The Story of My Life – True Story About How I Became a Bodybuilder. II.
Chapter 5 - 1998 First Injury Broke Me Down – 18 years old
Next chapter of my life was very short – but important.
I was picked to the National team officialy and there were some voices about me represent on the teenage European Championship the next year. I had there all the support I needed. My parents were now fully behind me – as my biggest support and fans. I had nutrition provided by my coach (I cooperated with him still, but I was really more carefull to believe him to 100% )…. And I had a plan.
But in Winter I had a very bad fall with the barbell on my back and I pulled some ligaments. I had hurted knee badly. Doctors did not know what is with me and so instead the European Championship I was not able to walk without crutches and I was walking from one specialist to another.
It was a big hit for me… because the predictions were very bad. It looked like I will be never able to bend my left knee and I will be never back in sport again. This really crushed my down. First time I was on my knees literally. And I was not able to fight.
In Spring I watched our National team going to Europe, while I was overweighted again and the head coach kicked me out. He told me when I will be able to be lean again, to come back. Not sooner. It was very unpolite….
Few months later I finally found a chiropractor, who helped me with my leg. My muscles were visibly atrophed there and I was at the beggining again. I let the sport be and I focused on the school. It was the last year on the high school and I was doing the exams for the University studies. In the Autumn I moved to Pilsen – to faculty of Social and Culture Anthropology.
Chapter 6 - 1999 Attempt to Comeback. – 19 years.
Few months I was lost in the foreign city, which was much more bigger than the town I lived in. I had to get used on new regime, new school and I had to found the flat – because I hated to live on the residence, where was not possible to cook your own meals or use a fridge.
After few months I found a room and I found a gym. I will not tell you who was my new coach here – because it is a very well known personality and I dont want to talk about it badly… But we simply had another view on the thing….
I was pushed there to gain a lot of weight and to prepare for heavyweights.. but I did all things naturally and very quickly – so I gained a lot of fat too.. and I was not able to lean it out. Off course soon I had impressive legs and lats.. but also huge butt and hips…
I had 4 hours of cardio precontest.But few days before the Regional round I saw it is not good. I was the heaviest one – I had 132lbs on stage for 5´2“ … in my 19! Some voices on the competiton were very spiteful – when they signed me as a „man with boobs“ etc.. Also I heared I had to be Russian etc.. I was down. Plus I had some troubles with water (later I realized that it was, because of the totally bad water depleat, but in that time I fully believed in my coach there!). My abs were not very visible but also the underskin water made me flat in few moments before the stage!
Plus here was repeated the situation from 1997 but in opposite. In my cathegory was no heavyweight so judges joined cathegories with lightweights.
Off course I was looking terrible there. I got 4th place and I might go to the Nationals, but I cleared down my start there. It was the fact, why I also quarreled with my coach from Pilsen. We did not talk to each other for several years.
I got out of the club and I was decided to stop…. ¨
Chapter 7 - 2000 – 2003 Dark Years. Battle with Myself. – 20-24 years
When I left the first club I was really thinking about ending up. But in the big city were more opportunities than in our town, so soon I was in some other club under leadership of one our national team heavyweight competitors – man.
He was very strict and I got really tough training and diet. HE told me that my previous precontest was led in the bad direction and I needs diametrically other approach. I started to prepare for the 2000 Teen Nationals. But my new coach told me we will wait with my start a little bit and he negotiated something about me on the national comitee….
I was preparing quite well, untill the Winter. In Winter came all my problems, which pushed me to the ground and under.
My mother was ill – very badly – and doctors gave her few months of life. My dads firm was in bancrupt. I had no money to pay even the flat and I had some very tough exams which were necessary to continue the University studies. So nobody may be surprised, that my mind played a bad game with me…
It was first time I really HARDLY cheated in the diet and trainings… and later I announced I took a break…
I never apologized to anybody, but in this moment I have to apologize to those coach. I really did a bad thing to him. And he was very angry – that he told me he wanted to let me go to the European Championship – OPEN. In my early 20 I should compete with women and he also told me that he thought I might WIN!! He told me that it is not my genetics, but my head what makes me to lose all the time.. And he was right – despite the fact that in that time my proudness did not allowed me to accept this fact. He also told me not to visit his gym anymore….
