Thomas gets lift from 6th placing in Cyprus

Have you ever found yourself standing on a bustling Middle Eastern city street trying to ask "where can I get a bite to eat around here" in Turkish?

Wanganui bodybuilder Maureen Thomas will have plenty of memories of her first opportunity to represent her country earlier this month with a sixth placing at the NAC International World Body Building and Fitness Championships.

Selected after placing third in her division at the nationals last year, while winning the Manawatu open figure title in April, the 51-year-old joined a five-person Kiwi contingent headed for Kyrenia, in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Not exactly a country the local woman would have visited if not for her sport, Thomas said they arrived the Wednesday before Saturday competition after a two-day layover in Bangkok, followed by a transition through Istanbul.

Needing recovery time from the trip, the four New Zealand athletes and their manager began trying to source low-salt and high-carb food to eat despite their hotel not having cooking facilities.

"Being on the pre-competition diet was a real challenge, because we had to source the kind of diet we were on before competition," Thomas said.

"We had to go out and find places to cook it for us, then take it back to the hotel.

"There was a gym at the hotel, which we made use of, and did our cardio training up the hill in the hotel complex."

At the event, it was a proud moment to march in the parade as a team before the event amongst 141 athletes from 21 countries.

Thomas then had to settle into the task of competing in the Women's 35+ division, a big ask for the Wanganui woman in her 50s to go against a number of younger competitors representing France, Hungary, Italy, the United Kingdom and Cyprus.

"It was just amazing, world-class. It was awesome to be on the stage.

"Everything was much larger scale the venue, the stage, the sound effects, the big screen behind the competitors."

Now back home and returned to her regular routine at Wanganui's Club Fitness, Thomas has her immediate sights set on the National Amateur Bodybuilders Association (Nabba) nationals in Auckland this October.

Next year the Nabba Asia-Pacific championships are in Fiji while the world championships are in Spain.

"You do get a real buzz from competing on stage, I would love to compete overseas again."