The HEALTH : February 2019 | Page 30

30 30 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