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Published on Wednesday, 02 December 2009 01:22

Siobhan Tewari has had quite a year so far, placing 9^th in the NY Pro and 5^th in both the Europa and Jacksonville shows. A name that may not be too familiar to some of you, this half Chinese, half Lebanese beauty has been competing on and off for the past 18 years and, at 41 yrs old, she is living proof that in bodybuilding age is no obstacle if you have the heart and the will to succeed. I caught up with Siobhan recently and decided to find out a little more about how she got involved in this sport...and her passion for motorcycle riding!

First of all, where did your initial interest in bodybuilding come from?

"I've always admired the girls in the magazines and ever since I was a teenager I was hooked on watching ‘Flex Appeal' with Kiana Tom and Cory Everson. I admired both their physiques - even though they were so different. They still had muscular feminine physiques and I made it my mission to achieve the same look."

So how did the training escalate and lead you into competition?

"In the beginning I only participated in aerobics and group fitness classes and did very little in the way of free weights. My boyfriend at the time (who is now my husband) always criticized me for this and coaxed me into lifting weights with him. My body responded immediately and building muscle became easy. When he saw the results I was getting he persuaded me to enter competitions."

So how was your first experience of competition?

"My first show experience was nerve racking, but I took second place and was ecstatic! I absolutely loved the feeling of being on stage and the effort it took to get there. Now, 18 years later, my husband can't get me off the stage because I love it so much!"

You began competing in the physique section and then made the move to figure. How did this decision come about?

"I have a petite frame and when figure came out I found that my body type and genetics were more in line with the criteria of figure. With figure I could still achieve that muscular, feminine physique that I so fell in love with from the very beginning. I have to admit though; I do miss the posing routines of bodybuilding. I still train like a bodybuilder though, which I am grateful for because I think it provides me with the intensity I need for training and dieting. I just wish that figure had more showmanship or posing criteria than it does."

How did you modify your diet and training when it came to changing classes?

"As I mentioned before, I still train with the intensity of a bodybuilder and lift as heavy as I can for my lower body. Having a petite frame, I can get away with lifting heavy. I don't lift as heavy when it comes to my upper body though, except for shoulders because they do not develop quite as fast as my arms or my back.

My diet is still quite strict and I always come in conditioned. I know that the judges are going for a softer appearance as far as figure is concerned but I have a hard time adopting that look. So for now I walk the fine line of being too hard. I put this down to being a former physique competitor, but I am not going to change because I think a leaner body suits me."

Do you think as a figure competitor you can get more work outside the sport when it comes to modeling, ads etc?

"I definitely do believe that as a figure competitor I can get more work away from the sport. It is evident in most magazines what kind of look is dominant where women are concerned. The look of the figure athlete is the look that most women out there want to achieve. Having done both bodybuilding and figure, I have an appreciation for both and can honestly say that I prefer the figure look for myself."

Is working as a fitness model something you want to do more of?

"Yes, I would love to inspire women of my age bracket because let's face it; it is easy to look good when you are in your 20's. However, when you enter the 40 and over category you definitely notice the age factor kicks in when trying to maintain a fit body. Obviously at my age I have to work twice as hard to achieve a certain level of fitness and to be able to stand on stage with the '20 something' year olds, but I am still doing it and would encourage women of my age and older to strive for that too."

I believe one of your hobbies is motorcycle riding, how did that come about?

"Motorcycle riding came about because I wanted to find another hobby other than competing and weight training. It was also something that was unique in terms of, it isn't something that a lot of women do. I've always loved sport bikes and one day I just decided that I was going to own one!"

What do you do outside of the gym work wise?

"I am a part time personal trainer at the Powerhouse Gym in Joplin. The rest of my time is devoted to my 9 year old daughter, Shannon, who still needs my attention and I guess that would be my real job for now."

Being a mother, do you find it is hard to fit everything in when it comes to your training...especially around competition time?

"I have to say that being a mother on top of competing is very difficult in terms of balancing everything. Training and preparing for a competition is very time consuming on its own, let alone being a wife and a mother. This is where the support of my family comes in. My husband is a huge help when I am preparing for a competition. Along with my mother he prepares all my meals on a daily basis (I know...I'm so spoilt!). So with that outside help it makes it so much easier to focus on everything else. Family support is essential for any competitor; you just can't do it without them. It is also the best feeling on stage hearing your family cheering for you because you know that you got there because of their support."

So what do you do when you finally get time to relax?

"Sitting back and watching a good movie is just one of the things I love to do to relax. Being an island girl (Siobhan was born in Trinidad), I have to say that lying on a beach and listening to the ocean is right up there too. Motorcycle riding is also another relaxing pastime."

So what are your plans for the future?

"Next year I hope to return to the stage and try and move up the ranks and possibly grace the Olympia stage....which would be the ultimate goal for next year."

Finally Siobhan, how can RX readers contact you?

"Readers can contact me on myspace.com/siobhantewari"

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