Building body, career and family
Biceps, triceps and quads, Hollie Pluck has all of these popping out in tanned, toned style and awards to prove it, but she has much more on her plate - and it’s not takeaways.
Pluck lives up to her last name, determined. This time last year she had no idea she would be taking home two wins from a bodybuilding competition while successfully studying, working and parenting.
A mum of four children between five and 11-years-old, Pluck was a stay-at-home-mum until they were all at school.
Then she said she had to decide, ‘‘what next?’’.
Suddenly her life wasn’t all about being a full-time parent, ‘‘it’s all about you’’.
Pluck became a personal trainer through her passion for fitness before setting it aside to do a full time nursing degree which she is half way through her second year.
Late last year something sparked Pluck’s desire to start training for bodybuilding competitions.
She said it was an avenue of training she had thought about but had never had the confidence to follow through.
‘‘I couldn’t imagine getting up on stage so I just didn’t take it any further ... I just decided that maybe it would be good for me to do it, to get over that.’’
Before Pluck started her journey, she spoke with her husband about any concerns. They both agreed, ‘‘if it becomes unhealthy, we evaluate’’.
She said she had no other choice considering her family and her three daughters. Her oldest at the influential, body image age of 11. ‘‘Family’s important.’’ Ironically, just weeks before she took up the bodybuilding challenge before Christmas 2016, she accepted a part time job waitressing at Eddyline Brewery & Pizzeria in Richmond.
She said she had worked there since November but never had a pizza due to training.
On May 20, Pluck reached her goal and entered the Christchurch Grand Prix bodybuilding championships. She won her class for ‘‘short, novice, athletics’’. For the overall winner category, she was pitted against five other hopefuls. need to re- Pluck won that too. Not bad for a first-timer.
She said it was ‘‘really unexpected.
‘‘I was a little bit shocked. I knew I had done well and prepped well for my class but I had honestly no idea I’d take out the overalls.’’
Since the win, Pluck said she had shared a pizza and beer at Eddylines. It was only a passing plate though. She planned to get back to clean eating and focus on the next competitions in August.
How does she keep all those balls in the air? Love, support and organisation, she said.
‘‘All that matters to me is that my family is healthy and happy and that I’m happy and healthy. If I’m not, then things are not going to work, the wheels are gonna fall off anyway.’’