Leanne Bartolo competing in Bikini Contest Professional Category at the World Fitness Federation in Mexico

Ms Bartolo is current WFF European Bikini champion. She will now compete in the global competition for the third time, having previously placed third

Current European Fitness Federation Bikini Champion Leanne Bartolo is getting ready to compete in her next high-stakes international competition: the World Fitness Federation, this time in Mexico.

Bartolo – who made headlines last year when she secured the top spot in Germany at the European edition of the contest – is expected to compete against 60 other hopefuls from across the globe. Her past success secured her place in the ‘Pro’ category of the competition, which means she will be judged alongside professionals in the sport.

Across the WFF, judges choose the winner based on international standards of Muscularity, Condition, Size, Shape, Proportion, Symmetry, and Balance, as well as Stage Presence and Confidence. In the Bikini Category specifically, judges will particularly assess competitors’ proportion and shape, including slight definition through the abs, shoulders and back. Legs, meanwhile, should only exhibit a ‘low level of definition’ between the hamstrings and quads.

“Working towards a competition of this kind is always exciting, but also very hard work” Ms Bartolo says. “This year I chose to take an extended period of time off from my career as a primary school teacher to focus on the competition, and to give myself the best chance at placing among the winners.”

Having placed third in last year’s edition of the global competition, Ms Bartolo hopes to again place within the coveted ‘Top Six’ – a sought-after achievement for any competitor. To achieve this tremendous level of fitness, Ms Bartolo has embarked on a gruelling training regime to ensure her body is in tip-top shape to compete against some of the best in the business.

However, she admits that her confidence in this year’s edition isn’t as high as she would like it to be, owing to a number of health-related setbacks that she has experienced recently. “A couple of longterm injuries reared their heads recently, which made training harder,” she explains. “This means I feel slightly less prepared than I did last time around, but I am nevertheless excited to be going out there to compete, to do my best, and to represent Malta.”

For more information about Leanne, and information on how to support her in the run-up to the WFF Competition, follow her on Instagram.