I started to support my family and worked in the chemicall factory as a worker – to pay for my University studies….. I worked 6-8 hours a day, I had a school and I trained 2-3 times a week….
But soon may came my destiny again. I lend a horse one day and when we were on the narrow way some dog jumped out of the bush…. my horse panicked and I felt down from the cliff… And the horse felt over me!
I had ripped ligaments in the left arm, shoulder, left leg, the horse hit me to my right side of my butt…. and the only one good luck was that I was wearing the helmet and I saved my face and head. I also broke my cell phone – so I had to sat back on the horse and ride anohter 22 miles in pains to the first aid. The horse was by some miracle not hurt anywhere…
I was affraid to announce this to my parents – so I got away from the hospital sooner than I was told – what later caused two more surgeries on my left arm and shoulder. I was not able to hold the weights after my return back to the gym. Prognosis was not very positive again – half paralyzed left arm from my elbow down.
I started to use the grips and I tight the bells to my wrist to be able to train. I changed the gym and I was going to some „ladies fitness“ because nobody was staring at me in the bad shape and training with pink weights.
Off course during the time where I was not able to train right I gained a lot of fat on. And I felt into the trap of eating disorders. I was on a very strict diet – but when I got the money from the factory I was able to buy plenty of food and eat it in one evening….
Off course I felt guilty after each night like this – so I was able to go out and run on the local University stadium in 3 or 2 AM to 5 AM…. And soon I found diuretics and laxatives….
I did not think I have a problem that time. Off course psychically I was still down. I hated that I can not controll my life and my food… but I also did not think I am close to bulimia or diseases like this. I still trained and I wished to get back one day.
I was half poisoned by the chemicalls in the factory and I had damaged digestion. One day I read about some food disorders and I found that you may not puke after every meal to be signed as bulimic… I decided that I need a break. Real break…
I did an agreement with one farmer, who had his farm near the city and I started to work with horses on this farm. I left the factory work, because I might live on the farm for free.
I took care about 5 horses but I helped where it was necessary. I grassed cows, I helped with the crop – in the harvest time… It was a hard work but it was on the fresh air and soon the farmer took notice of my bad eating and he invited me to his table… The main production of the farm was turkey meat.
So we had meat to dinner, supper, lunch, eggs to breakfast – simple rural food directly from the farm. And I was hungry, because of the work on the fresh air. In few months my body healed…. I was able to eat.
I was strong as a man, I had tanned skin and my muscles appeared despite the fact I was not working out. I became the real „cow girl“…
I was going to school lessons time to time and still I studied. I lived on the farm almost one year. But the next year the farmer bought a ranch somewhere at the better place for animals and his family offered me to move with them as a payed worker – but I wanted to finish the school. So we said good bye each other and I returned back to the city.
As I needed some workouts, because I was used to do something – gym was the best reason. But I did not want to get back anymore. I was happy not to be a part of the game anymore… but soon I felt in love with my ex- - former bodybuilder….
We started to live together and he was my first real love. But all days were not so sweet. Soon we had some fights when he was even able to hit me (when he was on gear)….. I was very close to fall back to my old habbits and in fact I dont want to talk about this now… But still I worked on the school studies and when I graduated I left all my life there, including this not good relationship and I arrived back to the town where I grew up.
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Chapter 8 - 2004 From Zero to Hero. I Won for The First Time. – 24 years
So I was back home in my childrens room. I was after a „divorce“ (almost, because our realtionship was lasting three quarters of one year, but I really felt it more as a marriage after 20 years), with no friends and no job. I tried to find something but I was on about 95 interviews and I got nothing. I was the best student of the University – I got this title on my graduation… I had only A marks there.. well maybe two B marks in 5 years, not because I would be a good student, studying all the time, but I simply liked my specialization. But nobody cared. I was so desperate …
But what I knew for sure was, that this is a new life and new start and I can not felt into the same trap I was already in.
