...a page from the book.
I was fascinated with the realization that I was not alone being muscular. ( I felt myself to be a bit freaky). I assumed other gals like me in competition were all naturally muscular like me. It was NOT a happy teenage time for me being muscular.... I was soooo ashamed and self conscious. My ever so brief time under the lights sure made me feel better about myself. That said.... I knew it was time for me to quit when I did.
To be frank with you, I quit because I did not like what I saw when I went to Venice California to compete in the last Gold's Classic. That was the very first time I became aware of women taking steroid medication. I am a nurse so steroids were not a mystery to me. I knew male BBs took them and I knew what the drug did . I also knew the side effects. Gold's Gym in Venice had gals there that were all swollen looking and on the verge of what I'd call overweight lifting enormous weight and obviously under it all.....really muscular. No way in hell did I ever want to look like that....the off-season look. Remember I was always muscular...and for much of my life pretty ashamed of it. Felt awkward and out of place. I had my moment of glory and surfing was my first love I never left...so I'd say steroids really turned me off. Pillow felt that way too. She split and left the BB scene like me and did her own thing.
Today I went through 78 pages of Saradas looking for RIPs. I'd have to say it was sad for me to think that bodybuilding obsession could have shortened their lives. Was it steroids? I don't know Some, I guess. . I am now 79 and I still surf. I can still clear my yard with a machete. At distance I still look physically fit...up close a bit wrinkled. I still have a lump in my throat having read all those obituaries...and I say "Was it worth it?"...hell no.
Some of these astoundingly muscular gals, now deceased, started with nearly zero. Zero muscle!! I WISHED I looked like that ( zero muscle ) when I was a muscular gal at 18 years of age and horribly self conscious of it then.
Bodybuilding was fun for me. I started lifting late, like my mid 30's. It was a challenge. A surfer gal friend of mine conned me into starting to lift weights in a gym and enter Hawaii's 1st BB contest with her. I won all Hawaii contests and did okey dokey several time nationally It left me feeling OK being muscular.
I owe bodybuilding gratitude for what I learned, as lifting helps me today to remain active. I hope the gals starting today can have the same happiness with BB and stay healthy living a full long life. Those R.I.P.s really got me.
ALISON
