One young woman decided to swap dancing for dumbbells after using the skills she learned in ballet to take up professional bodybuilding.
Chelsea Dyson, 21, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, was a keen ballet dancer for over ten years before she finally accepted that her dreams of becoming a professional dancer would not come true.
She then made the decision to drastically change from a routine that saw her practice ballet almost every day of the week to
tackling weights at the gym.
Despite struggling with confidence, Chelsea says that without her previous experience in dancing she would never have had the confidence to pursue bodybuilding.
'It was a very difficult decision for me as dancing had been such a big part of my life for so long.
'I would go dancing six days a week, it was like my second home.
'As I got older I began teaching more than performing and realised that it wasn't going to be a career performing, so I decided to take a step back.
'The confidence I have on stage wouldn't be there without the training I received from Wendy Charles School of Dance, which I attended from the age of seven.
'Off stage I sometimes struggle with self-confidence which is down to the amount of pressure I put on myself.'
Chelsea, who also works as an account manager for a design agency in Sheffield, only took to the stage for her first bikini fitness competition last August and has already tasted success.
She is now looking forward to taking part in one of Europe's major bodybuilding championships, the Arnold Classic.
The competition is named after former bodybuilder and Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Chelsea said: 'My first competition was a scary but exciting experience. I went through all emotions in the run up to the day but once up on stage I felt that it was where I belonged.
'Having been on stage countless times in the past it felt natural to be up there. Since my first competition I have gained a lot of knowledge on competing but that doesn't make the nerves go away.
'Finding out that I had qualified for the Arnold Classic was so exciting.
'I get to compete with girls sharing the same passion from all over Europe representing the UK.'
Chelsea will head over to Madrid to compete in the Arnold Classic this September, after qualifying for the contest by finishing third in the UK Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation national finals in Leicester.
She was introduced into the sport of bodybuilding by her boyfriend and personal trainer Sukhi Singh Nahl.
She continued: 'My interest in Bikini Fitness and general training came from my boyfriend Sukhi Singh Nahl. I suggested to him about the possibility of me competing which he thought was a great idea.
'With him being a personal trainer he has prepped me every step of the way.
'Even though I'm the one getting up on stage, without him I wouldn't have made the decision to compete. He has been with me every step of the way.'
Chelsea now trains up to six times a week and sometimes twice a day, while maintaining a healthy appetite. She begins her gym sessions with a cardio workout in the mornings before going on to weights in the evening.
She said: 'I have always eaten healthily, I have a big appetite and eat more now than I've ever done before.
'I stay on a strict diet 6-8 weeks before a competition but relax and enjoy good food in between as I think the most important thing is to have a balance.
'There is a lot of attention in the media focusing on celebrities that are skinny and how they look.
'I think this is an issue that is slowly improving, as there are lots of female role models out there with beautiful healthy figures that girls now look up to.
'I think as long as a girl is both healthy and happy it shouldn't matter if they are slim, muscly or curvy.'
(dailymail.co.uk)
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