Joasia is an inspiration, young physiotherapist living and working in Birmingham. She has a master’s degree in advanced physiotherapy which she completed in 2020. That same year she also competed in her first 3 bodybuilding competitions.
Feeling inspired by her accomplishments we had to ask her what inspired her to achieve so much and what led to such an amazing year when it seems like the rest of the world was struggling with lockdown and the COVID-19 crisis.
After a breakup 2 years earlier Joasia realised she needed some sort of inspiration, a goal. She wanted to challenge herself. When she started scrolling through her Instagram feed she was starting to feel a spark of motivation coming from the bikini competitions that were popping up in her feed.
Joasia thought to herself that these bikini competitions looked fun, but also tough with the months of prep and training needed. But this is exactly what she needed to challenge herself. Joasia is not one to like being the centre of the stage. Those walls came quickly tumbling down when she got up on stage and placed in the top 4 of those first 3 competitions, including 1st place!
However, her success did not come without some bumps along the way. When COVID-19 hit, Joasia’s goal of competing came to an abrupt halt. Originally the competitions were to take place in April 2020, but for now there was not sight of when those competitions would be reorganised.
At first, Joasia stayed motivated and even enjoyed her home workouts. But as the lockdown and isolation kept dragging on, Joasia started struggling and found it affecting her mental wellbeing and she hit a brick wall.
“I ended up taking a 6 week break from my coach and was feeling quite low. I didn’t see that goal anymore.”
Joasia explained. With no clear answers on when the lockdown was going to be lifted or when the competitions were going to be reorganised she felt that without that goal she felt a bit lost and along with that she couldn’t find the purpose or motivation for her exercising anymore.
After a few weeks, Joasia managed to kick herself back into gear. She quickly got back on track with her coach and training.
Just like with any sport or competition, a lot of effort physically and mentally is needed. The time needed to prepare and get in shape, the diet restrictions and so on can take a huge toll on one’s body. For Joasia “Fitness is so important to me, but having a balance is crucial”
When we asked Joasia what is next in store for her she told us, “I’m really looking forward to this off season to get growing again. But for now, I’m really enjoying being less strict with tracking my food but making sure I’m still hitting my macros. I stick to a basic training and meal plan but enjoy a treat without feeling guilty about it.”
Follow Joasia @joasia_ohagan and maybe you will find your own inspiration and motivation!
