“I’m a Genetic Freak”: Mother of 4, Becomes Bodybuilding Champion With 18 Months of Training

A family that eats together stays together, but a family that works out together stays fit together. Such is the case with the MacDonald family. Kerry MacDonald entered the world of weight training and bodybuilding 18 months ago and has won several bodybuilding competitions and titles ever since.

Seeing her success inspired her family to hit the gym, too. While her husband was already a gym enthusiast, their sons are now following suit. It was her husband, Steven MacDonald, who had always encouraged her to join the gym. However, it wasn’t until April 2021 that she gave it a try.

Story of Kerry MacDonald

Shortly after she had hit the gym for the first time, Kerry MacDonald was diagnosed with ADHD. The attention disorder made it impossible for her to stay focused and commit to one thing. She revealed that she had tried her hands at different things through the years however, she could never stick with it till the end. “For years I couldn’t ever complete anything, I started hairdresser training and left because I couldn’t retain information. I could do the practical stuff, but I never gained any qualifications,” said the 43-year-old. However, since the time she has taken up bodybuilding, her attention and retention span have improved immensely. “With ADHD you are grieving for what you could have achieved, but the gym really helps me,” she said.

Her husband, Steven, urged her to take up bodybuilding since the two started dating 18 years ago. However, she never went ahead with it until very recently. To date, Steven is her biggest motivator. He has always encouraged her to give bodybuilding competitions a shot. But the one who inspired her to finally give it a try was a friend who won Miss Cumbria. Since Kerry MacDonald started competing, she has won four regional titles, a British title, and a world title. Most recently, she won the PCA bodybuilding world championship.

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MacDonald claims that she never uses steroids, and it irks her when people assume she does. “It annoys me that people assume I’m on steroids, I go to the gym four or five times a week, I eat clean – people just make their own assumptions,” said the mother of four. “I’m just naturally built to do this, I’m a genetic freak,” she added.

She inspired her kids to join the fitness world

Kerry MacDonald served as an inspiration for her kids, who gradually got hooked on the sport too. Her husband, Steven, has always been a gym enthusiast, so it’s just the kids that have joined. Her elder son, Oliver (14), joins her in the gym a few times a week.

However, her younger son, Aaron, who is just 11, has become obsessed with the sport. He accompanies his mother to all her bodybuilding contests and loves interacting with other participants. While he cannot weight train yet, he loves posing in the trunks.

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The MacDonalds’ have two daughters, too. However, they are not keen on joining the rest in the gym. They all work out in a gym in Workington, which is within a walking distance from their home.