With this only one wish one day I opened the door of the old small gym where I grew up. It was as a return back to my childhood, when everything seemd to be so easy. The owner was new and also people in the gym changed… But the equipment was the same.
And I saw ghosts from the years I was there day after day… I felt the power I had in the past… All my dreams were in those walls. And I started to train there again according to really strictly given plan.
I was still unemployed – the rate of unemployness was really high in the town as most of the mines were closed. It was about 25% of people, who had no job. Many of them fought with poverty, alcohol and depressions. I sticked to my everyday regime to not fall in it too…
Each day I woke up, run several miles in the nearby wood, got a shower, cooked my meals, went to the job officer and than directly to the gym… I was overweighted and nobody would tell that this girl used to be a bodybuilder… After the last surgery done in my shoulder I had terrible pains in my left shoulder and the surgeon told me it will be never better… and if I want to continue in trainings I have to get used to pains. I did not train my shoulders thus this a long long time and I lost my muscles there. Also my arms were weak.
http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com//img/11838/progresspic/7520orig.jpg
http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com//img/11838/progresspic/7521orig.jpg
On the internet I found one group of people, who tried to encourage me to go to the national transformation contest in one well known magazine. My friend applied too and I decided to support her… nothing more was in my mind, when I sent the application form.
After few month the new owner of the gym offered me his help. Off course payed – but he gave me good price. In that time I got back my old place in the local newspapers.
It was only the part-time job and the salary was worse than poor, but I could buy some supplements and pay to the coach. And I started to train again. This trainings were different from what I did in the past. A lot of plyometrics, short runs, weights – a lot of sets and very quick tempo, very short trainings and very expolsive cardio. Diet was carb cycling – as I was used to – but this new coach changed my diet each 10 days… So my body kept burning the fats…
After 3 months I looked in shape again and my freinds managed me to go to the local small and not important GP in bodybuilding. I did not want to go on some big and official competition, because I did not believe I may match those girls…
I had the leanest but also the smallest muscles ever. My waist was under 20“… My hips were not a lot bigger. I loved my new look.. it was my best body ever…. I got better job in the newspapers – more paid. And I start to chat with one very nice young bodybuider, who was alone.
Than I won both competitions – Transformation contest and GP too…. I did not expect it. I cried as a small girl.
http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com//img/11838/progresspic/7522orig.jpg
My pictures and interviews were in the main magazine. I found a bodybuilding.com and I tried to upload some pictures here and I got a very positive feedback too…
In Summer there was two big interviews in magazines about me and people recognized me in the gym again …after years.
I got a new job in the capital city and I move to the bodybuilder – with whoom I chatted…. It was nobody else than my fiance – Daniel - and we are together almost 5 years now…. I moved to Prague and I started to write again a new chapter of my life. I believed it will be my luckiest one, because after all wons I was so hungry. But the opposite thing should happened.
Chapter 9 - 2005-2006 Melted in the Own Sauce – 25-26 years
Meanwhile my „career“ goes on the era of the internet started…. And I found its possibilities. My dream was to became a fitness star in this bussiness. And because I lived in country where it was hardly possible (because the rivalty here is really big and in the game the main role plays the friendship and I had not a lot of friends any time) I decided to try it on the internet.
I worked on my own sites and I put my pictures to a lot of „Vote for me“ things … And I tried to work on my reputation I had from 2004. But still I was only a winner of small local show and soon my activities was thorn in eyes of the major leadnig stars here as well as some IFBB officers …
I am the kind of personality, who really feels all emotions very strongly – never mind if success, lose, hate or love…. I simply live with it, but to many people my very expressive phrases were not pleasant. I forgot that popularity may bring you good things as well as haters. And I was not ready to this.
