Fitness beauty makes an impression at IBFF competition
Local muscle figure competitor, Tessa Els, recently competed in the first International Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (IBFF) competition on African soil.
Tessa is passionate about the sport and has won several awards and competitions in the four years since she started competing.
She says it went very well at the IBFF and despite not winning, she was chosen to represent SA in Koper, Slovenia during the world championships on June 21. “Only first-place winners would have gone through, but they noticed that several of us were in very good condition and I was also chosen.”
Unfortunately Tessa is unable to attend due to lack of sponsorships but hopes to get support to compete in the Mpumalanga Provincial Tournament in Secunda in ten weeks and then later in the SA’s.
The atmosphere at the competitions are fun and everyone is happy-go-lucky, the competitor explains, and as it’s evident in photos of the event, the competitors have a great time socialising.
How does she prepare for her competitions? “Well, you don’t stop dieting after every competition because you’ll just have to work harder every time. But the closer the date, the stricter and stricter it goes.”
Her family is a great support structure and when she’s not at work or at the gym, she tries spending time with her husband and children.
“My family supports me throughout everything, even though some aren’t as keen on the sport. But I’m doing this for myself, looking after myself, eating healthily. I don’t want to postpone until it’s too late and I end up regretting not taking this chance.”
Despite figure being a type of bodybuilding, Tessa says there is a big distinction. “In bodybuilding the women sometimes have bigger muscles than the men. In figure we’re still ladylike.”
Tessa advises people who are interested in bodybuilding and figure or just want to look good to start in their kitchen and fridge before hitting the gym.
Since her sport requires a lot of travelling and other expenses, Tessa is always looking for sponsors to aid her in her journey to excellence.
If you’d like to get involved, send an email to tessa.els1@gmail.com, message her on Facebook on Tessa Pieter Els or send a tweet to @spitzbergboer
