When Sabrina Burgess started competitive bodybuilding she was 42 years old, worked full-time and had four children at home including a toddler.

These so called “limitations” only made her more determined to win.

“When I started, four years ago, I thought I was starting out late, but it was worth a shot,” she said. “There are a lot of girls in my category who are younger. I wasn’t intimidated by them though. I think the advantage of being older is that you are more focused. With all the time and sacrifices I had put into it, especially having a family, I was in it to win it.”

She competes in a bodybuilding category called figure fitness, which looks at body symmetry, muscle tone, and having a balanced physique, while still looking feminine.

“You have some muscle but you are not as muscular as the female bodybuilders,” she said.

She trains with Carmichael Bryan at the Positive Results Gym. She has done well in a number of competitions in Bermuda and abroad. In February she represented Bermuda and placed tenth in the Arnold Classic held in Columbus, Ohio, beating out top women from around the world.

“I was elated to finish in that group,” she said. “The Arnold Classic was an eye-opener. It is one of the biggest shows in the United States. In my mind, I wanted to place in the top ten, and I would accept nothing less from myself. I accomplished that goal.”

Beforehand, she thought the hardest part would be the finals.

“It’s an open-stager in a big hall in front of thousands of people,” she said. “It wasn’t hard though. It felt like I was the only person; I had that confidence. When you do lots of shows you learn to focus on what you are doing rather than the other people there.”

Ms Burgess took part in her first bodybuilding show in 2011.

“I was working out in the gym,” said Ms Burgess. “I had a trainer who said I should try figure fitness. It took a couple of months and then I decided to try it. I was athletic in high school, but not so much as an adult. When I first started I thought it would be a one off thing. I would try it and that would be it.

“It was something I could check off my bucket list, but three years later I am still in it. I train twice a day, every day. I do an hour of cardio in the morning. I see my trainer after that. Then I am back in the gym in the afternoon for another session of cardio.”

In between all that she is a full-time dental hygienist, and a full-time mother.

“It is all about managing your time,” she said. “I make meals for the week on weekends, and I have a monthly grocery list. It took a lot of preparation. I always made the family their own meals and cooked my meals separately. I eat egg whites, oatmeal, chickpeas, chicken breast, sweet potato and vegetables. I take supplements as well.”

Ms Burgess uses products such as branched chain amino acids. These are essential amino acids that help break down protein and convert it to muscle.

“A lot of my supplements come from a local company called Optimum Nutrition,” she said. “That is one of the companies that have supported me with my last show here, and overseas at the Arnold Classic.”

She admits that there are a few health negatives to her lifestyle. She said when her son was in preschool she caught every cold he caught. There were also a lot of knee injuries.

The plus however, is that she is physically about 20 years younger than her chronological age; she has the heart rate of a 21 year old.

“My doctor says if only the rest of his patients were like me,” Ms Burgess said. “I really feel good. Every day I have someone asking me to train them or give them a diet plan. I’m always happy to help.”

Her main advice to other people wanting to body build is to stay determined and focused.

“You can do it, if you put your mind to it,” she said. “If you believe it, you can achieve it.”

Her immediate goal is to become the first person to win the Bermuda Bodybuilding Federation Night of Champions for the third time in a row.