BARING IT ALL
The women of ‘The Block’ reveal their body secrets and insecurities
‘I HATE MY BOOBS’ SARA
Outspoken and controversial, Sara Vale has bared all this season. But despite her confidence, she reveals to WHO the struggles she has with her self-esteem. “Living in Bondi is hard – there’s a lot of pretty people around, so it’s a lot of pressure,” Sara tells WHO. “Everyone’s slim, skinny, taut, terrific. Ever since I gave birth I haven’t really been a fan of my body, though I loved what my body produced.”
She admits there’s one part of her body she’s always had an issue with, even before she was pregnant. “I’ve never liked my boobs, they’re too big and they’re uneven,” Sara, 32, says. “I know it’s normal, but I just don’t like my boobs. I’m not a fan and never have been.”
Sara is happy to try cosmetic procedures or surgery if it helps her feel more confident in her looks. “I’ve had Botox and fillers. When I got married I had fillers for the first time in my cheeks. I’ve never had them after that; I felt there was no point. But I love Botox and I’ve said to Hayden I want a mummy makeover, boob lift and a tummy tuck, when we’ve completed our family.”
‘I’M FINALLY COMFORTABLE IN MY SKIN’ CARLA
Former professional netballer Carla Dziwoki doesn’t miss the pressure her playing days put on her body and body image. “Being in sport for as long as I have, your weight and your body fat levels are always a focus,” she admits. “You have fitness testing and skin-fold testing, so you’re aware of your good bits and your bad bits. I was very conscious of the numbers so now I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about my body,” Carla, 36, says. “Becoming comfortable in your own skin is very hard to achieve, but taking focus off how you look and instead focusing on what makes you feel good helps. For me, that’s exercise.” But after years playing elite level sport, Carla has recurring injuries. “I don’t miss the toll on my body from netball – I’ve had two knee reconstructions, so my body doesn’t miss training at that level. But I’m grateful I’ve been able to play sports – you appreciate your body for what it can do.”
‘I DON’T WEIGH MYSELF ANYMORE’ BIANCA
Bianca Chatfield has had a stellar career representing Australia in netball, but feeling body confident has always been an issue. “I became an elite athlete at 16 so all the weigh-ins and skin-fold tests had an impact on my body image. At that young age you don’t think kindly about yourself,” she says. “I’ve not hopped on the scales since I finished playing netball because I don’t want to analyse it anymore,” Bianca says.
At 187cm, one thing netball did help her to come to terms with was her height. “I gained confidence and learned to love my height in sports. If I didn’t play sports I would have felt very differently about my body,” the 36-year-old says. “It’s hard when you’re at school and you’re 10 times taller than everybody else.
“I feel good about my body now,” Bianca adds. “Being an athlete, I’ve spent my whole life focusing on how to get your body to perform in a certain way so now I’ve retired I can just do what makes me feel good.”
‘I’M CONSIDERING BOTOX’ KERRIE
Despite her slim physique, Kerrie Charter still worries about her “problem bits”. “My trouble area is my thighs, and I’m getting bingo wings,” she tells WHO. “But I don’t really care anymore what people think,” the South Australian nurse says. “Spence has helped with that because he is so laidback about his body so being with him has made me think he loves me as I am.”
The thing that gave her confidence was learning kickboxing. “I disturbed a burglar at my sister’s house and learning self-defence gave me the confidence to fight him off, identify him and press charges,” she says. “I think all girls should learn some kind of self-defence at school.”
Celebrating her 50th birthday next year, she’s embracing getting older. “Age gives you a bit more freedom to be happy with who you are,” she says. “I am considering Botox and I’d like to stay healthy and fit as I get older. I’d also like to do a figure competition, which is body building but a shapely division. Ageing doesn’t bother me. The only thing that really sh*ts me is having to wear glasses to read. I find that really, really annoying.”
‘I USED TO THINK I WAS FAT’ JESS
Being in a penthouse at the top of The Gatwick with all those stairs saw Jess Eva drop two dress sizes on the show, but the laid-back Queenslander is the first to admit she hasn’t kept off the weight. “I’m not even going to sugar-coat it. I’m not completely back to pre- Block weight but I’m definitely heading in that direction and I’m doing nothing about it!” Jess says, laughing. “I used to feel really insecure about my body. I hated my nose, I thought I was fat, that my bottom was big. I hated my toes,” Jess, 34, says. “But as I’ve got older I just see it as a pair of walking sticks and a couple of hands. It gets me to where I want to be and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.”
She does, however, have one thing that bothers her. “If I could change one thing about me it would be my teeth. I hate my teeth,” Jess says.
Last month Jess came off her antidepressants for postnatal depression and has been trying to change her diet. “Being healthy in the mind is really important to me,” she tells WHO. “I read that pomegranate and turmeric is really good for the mind and I found, for me, it’s better than the meds.”
‘MODELLING MADE ME INSECURE’ COURTNEY
You would think a career as a model would give any girl confidence, but Courtney Brown reveals it ruined her self-esteem. “There’s not a lot I like about my body,” Courtney confesses. “I modelled for nearly 10 years so a lot of my body issues stem from that. You’re scrutinised all the time – they point out bruises, stretch marks and comment on your weight.” Luckily, while she has insecurities, she’s learning to be grateful for what she has. “The older I get, the more I think, ‘Who cares!’ ” she says.
Being a long-haul flight attendant, Courtney, 34, doesn’t have the luxury of a routine for looking after her body but she has learnt what works best for her. “I love Pilates because I’m tired a lot from flying, so if I want to do something I don’t want to do something that’s too intense,” she says. “Reformer Pilates is something I know I can really tone.”
Unlike many of her fellow blockheads who lost weight during the show, Courtney actually dropped four kilos from her small frame before going on the show. “I lost weight before because I was quite nervous about it but I actually put a bit of weight on towards the end of filming!”