Hello everyone, my name is Shania Murphy. I am 20 years young. I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis shortly after I was born. I had to have an emergency operation because I had meconium ileus; during the procedure a large amount of my bowel was removed. This impacted my stomach and has given me a lot of issues since.
Childhood
I was a very healthy child for someone in my circumstances; this was probably down to the fact that I played lots of sports such as swimming gymnastics and dancing. In secondary school I stopped most of my activities. The school days were much longer then primary school and lots more homework and I just didn’t have the energy to keep up with all my activities. In 2013 during my transition from primary to secondary school I was diagnosed with CF related diabetes. This was a very hard and scary time in my life. In the years that followed I would also have my first hospital admissions for my lungs which could last anything up to three weeks. My diabetes also caused me to snack a lot of the time at school to keep me from suffering from hypoglycaemia (low blood sugars) but because I was away at school from 7am in the morning I didn’t want to carry loads of meals so I would be having a few packets of crisps and stuff of that nature throughout the day and this in turn caused me to gain weight. The operation I had when I was a baby also left me with a scar that deforms my stomach, so this mixed with the extra stomach fat I was gaining from eating all the rubbish really fuelled my body insecurities.
Everything changed
Struggling to keep on top of everything, managing my blood sugar levels, keeping my lungs healthy with physiotherapy and struggling with my mental health because of my body insecurities I decided to do something that would hopefully help everything. I went to the gym. That’s where I found my passion. I started lifting weights and doing cardio and soon everything was coming together. My blood sugars where easier managed, my health and lung function was improving due to all the exercise I was doing and I soon learned to love my body in all its forms. Two years later while studying for my leaving cert I decided I wanted to compete in my first bodybuilding competition.
My first bodybuilding competition
So when I decided to compete I welcomed a new chapter into my life, a happier and more determined one. My prep tested me mentally and physically, but it really showed me how strong and persistent I was and how much I really wanted this. I prepped for 15 weeks. 15 weeks of training intensely, going to the gym before and after school. Lifting weights for two hours, doing cardio for another hour and posing practise for another hour.
My diet for competing was pretty boring and simple, it consisted of oats, berries, brown rice, sweet potatoes, chicken breast prawns asparagus and broccoli. As I got closer to the competition my insecurities started to creep in. I mean I would never wear bikini on holidays or anything that showed my scar and here I was weeks away from stepping on a stage in my bikini in front of a big crowd. Mental
The day I was waiting for finally came. All the hard work was done. I competed with NIFMA (Northern Ireland fitness model association). I competed in the bikini division. In this division you are judged on muscularity, symmetry, defined glutes, leanness, and stage presence and posing. To my delight I won three of my categories and came second in one.
I competed again in March 2019 with the same federation, NIFMA and in November 2019, where I took home Overall bikini. This was a goal of mine from the start and I was extremely ecstatic when I won. Bodybuilding is an extremely challenging but rewarding sport. You’re prepping for your competition for around 12 weeks. But you have to work all year to gain muscle. When you’re not in prep most bodybuilders will be trying to put on muscle mass for the rest of the year, in gym terminology ‘’bulking.’’ This is where you are eating in a calorie surplus and lifting heavy weights in order to gain muscle.
Impact on health
From last November I have had no hospital admissions in one year. And this is a very big deal as people with cystic fibrosis know. Also my lung function is 86%the highest it’s been in the last five years. I am the heaviest I’ve ever been and definitely have the most muscle I’ve ever had. My hb1c is also the best it’s ever been. Hb1c levels are reflective of how well your diabetes is controlled.
Career
I am a qualified personal trainer and nutritionist. I do online plans for my clients tailored to their specific goals. I’ve also recently started classes where I live. I love coaching these classes and encouraging the class participles to try their best and work hard in my classes. I’ve also started a YouTube channel which I will be posting workouts, recipes and documenting my journey to the stage. I am also a licensed security officer and hope to further my qualification this year and possibly go into private investigating or body guarding.
2020 competition plans
I am currently prepping for two competitions in April which are Ireland’s ultimate physiques and Pure Elite in the UK. These federations are much bigger and although I’m nervous and also very excited. In preparation for these two competitions I am currently training six times a week. My weight training routine is as follows.
Monday - Legs
Tuesday - arms and abs
Wednesday –back
Thursday – shoulders
Friday –legs
Saturday- shoulders
I am 12 and 11 weeks away from my competitions so at this stage of my prep I’m trying to build and maintain muscle mass. Closer to the competition I will start doing cardio too. I also track my calories and macronutrients closely (carbohydrates, protein and fats). My calories will decrease also every few weeks in order to get lean enough. I’m ready for an exciting year of competing in new federations and growing my personal training business as well as hopefully keeping healthy.
Thanks for reading everyone.
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