TV GRAN CREATES BETTER BODY FOR CONTEST
TELEVISION producer Nia Ceidiog is probably best known for her awardwinning work on hit children’s programmes such as Fireman Sam and Bafta Cymru-winning Dwylo’r Enfys.
But the 63-year-old is taking on a new challenge this weekend – by flexing her muscles at her debut bodybuilding competition in Birmingham – becoming one of the world’s oldest first-time bodybuilding competitors.
Not letting her two grandchildren slow her down, Nia, from Cardiff, has transformed her life and physique over 12 months to prepare for competition in the Bikini Masters class of the Xplosive Ape Grand Prix event in Birmingham today.
“I’m excited and nervous in equal measure,” she said.
“Bodybuilding is a great sport. Taking part will be daunting but I have spent a year training for this moment and hope to inspire other women of a ‘certain’ age.”
It was an invitation to her son’s wedding eight years ago that turned Nia’s
life around. As a size 16 with a stressful and unhealthy lifestyle, she decided to throw herself into exercise and yoga. “At first it was vanity and I embarked on a process of making myself presentable,” she said. “At the time I was a very stressed overweight female in my 50s with a staff of between eight and 12. I was working too hard and self-medicating with wine and ready meals.” Looking for a new challenge, last October she started lifting weights, guided by personal trainer Leica Gelsei “just to see how far a 63-year-old body could go”. She has since dropped to a size 6.
“I was never sporty at school but I chose bodybuilding. A sport which works on the aesthetics of the physical body. This had great appeal. I set about making this happen and sought out people who could help.
“It has been extremely challenging and there have been some dark times along the way.
“Now I am as prepared as I ever will be for Sunday. There are many older bodybuilders taking part in the sport – but not many 63-year-old first timers.”
Nia runs a production company called Ceidiog and is one of the creative minds behind many successful children’s TV series, including the original run of Fireman Sam.
“I wrote the whole of the first few series,” she said. “It was great fun, actually, and in a time when the animation was done painstakingly by Bumper Films. They were great to work with and I have incredibly fond memories of that.”
Over the past three months Nia has trained six days a week and had to stick to a strict sugar-free diet. Her strength and muscle tone has increased dramatically, and she can now complete a 22kg row with one arm.
She added: “I feel fit and healthy and have more energy than ever before and I will be the very best I can be on that day.
“Win or lose on Sunday, it won’t matter to me. It’s an opportunity to stand proud and celebrate good health.”
Nia’s journey to bodybuilding competitor is being captured in a documentary, Dim Ond Rhif, which will be shown on S4C on January 9.