**EXCLUSIVE**
By Akanksha Soni
THIS bodybuilding GRANDMOTHER calls herself a PUMA for dating a 27-year-old.
Personal trainer Wendy Levra (42) from Elko, Nevada started bodybuilding professionally as a rebellious phase.
Wendy is now a professional bodybuilder with 15 inch biceps, 24¾ quads and a 37 inch chest.
Wendy joined the gym at 35 as she felt she had gained too much weight for her short frame at the time when her regular trainer told her she should consider competing.
When she told her then-husband of this he laughed at her, and pissed her off, setting her down the path of national competitions and glory.
Wendy started training hard and competed in her first competition a year later, and came in second place in Utah Classic.
After her first competition, Wendy realised what she had initiated as a goof-off could be made into an actual lifestyle and career.
She took some time off competing and built her frame, as at the time Wendy had giant legs and a small upper body.
Wendy’s path to national competitions was a long and hard road spanning several years.
She left her job in insurance to become a personal trainer and divorced her husband, and found a man that is her rock in her bodybuilding lifestyle.
“I have been with Sean Oflattery (27) for three years now, we met at the gym a long time ago, Sean is also into the bodybuilding lifestyle,” says Wendy.
“We were friends for a while, but a few years later I was having a hard time paying my rent and Sean was moving back to Elko from Iowa so we moved in together.
“We hit it off pretty quickly, we kind of like the same things like going out and travelling. We like paddleboarding and shopping.
“We spend too much money on stupid things and have the same taste in music.
“I like to call myself a puma, not a cougar, I am not old enough to be a cougar yet.
“Sean also gets along great with my children.”
Wendy used to suffer from mental health issues, but since finding her new bodybuilding lifestyle she has overcome her demons.
“I’ve overcome some depression and eating disorders,” she said.
“I used to have really bad anxiety and depression.
“Since I started bodybuilding, I used that as an outlet and you have to have a positive mindset to get through it and get where I am now.”
Wendy had her first son at 17 years old, she had to drop out of high school, her younger son is currently 16-years-old and often accompanies her to her competitions.
“My eldest is twenty-five now and he and Sean get along very well,” says Wendy.
“The first time they met my son admitted that he thought Sean was going to be a big douchebag because he is a bodybuilder.
“But they are great friends now, age has never been a problem with us.
“My eldest lives in Idaho, he has a family of his own, I have a granddaughter and another on the way.
“My youngest is very supportive. He lives with me now and gets to travel with me to competitions.
“But he is the one that has to deal with me when I get crabby during prep-season and keep yelling at him if I see any tempting snacks around the house.”
Wendy maintains her weight of 160-pounds and exercises two hours a day, every day to maintain her bodybuilding physique.
“I do cardio for forty minutes in the morning, and go to the gym for half and half in the evening,” she said.
“I eat six meals a day and I eat a lot of protein. And in my offseason, quite a bit of carb too.
“So it’s like chicken rice, some fish, egg whites, a lot of vegetables, a little bit of fruit. Very healthy, clean diet, and lots of vitamins.”
Wendy feels a lot of body dysmorphia maintaining her bodybuilding physique.
“I feel good about my body overall, but bodybuilding kind of causes some dysmorphia.
“Like when you are in your offseason like I am now and I feel fat.
“I know logically that it is stupid to feel this way, but my body looks different now to when I am prepping for competition.
“During prep, I am super lean, and see every muscle striation or every muscle is defined.”
Wendy has faced mixed reactions from social media and her friends and family regarding her bodybuilding physique.
“And my family and friends tell me I motivate them to work out, but then they say things like ‘I want to work out but I don’t want to look like you.’
“And some trolls on Instagram leave comments saying things like ‘you’re disgusting’ or pointed comments that I look like a man with boobs.
“I don’t let it affect me after all it’s my life, and this is something I enjoy doing, and the bodybuilding lifestyle has given me so much.
“Bodybuilding has given me a lot of confidence. I used to be shy. I wouldn’t talk to people unless they approached me first.
“I can achieve what I need to you know, I’m a lot more positive now than I ever was before.”
For more information see www.mediadrumworld.com.
ENDS