I started to work in bussiness with writing the articles about my sport… I tried to help the newbies.. and at all, one article from me is also here in English, so you may see I they was bad or not.
My goal was to get in some big magazine, but redactors really fought about their positions here – so I got only very negative responses from our smaller national media writing about sport …So I start to help some smaller sites and after weeks I become really well known as the author.
In January or February 2006 I won Biceps clash with Muscle and Fitness – I saw that in USA it was the same competition held on last Olympia Expo. Here it was on Sport Prague Expo. With 33 lb barbell I did around 48 reps in 1 minute limit… I think. I was close to 50 reps… And I won this competition. So my dream to have my picture in Muscle and Fitness magazine happened – and also they did one interview with me (half page) and also in the next issue were about me and my personal sites and my work on those sites. That was the last drop to the bottle.
http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/Bronwyn/more.php?section=videos&type=you&i=8360#8360
I became known as the selfish and prigish girl, not living in reality, playing the star when she is nothing… This reputation is still with me and I fight with this all the time. But I hope people around me are not believers of this.
In Autumn I prepared for my first Figure competition – as I thought I am not as big as I need in the open class bodybuilding. So I bought onepiece suit (again – I made over it at home from the average swimming one) and some stones and high heels shoes…
http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com//img/11838/progresspic/7523orig.jpg
Meanwhile I changed the job twice and in my new job I had to travell a lot. Last bussines journey took me to England in September/October … Weather was very windy and wet. I was prepared, but I did not expect that the temperature will be so low. When I returned back I had a very bad tonsilitis – I had to go to the hospital for some injections, I had antibiotics and I was 3 weeks at home…
It was 8 weeks precontest. I returned to the job and I thought I will miss this season too. Only 5 weeks left. I was still on the diet but very weak. We went on some other competition during the weekend and I might compare myself and the other girls there. And I decided that despite the timing I will try it. So my crazy 4 week precontest started. Remember that I am the endomorph type and I need 20-25 weeks of diet to look good! My fiance was very supportive as my timeschedule was more than crazy in those times. He cooked for me and led the household. I can not tell how much it helped me…. I had 2 hours of cardio in the morning, 30-45 minutes of cardio instead the lunch break in the job (running), 2 hours of cardio in the night, each day training – legs+1part of the body+abs, zero carbs all the time… And still I had 8-9 hours job.
I lost almost 22 lbs in 3 weeks – and the last week I did really masive potassium loading and water deplete. And I did not do carbing up!
http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/Bronwyn/more.php?section=videos&type=favorite&i=2238#2238
When I came to the competition I had not very good feeling as in the auditorium were people who did not like me. Also competitors were cold. There was a strange athmosphere backstage, when two TOP figure girls came into the dressing room, looked at me and started to laugh and came away. I start to flap. I did not want to go on stage, but I was covered by the Dream Tan, in the posing suit and few meters from stage. I could not do the step back.
I heared some whistling, when I came on stage. All the time I had not good feelings. Despite that I tried to smile and look I dont care. On the break three judges of 5 were my friends – or rather less than friends, but I trusted them. They told me I have a very bad tan – first time I had Dream Tan cream – and I am a little bit smoother but they have me on 3rd or 4th place.
http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com//img/11838/progresspic/7524orig.jpg
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/showphoto.php?photo=77943&ppuser=11257
So I was a little bit dispassionate when I had the final round. But when the results were held they told me I am on the last place. I expected it on one hand, on the other hand I did not understand well, when the main judge told me backstage I am last by all votes of all judges. Later I saw a person who told me into my eyes, that I should know that I am not welcome on stage of any national event as I am only a very bad waste matter… This made me really mad and I said and did things backstage I am not very proud of. And I will not tell it here… but it happened. Later my coach left me and he told me that some group of people is against me competing in the national federation (in that time it was the only one federation in this country).
