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Th e HealtH | february, 2019
exclusive
The
wonder
woman of
Malaysia
Linora Low is on a journey to
smash stereotypes that strong
isn’t feminine
BY REENASSRI SEKARAN
a
LL smiles, she breezes into the KOA
Fitness doors munching on a red bell
pepper. Admiration and intimidation
swept over me as I thought that just a
month ago, this fi tness beauty graced the
stage at the Shawn Rhoden Classic 2018
held in Manilla, Philippines under the Women’s Bikini
category. Just a few months back, I attended one of
KOA’s events and she carried my 55kg frame without
the slightest hesitation!
No stranger to the Malaysian media scene, Linora
Low has graced multiple magazine front covers, includ-
ing Shape and I.M, and has been featured in Women’s
Health, Women’s Weekly, Her World and Cosmopolitan
for lifestyle and fi tness coverage. She is also a radio
announcer, emcee and fi tness ambassador.
Now, Linora has got a new goal waiting for her in
just two months. Th e Health gets personal with Linora
as she dishes her fi tness journey, her dream of meet-
ing Arnold Schwarzenegger and the emotional roller
coaster that she went through.
The fi rst dip
“It all started in high school because I was constantly
being made fun off . I was known as the cute, chubby
little girl. Of all nicknames, I was given Bibola, like the
song Ricola due to my round stature and other names
like pumpkin. It’s understood that probably at such
a young age, people did not realise that name calling
could be quite hurtful. Th at’s when I got into shoot-
ing some hoops and 4 × 100 metres relay. Back then,
I couldn’t be as slim or skinny as most of the girls in
school but I can be stronger. Th at was my intention
when I kick-started my fi tness journey.”
“My fi tness journey then gradually turned into a
competitive one. I think it all began when I attended a
bodybuilding bikini competition where I saw all these
women. Basically I was just taken aback to see such
amazing physique.”
“Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it.”
Maya Angelou
Linora needed a coach in order to train herself for
such competitions. And she got it.
“I met Benjamin Siong, founder of Australian
Strength Performance at a workshop for hypertrophy
where I was there to promote it. Lo and behold! I found
out he coaches bikini athletes.
A little girl’s dream
Featured in fi tness magazine covers, brand
ambassador, and radio announcer. linora juggles
her work and life in style.
“Th e fourth competition – the Arnold Classic which
I am currently training for is a huge deal. It will take
place in Melbourne on March 15 and it is a stage like
POSITIVELY FIT: linora says that to kick-start
our fi tness journey, you only need to start.
no other! Just the crème de la crème of athletes will
be competing so yea I’m just counting down the days.”
Why Arnold? You can see the sparkle in her eyes.
“Why is it such a big deal for me? Arnold Schwar-
zenegger established it and yes he’s my hero and it
would be amazing to get the opportunity to meet him.
I grew up watching him. All the way from his breakout
role in John Milius’ “Conan the Barbarian’. I even had
a tiny booklet containing all the information about
Arnold back then!” she quipped excitedly.
“As I grew older, I understood his lifestyle. Just as a
person, he is so inspirational. What he set his eyes on,
he achieved – now he’s an entrepreneur and philan-
thropist. I really see myself in that direction, I’ve even
studied his voice!”
She mimics one of his famous quotes and close
enough, I think she nailed her impression!
“My whole reason of doing this is because when you
participate in a bikini competition, you really have to dig
deep and fi nd out why you’re committed to it. It’s not
meant for everyone because of the amount of discipline
that has to be placed into it and there’s a lot of things
that needs to be done. In a nutshell, it’s more than just
a competition, it’s a journey to self-understanding.”
“My goal is the podium fi nish and shake Arnold’s
hand,” determination resonates in her voice.
Emotional Lifting
“Anyone who enters a bodybuilding competition will tell
you it’s a very high roller coaster – you will experience
extreme highs and lows. Last season, I really pushed
myself in terms of mind set. You have to be wired and
not allows things outside to aff ect you – cause’ they
do! Relationships, fi nance and other things will test
you. I’ve really come out mentally stronger because it
has given me a very strong ground to test my emotions
and handle situations better. I’m not perfect, I’m still