What do people think about bikinis?

• Eat healthy
• Move your body. Work out, ride the bike, go running. Anything is good as long as you enjoy keeping your body in motion
• Be happy
• Love your body and treat it right, because no amount of surgery is going to provide you with another body
• Did I say Be Happy? Because, you know if you feel good, you’ll look good
• Your body is bikini ready when you are bikini ready
• NO DIETING! That’s bad for your health and your disposition. Don’t diet, it’s a battle you’ll lose right from the start
• I can’t say it enough: love yourself and your body
• And buy some awesome and pretty, well fitting bikinis. They need to fit on your body, not the other way around. No need to try to look like Twiggy.

Individual competitors should compete in whichever divisions they want to.

For my personal preference, I find bikini deeply dull (physiques aren’t trained enough for my liking). And whenever you actually attend shows, it is a huge class so takes forever. Completely understand that it’s the most marketable division though, for both show organisers and supplement companies. It’s just a bit too close to a T&A show for my liking.

Women’s physique I think was a really great innovation, and presented an outlet for still very trained but less extreme physiques than seen in women’s bodybuilding. After fitness (I like the routines), it’s probably my favourite women’s division.

Women’s bodybuilding is still great. The physiques are very extreme nowadays, but I can accept that. Sports change. I personally preferred the era from say Bev Francis to the end of Lenda Murray’s reign, but the physiques are quite a bit bigger now. I don’t think it has mass appeal now, but to be fair it has not had mass appeal for decades.

Lots of these things are just decided by money though. Bikini brings in a lot of money, due to the volume of competitors, each paying fees and so on. Even if it’s not my cup of tea, if it makes shows and federations more financially viable then that is a good thing.

Confidence: It’s the difference between the girl with the perfect body in a one-piece bathing suit, pulling at it and thinking she’s not thin enough or doesn’t have big enough boobs – and the girl who people call a bit overweight, but meanwhile, she’s wearing a bikini and guys are saying, “God, she’s sexy.” It all has to do with how you feel about yourself – it’s about projecting the attitude, I’m OK with who I am.

Everyone has a different body shape, so you kind of have to figure out not only what works best for your body type, but what also makes you feel confident. Even if everyone thinks you look good in a bikini, and you don’t feel good in it, you’re not going to be at your best. If you feel great in a bikini, you can always work it.