So I was fallen. I was fallen not only in the competition, but in my whole life. Nothing had its sence/purpose… Why to train, why to be better… when you can not show the result of the hard work. I was never longed for the national team place or being the best… I only wanted to be better than on the last show – for me. When I was not better I was sad – but only to me. I was never complaining about the result. I never told bad things about judging. I always took judging as it is… Now my life had no purpose. All the years I worked on my body and my soul were gone….
Later on the internet the tight corner for me continued by very bad attacks on me. Well, now after years I see how stupid and silly some of them was, with the only goal – to hurt me more. But in that time I was so down that I did not seen it. I did not train, I ate and I was near to get mad…
Chapter 10 - 2007 From the Hell to the Eden - On the World Scene – 27 years
In January Daniel brought me some articles from John Defendis. You know - some of those old Intensity and Insanity articles…To encouradge me and to help me back to the saddle. First I did not want even to read it… But later I start with it and I have to say John is really a good writer. In his articles I found the passion I lost… Passion I had in the late 90ties. I was down, with no energy at all….
I stopped to write the articles and I reduced the sites. I really wanted to hide myself. But my heart found the new inspiration. I changed with John Defendis personally few e-mails (as he is a really nice man) and I start to train trainings very close to intensity trainings… And I still thought about the words that no competition – but each training have to be my goal. I decided to grow as much as possible to show the haters I really dont care.
So I also added more proteins and I had very strict diet. I tried to eat only proteins and fats and NO CARBS the whole year. In the bulking phase I had 154lbs in the decent shapes… and I was happy. But the new precontest was on and my friends were in their diets and precontest training programms. I missed it.
http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com//img/11838/progresspic/15763orig.jpg
Than a miracle had happened… I got the invitation to WFF-BNFF leaded competitions and I got the invitation on World Cup later. It was 14 weeks till the competition and after two days of thinking (about no return back to IFBB if I will compete anywhere else – but well I was not welcomed.) I sent the registration form and I was back in precontest again…
Precontest before World Cup was tough and you all might read it also here in my BLOG. But it was the happiest one. I had absolutely no problems and diet crisis… I still used „zero carb mode“but also it was my first precontest with NO CARDIO… Only at the end I had to add some, as the dieting time was too short again. But I was satisfied, because in the half of precontest I saw I was in better shape than in 2006…
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/showphoto.php?photo=2647013&ppuser=11257
The competition itself was really nice. I met nice people, the weather was great and I really enjoyed it. You may read about it here:
Bodybuilding.com - Pro/Am Contests Blog - My First International Competition
http://blog.bodybuilding.com/ProAmContests/2007/07/10/my-first-international-competition/
It was really as the Eden for me. My body, mind, soul were healed… And I felt to be on track again. Also I saw I may compete with girls on the international scene and I am not awkward. I was close to them. Not a zero – how haters from my country tried to suggest…
http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com//img/11838/progresspic/66531orig.jpg
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/showphoto.php?photo=779812&ppuser=11257
http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/Bronwyn/more.php?section=videos&type=you&i=62172#62172
After this competition I had really a good feeling but also I felt my body needs a rest. So I took a vacation and I decided to rest and eat a while. I added carbs back, because my metabolism was slower… And I gained….
How shocked I was when after a vacation I got the e-mail suggesting me to go on Universe competition in Winter… I was prepared to rest a lot. And restart of my metabolism took always few weeks… But the opportunity was too inviting to compete on a competition as big and well known, without any restrictions of any national team or officers… So I decided to go from one precontest to another.
So I sent all necessary datas and subscibtions and I started with the new diet and new precontest trainings… but I was very very tired. My body was simply not used to do both seasons – Spring and Winter… I started to have pains in joints, I was moody and tired.
How the Summer precontest was light and nice and I felt optimistic and ready, now everything goes slowly and bad way. 12 weeks precontest I was not on track and I started to affraid about being able to go.
