GEORGE TOWN, Jan 25 — Penang-born Lilian Tan, 42, started lifting weights in 1997 when studying in the US but what started out as a bid to get healthier and stronger became a passion that lasted till now.

After staying in the States for almost two decades, Tan came back to Malaysia in 2009 to be nearer her fiance, Terry Gallyot, who is also a competitive bodybuilder.

Today, she has countless bodybuilding medals under her belt but nothing beats winning gold in the World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship in 2012 (Women’s category), making her the first Malaysian woman to do so and this year, she successfully defended the title again.

It was not an easy sport to take up but the personal trainer has hopes of inspiring more women to take it up and is even now training women in bodybuilding.

In her own words:

• I picked up this sport by accident. I started out as a competitive swimmer here in St George’s Girls School. I went abroad to further my studies in California in 1990. I pursued competitive swimming when I was in college. One day, the pool was under renovation. It was for the whole entire summer. I wanted to find a way to stay active, that’s when I stumbled upon the gym.
• I was still studying in the US and at that time, weightlifting was already established there so I hired a trainer to teach me the proper way, a nutritionist to coach me on what to eat. When I did my first contest and sent my pictures home to my parents, they realised I was not joking after all.
• I started competing for the very first time in the US in 2001. I took the second spot that year, it was a Ms San Diego Bodybuilding championship. Then, the following year, I went back and won the first place. I took a year off in 2003 and then won the Ms USA Overall in 2004. So, that was kind of the highlight of my bodybuilding career.
• Then I was given an option to either represent Malaysia or represent US since I was a permanent resident there. The Natural Olympia is the highest level for a natural bodybuilder to achieve. I made a phone call back here and found out Malaysia had stopped women’s bodybuilding back in 1989. So I had no other alternative. I ended up representing the US and won a silver medal.
• Then I kind of gave it all up until I decided to move back to Malaysia in 2009. I wanted to establish my career as a personal trainer so I thought maybe a competition was the best way to market myself so I competed and represented Malaysia for the first time in 2010 but what I did was just Model Physique, it wasn’t bodybuilding. Since bodybuilding (for women) was banned, I thought Model Physique was my best option. Bodybuilding for women is banned in Malaysia. It is still banned up till today. So, I did the Model Physique, took the bronze medal at the Asia level and bronze medal at world level.
• Because of how I looked, someone suggested that I try bodybuilding. Since it was banned, we had to write a letter to the chairman of Malaysia Bodybuilding Federation, Datuk Gan Boon Leong in Malacca, so he gave me the permission to compete representing Malaysia as long as I don’t compete and do it within Malaysia, competing outside Malaysia is allowed. Secondly, because I’m not Muslim and my religion does not forbid me to wear two-piece so I was able to do that. So, in 2011, I took a silver medal in women’s bodybuilding.
• I worked really hard and I became the first Malaysian woman ever to win a gold medal in a world bodybuilding competition. Last year, I decided to take a break to improve my physique so that I can bring a much more improved package and to see if I had what it takes to defend my title. To see if it was just a one time thing or if I could come back and do it. So I proved it this year with my second world title in Mumbai, India.
• The training regime is very strict. You give up a lot. You sacrifice a lot. When you get closer to competition, there is very little you can do because you are very tired all the time. With this kind of diet, it sucks a lot of energy out of you so your social life is basically out the door. It’s a very disciplined lifestyle.
• What I love about this sport is the challenge. You know it’s difficult. It’s a part of me. Even like now, the competition is over, and most people would just start eating everything. I will have my treats but at the same time, I still adhere to my very strict diet. Because I think of the long term goal. I want to try and go back to see if I can actually get my third world title in Brazil in 2016. So, most people think, it’s only in 2016 but I don’t. I actually start thinking about what I can do different, how I can be better than myself today. So, basically, I’m competing with myself.
• People stare at me here all the time… it used to bother me a lot. Especially when it’s nearing a competition, when I’m especially strict with my diet and I get very moody. It’s very uncomfortable when people stare at you. I find it very rude. It’s different when they look at you and come up and say something to you, it’s ok. But those who look at you and then start giggling and you know they are talking about you but there’s nothing you can do because you know… people can stare and do whatever they want. In the US, if somebody sees you, if they like what they see, they say something to you give you a thumbs up. Over here in Malaysia, they don’t see this very often. When they look at you, the first thing they think is “is she a man dressed like a woman?” That’s the first thing they think because they’ve never seen a woman with muscles. I get that a lot.