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After five children, most women would be terrified by the prospect of wearing a bikini. But for Debra Berney it was the best way to show off a year's hard work preparing for the NCP BWI Body Building Figure Competition.
But flaunting her gym-honed body in public is a new concept for the 53-year-old, from Baltimore, Maryland, as until recently she had always shied away from any kind of form-fitting clothing.
Though she had never been particularly heavy, Mrs Berney revealed today how she had always been self-conscious about her body.
She told AOL's Marlo Thomas: 'From high school on, I was just never comfortable with my body. There was always that extra 15lb. So I never dressed flashy. I'd wear full skirts, nothing form-fitting. I probably made myself look worse. I guess I didn't want people to notice me.'
She said she had always enjoyed being involved in high school stage shows as a teen, though her insecurity held her back from stepping into lead roles.
'I was a skinny kid, but when I hit puberty, it was like adding water to a sponge,' she recalled. 'I was very self-conscious about my appearance, but on stage, I could be whoever I wanted to be.'
Though she went on to be a successful speech pathologist, it was not until she hit her mid-forties, after five children, that Mrs Berney decided that she needed to change her life, beginning with a new career in wellness.
She explained: 'I wasn't completely sure what I wanted to do, but I made a conscious choice that I was going to go from pathology to wellness.
'But I felt guilty. With five kids – three of them in college – bringing yet another tuition into the picture and taking time away from my husband seemed like a lot to ask.'
Inspired by her masters course, she also began working out in the university gym three times a week.
'I wanted, at least once in my life, to be in really good shape - at my very best,' she said.
It was there that she found her new vocation. She explained: 'I saw these young students who were trainers and I thought, I'm a good motivator and there are lots of older graduate students and faculty members who are dealing with the same issues I've dealt with. Why can't I do this?'
She went on to join their ranks, positioning herself as a personal coach for women like herself. From there, she began bodybuilding, inspired by her fellow trainers who all entered competitions.
'When I'd look around the training center and see other trainers preparing people for competitions, I'd think, "This is the next step – this is my next goal."'
As pictures from the NCP BWI Body Building Figure Competition reveal, Mrs Berney more than held her own against women up to three decades younger.
'Age does not have to be a limitation,' she explained. 'You can start a whole new path whenever you want. Yes, I absolutely put myself outside of my comfort zone – and guess what? I survived.
'That's what I want other women to know. You'll do more than just survive. You'll live the life you want – and you'll actually thrive.'
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But flaunting her gym-honed body in public is a new concept for the 53-year-old, from Baltimore, Maryland, as until recently she had always shied away from any kind of form-fitting clothing.
Though she had never been particularly heavy, Mrs Berney revealed today how she had always been self-conscious about her body.
She told AOL's Marlo Thomas: 'From high school on, I was just never comfortable with my body. There was always that extra 15lb. So I never dressed flashy. I'd wear full skirts, nothing form-fitting. I probably made myself look worse. I guess I didn't want people to notice me.'
She said she had always enjoyed being involved in high school stage shows as a teen, though her insecurity held her back from stepping into lead roles.
'I was a skinny kid, but when I hit puberty, it was like adding water to a sponge,' she recalled. 'I was very self-conscious about my appearance, but on stage, I could be whoever I wanted to be.'
Though she went on to be a successful speech pathologist, it was not until she hit her mid-forties, after five children, that Mrs Berney decided that she needed to change her life, beginning with a new career in wellness.
She explained: 'I wasn't completely sure what I wanted to do, but I made a conscious choice that I was going to go from pathology to wellness.
'But I felt guilty. With five kids – three of them in college – bringing yet another tuition into the picture and taking time away from my husband seemed like a lot to ask.'
Inspired by her masters course, she also began working out in the university gym three times a week.
'I wanted, at least once in my life, to be in really good shape - at my very best,' she said.
It was there that she found her new vocation. She explained: 'I saw these young students who were trainers and I thought, I'm a good motivator and there are lots of older graduate students and faculty members who are dealing with the same issues I've dealt with. Why can't I do this?'
She went on to join their ranks, positioning herself as a personal coach for women like herself. From there, she began bodybuilding, inspired by her fellow trainers who all entered competitions.
'When I'd look around the training center and see other trainers preparing people for competitions, I'd think, "This is the next step – this is my next goal."'
As pictures from the NCP BWI Body Building Figure Competition reveal, Mrs Berney more than held her own against women up to three decades younger.
'Age does not have to be a limitation,' she explained. 'You can start a whole new path whenever you want. Yes, I absolutely put myself outside of my comfort zone – and guess what? I survived.
'That's what I want other women to know. You'll do more than just survive. You'll live the life you want – and you'll actually thrive.'
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