A Florida mother recently won first place in a bodybuilding show, saying it was all for her kids, who inspired her to become a bikini bodybuilder. Christina Marsh has been active her whole life, but in 2020, her exercise habits fell to the back burner while she focused on raising her two young children and earning her nursing degree. Christina eventually began to notice that she was struggling to carry her two small children at the same time.
“I just felt weak,” shared Christina. “I was really struggling with self-image and feeling confident in my body.”
These feelings prompted Christina to return to her gym, Epic Health and Fitness. “Immediately when I came back the whole staff was really encouraging and motivating,” said Christina. “Because they’re a 24-hour gym I was able to go early in the mornings and get home before my kids even woke up so that I never had to sacrifice time with them.”
“Once I got back into the routine, I felt like I needed something to work towards so Ryan and Kelly, the owners of Epic Health and Fitness, encouraged me to compete in bodybuilding,” she added. “The more I thought about it and looked into the training and the diet, the more I felt like it was really what I needed in my life right now.”
Christina competed in the PCA First Timers – Tampa Competition on April 24th, taking home first place in the Master’s Division, second place in Overall Bikini and qualifying for PCA Finals in October.
“It was so fun to see what my body can do, especially postpartum,” Christina added. “Everything I do is for my kids. A huge part of me taking this journey was that I want them to see me being strong.”
Christina plans to compete again on June 5th at the PCA Epic Showdown in Spring Hill, Florida.
