For eons, bodybuilding has been seen as a man’s sport. However, EVELYN OKINYI, took a dip in the deep end to demystify that notion 

Sandra Wekesa @wekesa_sandra

She is perfectly sculpted, relaxed and with a cinched waist. Her athletic body gives her an aura of confidence and an attraction that you can’t help but notice.

At a glance, it is not easy to instantly take note of the pumped and flexed side that looks masculine.

Besides Evelyn Okinyi winning the coveted International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) title in August 2019, she is also a renowned health and fitness guru and holds the title of a trainer at Eveal Fitness.

As a female bodybuilder, she has worked hard in a male dominated sector to be recognised and celebrated both at home and abroad. She reminisces how she decided to embark on a weight loss journey about four years ago while working as a banker.

And just like every other woman, she wanted to tone and just build her confidence with her body.

But all this changed when she realised that her working out didn’t only result to becoming lean, but also, building of muscles.

Overcoming negative criticism

“I admired people with toned bodies and I would get motivated to get the same body. I had no idea that toning meant building muscles and now that I am on this other side, I understand that all too well,” says Evelyn.

Soon enough, through her family and friends, she got the idea of trying out a few competitions locally. She gave it a shot several times, but only managed to finish second best.

“I had to work so hard to come first. I had just become a bodybuilder and competed at the international level just to challenge myself,” she says.

After several attempts in different competitions, she decided to give a shot at the Miss Kenya Bodybuilding Championship in 2016.

And that is where she drew the motivation to go for international competitions such as the 2019 edition of the annual Arnold Schwarzenegger Sports Festival in South Africa and the World Bodybuilding Championship held in Angola in 2019.

However, putting Kenya on the world’s bodybuilding map has never been any easy task for her, she admits.

Responding to the many, sometimes weird questions from different people regarding her involvement in a male dominated field has been overwhelming.

“You know this is purely hard work, because there is no way you can do steroids. That would be hurting yourself and besides that, there are several test procedures active competitors go through that can ruin your career if you test positive for steroids,” she says.

At the beginning she would always get negative criticism from people who would always allude that she must have been a violent character at home, hence her decision for bodybuilding.

Evelyn says: “I remember people telling me that I assault my husband because of my muscles, which was never true. I just had to convince people that being all pumped up didn’t mean that you had to hit everybody, leave alone your loved ones.”

Even with all the hard work, she has put on, she still comes across women with bigger muscles than her’s, especially at international competitions. 

“I just stare and wonder how much I should work to get there. These moments challenge and motivate me to become better,” she says.

It is not only passion that pushes her to be excellent at her craft, but being a mother and wife has also helped her navigate the field seamlessly.

She is thankful that every time she has to go abroad for a competition, her husband is always kind enough to accompany her and walk through the journey with her. She says this reduces her stress level.