Basic to Bikini: Why?

‘Do you win anything?’ was the first question I was asked when I told a friend I was going to compete as a bikini competitor. Surprisingly, this was not actually a common question, although I did expect it. I mean, why would anyone want to put their body through what I’m about to? But in actual fact, many of my family and friends were incredibly supportive; however, that’s not why I decided to do it. The ‘why’ is something I thought about a lot prior to deciding to compete. In fact, my ‘why’ is the one thing that has never faltered, even when I umm’d and ahh’d for months, going back over why I would want to sacrifice so much and put my body to the absolute test. And the truth is, that is what forms my ‘why’.

My ‘why’ comes from a deep desire to continuously push myself and challenge my comfort zones. My comfort zone? Not being the centre of attention; being comfortable in what I’m wearing AKA wearing sufficient clothing. Out of my comfort zone? Getting up on stage in nothing except a bikini while ‘showing off’ my body. *Whoosh* that was my comfort zone flying right out the window. Sure, comfort zones are, well, comfortable.. but have you ever felt the satisfaction, the sheer pride, of doing something you genuinely thought you couldn’t do?

I’m competing because I need to see what my body is capable of. I need to see what I’m capable of. I know it’s going to take a lot of dedication, sacrifice and determination to get my body ready but the beautiful thing is that I love my body the way it is now and I know I’ll love my body in 9 months’ time when I step onto that stage. Because my love for my body doesn’t come from how it looks. It comes from how it feels, how strong it is, what it does, how resilient it is but mostly, my love for my body comes from the time I’ve spent working on creating a healthy mindset by focusing on self-care and self-worth.

Complacency plays a small part in my ‘why’ as well. I don’t ever want to become complacent with my body or my mind. I want to continuously be pushing myself and I needed to set a goal. I started working out in July 2018 and I had set myself very few goals during that time. I knew that if I wanted to keep the passion burning, I needed to set some serious goals to keep me going.

But why a bikini competition? To me, what the women in this league go through is nothing short of extraordinary. They are athletes. Their bodies are phenomenal – not that all bodies aren’t, but what a bikini competitors body goes through, and comes back from, is truly a testament to how well they are treated. I strive to be up there with those women, proving to myself that I am capable of anything. It’s also important for me to find my next big passion, whether it be as a hobby or a career, I need something to work towards in order to feel fulfilled.

So please join me for what is set to be a huge learning curve. I’ll share my learnings, struggles and everything in between. If you’re thinking of competing or are a first-time competitor, I know you will be in the same boat me: like a fish out of water. It’s hard to know where to start and what to do, so over the course of my prep, I will be sharing all the ins and outs – no limits. From which league and how to get a coach, to peak week and competition day, hopefully I can shed a bit of light for you and make it a teeny tiny bit easier to make that decision.

Follow my Instagram: natalieparry_ for more updates.