Meet Kenyan Woman Who Quit Her Banking Job to Become Professional Bodybuilder

• Everlyn Okinyi has defied societal stereotypes to become a professional bodybuilder
• She ditched a job in the white-collar industry and turned to the gym, where she has since successfully crafted a career out of
• In this wide-ranging exclusive, she talks about her life, routine and the myths bodybuilders face

In Kenya, or any other part of the world for that matter, many people always put in long hours in school with the hope that one day it will pay off with a 'decent' job.

So when Everlyn Okinyi Owala quit her banking job to pursue a career in professional bodybuilding, many were shocked. The fact that she was a woman venturing into a field often considered to be a preserve for men didn't help her case either.

But she was determined and years later, she is a living testimony that one's passion, with lots of hard work and discipline, can pay off.

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Female bodybuilder

Okinyi sat down for an exclusive interview with Sports Brief, where she admitted that the masses have already started warming up to the idea that women too, can build muscle.

"I am an example that women can build muscle. You just have to be deliberate enough with your efforts and work towards your goal."

The Ms Kenya Figure winner in 2016 reveals that apart from her natural love for muscles, the fear of getting old was one of the driving factors why she decided to hit the gym. But as she went along on her new path, she realised that there were a couple of myths that she wanted to debunk.

Okinyi set up a business dubbed Eveal Health and Fitness, where she opened her wings to train people. Initially, it was women only, but as time went by, more men joined her initiative.

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"I made it my aim to have as many people as possible to be able to live in a body that they appreciate. It was also important to remind them that it is a process that cannot take place overnight."

Why bodybuilding is not an Olympic sport

Despite the recent and steady rise of many bodybuilders across the globe, the sport remains prohibited by the International Olympics Committee. One of the reasons floated was that bodybuilding went against one of the main ideals of the Olympics of creating a drug-free and fair competition among athletes.

Okinyi doesn't agree with this assertion. The St.Paul's University alma matter avers that people need to differentiate between supplements and steroids.

"When I started out, I received word that people can't build muscle without the use of steroids. But I am naturally tested and proven that it can be done. I am here to show people that I am the example you are looking for. I know I have to work extra hard than someone else who is perhaps on something else, but it is also my business to take care of my health."

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Okinyi won the Women's bodybuilding 2019 championship title in Angola and followed it up by scooping two trophies during the annual Arnold Schwarzenegger Sports Festival held in South Africa.

Okinyi's routine

She typically starts her day at 2 a.m. when she prepares her own meals before hitting the gym to do her own training sessions before her clients start streaming in.

The soon-to-be 42-year-old uses her age to show others, especially women, that it is not too late to start out on a fitness journey of their own. She is eternally grateful for her husband, who she says has supported her unconditionally.

"That man has given me 120%. He is my number one cheerleader and despite not having a background in bodybuilding, I have learnt a lot from him."

When she is not in the gym or engaging her clients, you will probably meet Okinyi travelling, watching a movie or just spending time with her family. When time allows, she tries her hand at golfing and watching motorsports. She is a fan of record Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton.

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The former banker took part in 6 competitions last year alone, with more lined up for this year, but she decries media coverage of bodybuilding events and boardroom issues in organizing competitions.

For now, she is on a mission to educate people to love their bodies and adopt safe methods of living healthily through exercise. And as she repeatedly mentioned in the course of the interview, 'She is the living example.'

Women too can body build.