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Building body and mind Female bodybuilders have not always been celebrated the way they are today. Shauna Anderson saw the societal shift firsthand as she went from being ostracised, to admired for her body. It’s been less than a year since 53-year-old Shauna threw herself deep into her new lifestyle and is already taking centre stage at national competitions. She talks to Jonty Dine about her journey.
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ack in the 1980s when Shauna Anderson was grinding away in the gym strengthening her body, her mental health was getting weaker. Despite looking like she belonged on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Shauna was racked with insecurity and self-doubt. “When I was growing up, it was not cool to have muscles. I was embarrassed of them and would cover myself up.”
The attitudes took a toll on Shauna’s mental health which was unfortunately even more stigmatised at the time. “I struggled with mental health for years and back then no one talked about it. You had to sneak around to see a doctor or to get a counselling session.” As society progressed however, so did Shauna’s self-confidence, and thankfully her body now also reflects her inner strength.
Shauna says during that period, women who lifted weights were given labels such as ‘unladylike’, ‘weird’, and ‘freak’.
The 53-year-old has just competed at her first bodybuilding competition against women almost half her age, and took the crown.
“It was a very different time. Every time I went out, comments were made and never in a positive way.”
Shauna first entered the bikini open novice category for women 160cm and under.
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