Meet The Fittest 81-Yr-Old Woman Bodybuilder In The World

“I didn’t set foot into a gym until I was 56. I was always too prissy to work out," says 81-year-old bodybuilder Ernestine Shepherd, who with her exceptional physique, is inspiring others to hit the gym.

A resident of Baltimore, US, Shepherd may be aged in the eyes of others, but weak she is not. She is the brand influencer of the phrase ‘age is just a number’.

In 2010, Shepherd won the Guinness World Records title of the World's Oldest Performing Female Bodybuilder

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How did it all begin?

One fine day Shepherd went swimsuit shopping with her sister. That's when she decided to consider hitting the gym to stay fit. She told The Independent, “You couldn’t get me away from chocolate cake. But the year I turned 56, my sister Velvet and I went shopping for swimsuits. Neither of us had worn one for years. We looked in the changing room mirror, and made a pact to get in better shape.”

READ: Aarti Gill’s FitCircle Strives To Make Healthy Living Convenient

From that time, the two sisters started doing aerobics. They moved on to lifting weights and, eventually, got interested in bodybuilding

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"Instead of lamenting about our bodies, we decided to make a change, get into shape and become the best version of ourselves."

Shepherd joined the gym and her personal trainer slowly transformed her body, not to mention her life too.

At 71, "the fittest grandma in the world" started training for her first bodybuilding competition, BBC reported

Today, the octogenarian spends her days maintaining a fitness regime of running, lifting weights and training other senior women too. Her day starts with waking up at 2.30 am for her daily run, followed by strength training alternative days of the week.

Also Read: The 5 Secrets to Michelle Obama’s Fitness

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We salute Shepherd for her grit and achievement!

Also Read: Creating ‘inclusive’ fitness fashion: Arshiya Kherani of Sukoon

Feature Image credit: medicinaonline.co

Read More Stories By Ria Das