The Typical Combination of Beauty and Brawns
There will be some faces which get the better of their built and for Singaporean Joan Liew, there is something about her that draws quite a lot of attention. While she is feminine, she is unlike your typical waif-like model — her body ripples with muscle.
“People stare all the time,” shrugs the 33-year-old professional bodybuilder, flexing her biceps.
“This sport is just an extension of my interest in the arts — to create an aesthetically beautiful body out of nothing. You are in control of your body, and, in time, you can create whatever body shape you want,” she explains.
It is never easy for a woman to build muscles because of the lack of testosterone in the female body, and for that, people salute Liew, who clinched gold medals at the 2000, 2002 and 2006 Asian Women’s Bodybuilding Championship. She also emerged seventh in the World Games in 2001 and competed in the World Amateur Championships in 2007.
For now, Liew is taking a break from competition to focus on expanding her business.
Women tend to shy away from the sport because of the gender stereotypes. Hence, there is a dearth of female bodybuilders in Asia. Malaysia stopped promoting women’s bodybuilding in 1989 because the National Sports Council doesn’t encourage participation, due to the way participants are attired.
Female bodybuilders are often subject to ridicule, and Liew has experienced her fair share of harsh comments. If you’re Asian, female and muscular, you’re typecast as being buff or a lesbian.
(Source) The Star
Tags: Joan Liew, Singaporean