Africa Women Bodybuilding champion Evelyn Okinyi has lamented that negative societal perceptions of women bodybuilders are hampering the growth of female talent in the country.
Okinyi said that many upcoming female bodybuilders do not want to venture fulltime in the sport because of criticisms by the society for the way they look or dress when on stage.
“When I competed for the first time, I received a lot of phone calls from people asking me why I was posing and walking around naked. They do not understand what it takes to be in the sport,” Okinyi said.
The banker-turned-fitness guru said that bodybuilding is not a display of nudity but an art.
“If you are principled there’s nothing to do with you being naked but displaying art through your muscles. This is something that people still need to be enlightened about,” she said.
Okinyi — who won the 2016 Ms Kenya Figure — added that female bodybuilders must exert more effort to excel in the sport compared to women.
“As a top athlete, you have to go an extra mile with your workout and with your diet. For ladies, they (judges) look at your skin, your beauty and presentation,” she said.
She was speaking during a webinar on the dynamics of bodybuilding and its growth in Kenya. Speaking at the same webinar, Kenya Body Building Federation Calistus Shikuku, decried the increasing menace of doping and illegal drug use in the sport.
“There are some bodybuilders who have gone to court to complain that we have barred them from contesting. However, this is a menace that we are determined to eradicate to ensure fairness,” Shikuku said.
The Mr Africa bodybuilding silver medalist also complained about the declining standards of the sport in Kenya due to minimal support from stakeholders.
“We need the government and other corporate bodies to step in and support the growth of the sport. Bodybuilding is still considered a minor sport in the country,” he said.
Fred Sanya, son of Kenyan bodybuilding legend Micky Ragos, said that Kenya (and Africa) is poised to succeed in the sport with the right support.
“Africans have the best genetics to excel in bodybuilding compared to other competitors worldwide. The bodybuilding federation needs to reach out to the government to provide more funds to the sport,” Sanya, the Musclemania Pro Champion, said.
