Bodybuilding: Mum sets tone for dramatic life change

WE'RE READY: Santana Schwass (front) and Che McGehan in the countdown to their bodybuilding competition debuts. PHOTO/PAUL TAYLOR

Three years ago Hawke's Bay mother of two Santana Schwass went to a gym to begin a weight-loss journey.

"I was extremely overweight but I managed to lose just over 30kg," Schwass recalled.

The commitment to the dieting programmes designed by her Nfinite Fitness & Health Centre trainer Sarah Parr encouraged her towards the bodybuilding scene and on Saturday she will make her show debut in the Miss Bikini division of the inaugural Fitwear Art Deco Grand Prix NABBA/WFF event at Napier Boys' High School.

Schwass, 25, who weighs 52kg, lost 20kg during the first six months of her journey just through changes in diet. There was a period when she put some of it back on but that was when she started to bulk and it was in the form of muscle.

Santana before her journey began.

"Then I started to lose surface fat and that's when I realised all the work was paying off."

A business development manager, Schwass, who has a 9-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son, does weight training for one-to-two hours each day and one hour of cardio work each day.

I'm in bodybuilding for the long haul and I also want to get into powerlifting too.

Santana Schwass

She is grateful for the support she receives from her partner, Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports premier rugby player Matt Hill.

"Matt introduced me to the world of training and often takes me to the gym. There's no baking in our house," she said.

Napier chef Che McGehan, 26, will also make his debut in the event which has attracted 30 competitors from throughout the country, 18 of them from the Bay. He will compete in the WFF Novice Men's under-80kg division.

"I'm pretty excited to be doing my first show after one year of training. Sarah [Parr] suggested I should give bodybuilding a go and I liked the look of it."

Like Schwass, McGehan does one hour of cardio training five days a week and six days a week follows posing routines and diet schedules provided by experienced bodybuilder Parr.

"Working in the hospitality industry I don't have time for team sports. With a one-off event like this I'm able to train in my own time," McGehan said.

"Basically I want to get a feel of what shows are like this weekend and if I like it I will do a bit of bulking with the aim of competing in more shows next year."

The Trattoria Alla Toscana chef admitted he has had to be disciplined in the workplace during the buildup to the show.

"I do a lot of desserts ... it's hard not to test them," he joked.

Two of New Zealand's biggest names in bodybuilding, Auckland's Johanna Mountfort and Kagan Orton of Christchurch, will be test judging at the show. Two-time junior world champion Orton began bodybuilding in 2011.

Mountforthas won at regional, national and international events since 2008 and has also coached clients for competitions since 2009.