Photography by Dallas Olsen

Evolution of WonderWoman

Do you recall that moment when you were a young girl and you were so inspired watching the Olympics that you immediately jumped into the back yard pool and swam twice as many laps as you ever thought possible? With every stroke you dreamt of glory and gold medals, and when you crawled out exhausted and starving you proclaimed to your family that you were going to be an Olympic athlete? My Mum told me I could be whatever I wanted to be, so I would go to bed at night happy and full of expectation. Then the next day at school the sports teacher points out that you will need to lose the extra puppy fat on your tummy and for the first time the smallest shadow of doubt darkens your dreams. We all know what happens from there with the world full of people adding their own well intentioned advice that makes your dream so cloudy that it disappears. After all adults know best right?

Well I can tell you two things, a small chubby child can become an international level athlete, and secondly most adults don’t know shit! Unfortunately it took me 15 years of adult life to work these 2 things out, and I am still tearing down the misconceptions society insidiously permeates into your brain to keep smart, ambitious young girls from growing into inspiring female role models.

It is one thing to wake up one day and realise that you have listened to too many negative people and you have allowed your own beliefs to mirror theirs, however it a totally different task to change your beliefs and find the right people to surround yourself with to support you. Where do you start? What information is right what is wrong, have you done so much damage that it can’t be reversed? I took me about 15 years to get myself to an unacceptable body composition position, and initially it took me 5 years to struggle out and another 3 years to gain entry to the Australian Powerlifting team.

Lisa

PS Turns out my Mum was right, I can be anything I want to be!