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  • #1 by Timmon on 01 Feb 2013
  • NABBA Figure competitor, UK.
    "In 2010 I began a journey that would change the way I feel about myself forever."



    Who would have thought that the dumpy wallflower with an eating disorder, that the bullies loved to pick on would be inspired by her idol Arnold Schwarzenegger via a book called 'the education of a bodybuilder' at the age of 15 and have her dream come true and compete one day!

    Linda's words: ''I've never been in the 'in crowd' always been a wall flower, & never seemed to fit in to anything, because of this I was bullied throughout junior & senior school. so for me weight training seemed the perfect past time.

    23 yrs passed & a new gym had opened up near me, I joined and this is where I found what I wanted, I wanted to compete. I set a momentous task, I wanted to be on stage by the time I was 40.''

    She trained like a demon with one aim in sight that by 2010 she would be on that stage. Searching for a prep guy that she could gel with she stumbled across a guy called Ken 'Skip' Hill from Colorado whom has turned out to be invaluable to her.

    A 20 wk diet was set & in January 2010, it commenced aiming for NABBA NW in May.

    4 wks into the diet Linda was hit  from behind by a 26 tonne truck in her job as a driving instructor, the diet had to cease.  Sights had to be set on another competition.

    On September 26th 2010 that wallflower came alive at the NABBA England in the trained figure class and took second place. Four weeks later on October 23rd 2010 she stepped on the NABBA UK stage and took first place and then one week later on October 30th NABBA Universe and placed fifth in the competition.

    With only 2 months off-season she had to prepare for the NABBA British Finals on 28th May 2011 where unbelievable to her she took first place in class 2-trained figure and then won the overall to become the British Champion 2011 and only 2 weeks later on the 11th June 2011 in Sao Paulo Brazil at the NABBA World Championships she placed fifth amongst seasoned competitors.

    Each time Linda stepped on stage her goal was not to win but to prove to the bullies & her eating disorder that they had not won!

    People that don't know Linda very well are unaware that she is a successful business woman working at her own driving instructor company & the mother of 2 fabulous children that she has brought up single handily. She has a 2nd degree black belt in Taekwondo, & a qualified Holistic Therapist.

    Linda's words: "I work with a very close network of supportive friends They are all my rocks, which have made a mountain & my Dream to Compete come true. When I compete they are with me on that stage and without them it would mean nothing.

    "Juggling everything is tasking but you only get one crack at life, so you may as well enjoy it to the full and you can't keep me down for long.

    "Yes I've struggled having an eating disorder but after stepping off stage in Brazil I underwent hypnotherapy and regression therapy off a world leading clinical hypnotherapist Chris Wynne Jones.

    "The therapy has worked as I no longer hide behind food and next time I'm on stage I will be better... the best is yet to come''
  • #2 by Timmon on 01 Feb 2013
  • Name: Linda Gartside

    Age: 42

    Star Sign: Cancer

    Residency: UK

    Height: 1.63m

    Contest Weight:134lbs

    Off Season Weight:165lbs

    Nickname: Linny

    Favourite body part to train: Back

    Worst body part to train: Calves, I cramp up really quickly.

    Training: I'm currently in the process of building my shape to be more aesthetically pleasing to the eye by doing a split over a 3 week period, focussing on building more detail in my quads, a wider v taper, & the most lacking part is my shoulders,which now have a dedicated day of their own.

    Influential BodyBuilder: Arnold Schwarzenegger

    Best Part of Competing: Knowing full well that I have beaten my family history of obesity :)

    Achievements in Trained Figure Class 2: 

        2010 NABBA England 2nd
        2010 NABBA UK 1st
        2010 NABBA Universe 5th
        2011 NABBA British Finals 1st & 1st place overall
        2011 NABBA World Championships Brazil 5th

    Titles: Miss UK 2010, Miss Great Britain & Overall Champion 2011


     
  • #3 by Timmon on 01 Feb 2013
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  • #4 by Timmon on 01 Feb 2013
  • #5 by Timmon on 01 Feb 2013
  • #6 by Timmon on 01 Feb 2013
  • #7 by Timmon on 23 Feb 2013
  • #8 by Timmon on 23 Feb 2013
  • #9 by Timmon on 23 Feb 2013
  • #10 by Timmon on 23 Feb 2013
  • Every picture posted so far here (no clips, too big)
    http://www.mediafire.com/?9itcoh559834s56
  • #11 by LinnyG on 03 Apr 2013
  • This was a pleasant surprise to find myself on here  :clap:

    Linny
    • LinnyG
  • #12 by LinnyG on 03 Apr 2013
  • Thank you :) was surprised to find my pictures on here, hopefully the Worlds debut in Italy in June will be a cracker!
    • LinnyG
  • #13 by Timmon on 03 Apr 2013
  • This was a pleasant surprise to find myself on here  :clap:

    Linny
    Thanks for dropping by Linny! I am always on the look out for the best FBB's here in he UK, but unfortunately, coverage is so poor of UK FBB's. But, of course, you caught my eye, and having you visit the forum, is the icing on the cake!
    Will we see you again in competition soon, in a UK competition? It will be fantastic to see coverage of you at the Worlds, again, often not covered particularly well by the media, sadly.
    Best wishes, and thanks again for being such an ambassador for FBB in the UK .
    Timmon.
  • #14 by LinnyG on 07 Apr 2013

  • Thanks for dropping by Linny! I am always on the look out for the best FBB's here in he UK, but unfortunately, coverage is so poor of UK FBB's. But, of course, you caught my eye, and having you visit the forum, is the icing on the cake!
    Will we see you again in competition soon, in a UK competition? It will be fantastic to see coverage of you at the Worlds, again, often not covered particularly well by the media, sadly.
    Best wishes, and thanks again for being such an ambassador for FBB in the UK .
    Timmon.
    For the time being It'll be Italy in June for competing, I will post some pictures for you when I return, & thank you for being so kind :) x
    • LinnyG
  • #15 by Timmon on 23 Apr 2013

  • Thanks for dropping by Linny! I am always on the look out for the best FBB's here in he UK, but unfortunately, coverage is so poor of UK FBB's. But, of course, you caught my eye, and having you visit the forum, is the icing on the cake!
    Will we see you again in competition soon, in a UK competition? It will be fantastic to see coverage of you at the Worlds, again, often not covered particularly well by the media, sadly.
    Best wishes, and thanks again for being such an ambassador for FBB in the UK .
    Timmon.
    For the time being It'll be Italy in June for competing, I will post some pictures for you when I return, & thank you for being so kind :) x
    My Pleasure Linny! Pics of you in Italy would be unbelievable, many thanks. In the meantime, let's celebrate your NABBA Universe victory in 2012, Miss Figure Trained Class 2.

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