progress all have to be monitored continually and adjusted according to how my individual body responds.
A typical day during prep starts around 5am, often with coffee, compression therapy and cardio before breakfast.
My first coaching client can start at 7am, which means preparation has to fit around running my business and coaching women across the world.
Resistance training remains a priority, with five training sessions and five cardiovascular sessions in a typical week.
Then there’s posing.
During competition preparation, I can practise posing six times a day, as well as filming my physique throughout the day so my coach can assess how it responds to different meals, hydration and training.
And that’s before tanning, skin preparation, stage presentation, travel, hair, make-up and everything else that goes into producing those few minutes you eventually see under the lights.
The hardest part isn't necessarily the training.It's doing the right things consistently for months, including on the days when motivation isn't there.
Confidence Doesn't Mean Never Doubting Yourself
Have I doubted myself?
Absolutely.
I’ve questioned whether I’m good enough.
I’ve wondered whether my body could keep going.
I’ve compared myself with athletes who have different genetics, more experience or fewer physical limitations.
But I’ve learnt something incredibly important:
Confidence isn't the absence of self-doubt. Confidence is continuing to do the work despite it.
Confidence doesn’t always arrive before action. Often, confidence comes because you acted.
Every time you keep a promise to yourself, take one more step or do something despite feeling uncertain, you begin rebuilding your belief in what you’re capable of.
What Bodybuilding Has Taught Me
Bodybuilding has taught me far more about life than it has about building muscle.
It’s taught me that consistency beats perfection.
Progress doesn’t come from one perfect workout or one perfect day of nutrition. It comes from repeatedly doing the things that move you towards your goal.
It’s taught me resilience.
You can’t control every result, setback or circumstance. But you can control how you respond to them.
And it’s taught me humility.
No matter how much you achieve, there is always something else to learn.
Perhaps the most important mindset I’ve developed is incredibly simple:
Don't ask, “Why is this happening to me?”Ask, “What can I learn from this?”
That question has helped me turn some of the most difficult experiences of my life into opportunities to adapt, grow and become stronger.
I'm An IFBB Pro. That Doesn't Mean I Expect You To Become A Bodybuilder.
This is perhaps the most important thing I want prospective clients to understand.
My bodybuilding career is my goal.
Your goal might be completely different.
Perhaps you want to lose weight after struggling through menopause.
Maybe you want to feel comfortable in your clothes again.
Perhaps you’d like enough energy to play with your grandchildren, feel stronger as you age, or simply walk into a gym without feeling intimidated.
Those goals matter just as much.
What my bodybuilding experience gives me is an exceptionally detailed understanding of training, nutrition, recovery, behaviour, consistency and how individual our bodies really are.
And my own health experiences have taught me something equally important:
There is no one-size-fits-all approach.
Your body isn’t mine.
Your hormones aren’t somebody else’s.
Your lifestyle, confidence, experience, health and goals are unique to you.
That’s why I tailor the way I coach to the individual in front of me.
I don't expect you to live like an athlete.I want to help you build an approach that works in your real life.
What Comes Next?
Becoming an IFBB Professional has opened an entirely new chapter.
I'm not rushing back onto stage simply to say I've competed professionally.
My first IFBB Pro show is planned for 2027 or 2028, giving me the time to build more muscle, improve my physique and ensure that when I return, I'm ready to be genuinely competitive.
The ultimate aim?
Olympia qualification!
But my ambitions extend far beyond bodybuilding.
I want to continue growing my coaching internationally and helping more women over 40 understand that weight gain, loss of strength and low confidence don’t simply have to be accepted as an inevitable part of ageing.
I also want to develop more educational resources around menopause, nutrition, strength training and healthy ageing.
And, increasingly, I want to use my story through public speaking, media appearances and events to start conversations around resilience, disability and what people are truly capable of.
Inspiring Other Disabled Athletes
I don’t want another disabled person to look at me and think:
“She's extraordinary. I could never do that.”
I’d rather they think:
“If she found a way despite those challenges, maybe I can find my way too.”
Disability may change how you achieve something.
It doesn’t automatically have to stop you achieving it.
I’m passionate about increasing the visibility of disabled athletes within mainstream sport and being recognised not simply as a “disabled athlete”, but as an elite athlete who happens to have a disability.
If my journey gives one person the confidence to enter a gym, enter a competition, pursue a dream or simply believe in themselves again, then every difficult moment has served a purpose.
Featured In
My bodybuilding and recovery journey has been featured across fitness media, interviews, podcasts and industry publications. Click the logos below to see the full feature.
The Journey Is Only Just Beginning
Earning my IFBB Pro Card hasn’t changed who I am.
I still get up and do the work.
I still have days when things feel difficult.
I still coach my clients with exactly the same passion.
What it has changed is my belief about what might be possible next.
Before Portugal, my goal was to become an IFBB Professional.
Now my goal is to become a competitive IFBB Professional.
And alongside that, I want to use everything I’ve learnt — professionally and personally — to help other people discover what they’re capable of too.
Because ultimately, if my legacy isn't simply the trophies I've won, but the number of lives I've helped change, I'll consider that the greatest success of all.
Ready To Start Your Own Journey?
Your transformation doesn't need to involve a bodybuilding stage.
It simply needs to start with you.
Whether you’re navigating menopause, struggling with weight gain, looking to become stronger or simply want to feel confident in your body again, we’ll create a realistic plan that’s tailored around your body, your lifestyle and your goals.
You don’t need to know exactly where you’re going yet.
You just need to take the first step.