That time I met my last coach. He was very well known competitor and coach for many national team members, also a coach of several Professionals… I knew that he is real capacity, so I asked him to help me… to consult with me. Maybe first time in my life I bent my head down and I ASKED somebody about the help. Also this man had really my deepest respect. I was lucky when he agreed and started to consult the nutrition with me.
I still trained my way, and trainings were still in my direction. But nutrition was totally new I never had before. And finally my body started to change. I was back – however the whole precontest was a misery. I felt pains all the time. My tissues were not healed from Summer, so I had a lot of smaller but very annoying problems during the precontest.
I had another bussiness journey in October and I got other tonsilitis after my arrival back… I was affraid a little bit that it will be the same as in 2006, but my new coach gave me his advices, so I continued in precontest despite the illness.
I was really waiting what the coach will say few days precontest, because I was AGAIN LATE with my precontest timing but he doesnt seem to be angry. What might be done was done. Few days before the competition begun a new hell for me. This was not about tiredness and later about mentality, this was all about PAIN! New professionaly led carbing up with using some mild diuretics was crazy. I had terrible pains when all my glycogene storages were gone and I started to have hypoglycemia… On stage I had cramps because of the potassium overloading…
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/showphoto.php?photo=2646963&ppuser=11257
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http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/showphoto.php?photo=1396223&ppuser=1125
http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/Bronwyn/more.php?section=videos&type=you&i=155412#155412
And it was the toughest competition for me ever… You may read the Archive here about it all…
http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Bronwyn/the-greatest-but-thoughest-competition-ever/
It was the greatest experience ever for me either. I was back as a bodybuilder in the open class on the international event! That was more than I might ever expect.
My coach told me not to interrupt the diet and to prepare for new federations NABBA competitions in the Czech Republic. NABBA was new federation led by few „rebels“who escaped from national IFBB, where the conditions were failing. My coach was one of them.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/showphoto.php?photo=1873263&ppuser=11257
We started to work together on a regullary base. And I continued the direction he gave me. Things were on the right way again.
Chapter 11 - 2008 Present Days: Downs and Ups Continue. – 28 years
Our story is almost at the end. It is probbably my life. But you all know what happened this year. I was prepairing for the NABBA Regional and Nationals and NAC World championship, when I was stopped by very dangerous kidney disease and potassium shock.
During January I had an infection - average cough and cold… or at least my doctor told me so. I spent three days at home and I continued in training and diet … But on March (second picture) I had some pains in ligaments and joints. I thought it is average - in diet all of us knows that …
http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/Bronwyn/more.php?section=videos&type=you&i=234022#234022
But one night I came home from the training and I had paralyzed left leg.. than the paralyse spreaded all over the lower body. I called my coach. We thought I have some mineral deficiency. Mainly in salt. I drinked salted water but I started to puke. Soon I was paralyzed to my chest and we decided to call the ambulance.
In the hospital they expected that I am only heavily overtrained so they sent me only to X-ray - but at 5AM next morning I woke up and I was paralyzed from my neck down. That was the worst feeling ever … Than they started with some more detailed tests… and they found a shocking fact, that I have almost no potassium in my body. I had a kidney failure.
For two days I was on intensive care and doctors expected me to die because of the heart or lunges failure - as they might collaps from the low potassium shock. I was fully paralyzed from my neck down all the time. Third day, after they had pumped my blood by potassium solution, I started to move again… Than they found some bacterial infection in my kidneys….I was 14 days on injections antibiotics.
All this came from the illness I had in January. My doctor gave me a bad medicine, which treated only the side effects, but not the infection itself. So the bacterial infection had the time to get into my kidneys…. all was supported by precontest preparation.
Nowdays all tests are all right, except some damage of thyroid gland. I am thankfull to God, that I survived and I have relatively small permanent health problems. My power is back, my muscles - they were damaged by the illness - are also working all right. And I may now focus on the comeback. That is what I want to do now … get back to the condition before the illness.
That is all, I opened my heart to you and I hope I will be not hurt again. But I am a fighter and I will still trying to to the things I love. XOXOXOXO Lada
