English Arabic Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Esperanto French German Hindi Latvian Luxembourgish Malayalam Maltese Norwegian Portuguese Russian Spanish Tajik

Michelle Kennedy

IFBB Pro

Age: 47

Career: Technical Analyst, London Health Sciences Centre

I was born and raised on the east coast of Canada but moved to Ontario in 1986. I was always involved in sports at a young age, so athletics have always been a part of my life. I can’t say that weight training or that lifestyle always appealed to me or were part of my everyday activities, but when I moved to London, Ontario, I thought about joining a gym. That brought me to Star Fitness where a guy named Dave, who was a nationally qualified bodybuilder, put me on a weight-training and cardio routine and bodybuilder-style diet. I literally walked into his gym, pulled out a fitness magazine, pointed to one of the fitness girls, and said, “I want abs like that!” And that’s where my journey began. Now, when I first started eating “clean” and had to cut out a lot of my processed and crappy foods, I literally thought I was going to die for the first three months! I thought to myself, “How in the hell can people eat like this every day?” But I saw such amazing changes in those first three months that I was hooked.

My abs started to peek out from under the layer of fluff, and I was so excited! Five years later, I competed as a bodybuilder in Stratford, won that show, and I haven’t looked back since. I’ve taken a year or two off here and there, but for the most part I’ve been competing since 2000. I made the switch to women’s physique in 2013 when I realized I just wasn’t big enough for women’s bodybuilding to be competitive. Plus, anyone who knows me knows that I love bling, so when I could wear the jewellery and blingy suits, I was sold. In 2014, at the North American Championships in Pittsburgh, I received my pro card in the women’s physique division. It was one of the proudest moments of my life.

Along the way, I’ve had a few trainers, including Scott Milne, Laura Binetti, and Brian and Donna Logue. They have all paved my path to success and helped me gain all the knowledge that I use today for myself and our clients. Brian and Donna Logue in particular were our partners with our training business, Elite Physique Canada, until they retired and we ventured out on our own. For that, we will be forever grateful. But my biggest base of knowledge and support comes from my awesome and intelligent husband, Dan, who supports me in every way possible when it comes to training, dieting, and competing. Not only is he book-smart, but he’s walked the competitive walk as well since 1991. It helps when you have the support in your household, someone who eats the same way and is willing to diet with you for a show.

Today I look forward to my pro debut in Toronto in 2015, where I will stand on a stage with women I’ve admired and looked up to for a long time. This will truly be a dream come true for me.

Categories: