AFTER competing for less than 12 months, local bodybuilder Jourdana Clarke was able to bring home bronze in the International Natural Bodybuilding Association National Titles in Sydney.
Clarke qualified for the national event after winning the INBA Perth Classic on May 16 in the Bikini Open Tall division.
After a quick trip to Sydney, Clarke was back on the stage, this time placing third in the bikini novice (class two) division and fourth in the bikini open class in the national titles.
“I just wanted to get up against everyone from the other states, it was more just about the experience for me,” the 29-year-old said.
“I wasn’t expecting anything so to get announced in the top five and then to place third was great.”
Clarke credited her coach Leonie Mischewski and her sponsor GMN Geraldton for helping her achieve the result.
“[GMN] took a big punt on sponsoring an older Mandurah girl,” she said.
“Without their help I wouldn’t have been able to get the nationals.”
Clarke said her goal now was to qualify for the World Championships to be held in Las Vegas in November.
To achieve her goal the Mandurah resident said she must place in the top three in the professional qualifying division in the Western Australia state titles on September 5.
“I have a week to get out any cravings then I am back into training,” she said.
“It’s a 12-week program so there’s no break.”
The Mandurah fly-in, fly-out worker said she became involved in bodybuilding because of her partner Matt Dyson, who will also compete in the state titles.
“When Matt would go to the gym I would too,” she said.
“So I thought: ‘Why don’t I give it a go too?’”
Dyson said he was proud of Clarke’s achievement.
“She has been competing for less than 12 months so it’s an impressive effort,” he said.
Dyson said by far the hardest part about the sport wasn’t the two-three hours of training each day, six times a week, but the nutrition side.
“You have six structured meals a day, day in, day out,” he said.
“You can’t go out to nice restaurants.”
Clarke said working on an eight-day on, six-day off roster made it all that much harder.
The state titles will be held on September 5 at Kingsway Sports Centre, Perth.
