Bodybuilding pair represent NZ
A Porirua couple are representing New Zealand on the world stage, as ‘‘natural’’ bodybuilders.
Ricky Kee-Sue and Janelle Cheesman are taking part in the Natural World Championships Bodybuilding competition in Brno, Czech Republic, this month.
‘‘Bodybuilding is about sculpting your body into whatever you want it to be,’’ Kee-Sue said.
‘‘It’s a challenging, but rewarding sport, and we want to prove that you can achieve great results by working hard in the gym, proper nutrition, consistency and patience,’’ Kee-Sue said.
At the ‘‘natural’’ world championships, amateur and professional bodybuilders are drugtested before taking part.
‘‘Bodybuilding is heavily associated with steroid use, so we’re really proud to be natural bodybuilders. We’re proving to people that you can be a competitive bodybuilder without taking any performance enhancing drugs,’’ he said.
The couple have been competing in natural bodybuilding in New Zealand for several years, and earned a trip to Las Vegas in 2016 to compete in the Natural Olympia – the biggest natural bodybuilding competition in the world.
Cheesman is making her bikini pro debut at the World Champs, having obtained her professional bodybuilding qualification in the bikini category after winning the Natural Uni- verse Bodybuilding Championships in Auckland last year.
Kee-Sue placed second in classical physique at the International Natural Bodybuilding Association championships in Taupo in August last year, and placed third in physique at the Natural Universe in Auckland last year.
He is aiming to achieve professional bodybuilding status at this World Championships.
‘‘We’ve had a huge amount of support from our friends and family,’’ Cheesman said.
She said it had been quite humbling to have people who believed in them and it made them try even harder.
‘‘We have both competed in natural bodybuilding for a few years now and we’re both confident that we’re going to bring our best physiques yet,’’ Cheesman said.