A 36-year-old mother from Newbridge has competed at the Bodybuilding world championships in New York City.
Rhiannon Ahern finished sixth out of 18 competitors at the event, which took place on Saturday, November 16.
Ahern qualified for the competition after winning the bikini short competition at the UK Drug-Free Bodybuilding Association (UKDFBA) British championship.
Ahern described the trip as “very exciting and tiring”.
She said: “I did not make the top five as I had hoped, but the sport is very subjective.
“I am so proud to have got to the world championships once again to represent the UK and Wales.
“I feel super blessed that the UKDFBA gave me this opportunity once again.
“I hope that I have inspired other females to reach for their fitness goals.”
Ahern started competing in bodybuilding nine years ago after the birth of her son.
She had always enjoyed fitness but was encouraged by her husband to set herself a new goal, so she began entering local bodybuilding competitions.
Since becoming a bodybuilder, she’s placed third with the International Federation of Bodybuilding (IFBB) at the Arnold Classic event and finished in the top ten at a competition in Barcelona.
Ahern started competing with the UKDFBA in 2017 and within her first year won the British Championships and finished second at the World Championships in Boston.
She said: “As a busy mum and working full time, it can sometimes be tricky to fit everything in.
“But finding a gym that’s open 24 hours has been vital to my training as it works around my family schedule.”
In preparation for the world championships, Ahern, who works as a personal trainer at Snap Fitness in Blackwood, trained six or seven days each week.
She said: “Everyone at Snap Fitness Blackwood has been really supportive throughout my journey.
John Prior, Regional Manager of Snap Fitness Blackwood, said: “We are so proud of Rhiannon’s achievements.
“She’s taken all her previous learnings from past competitions in her stride, showing that tenacity and hard work really do pay off.
“She has always been a dedicated and inspiring member of our gym and this success is a real testament to her dedication and passion to fitness.”