Air Force nursing officer excels in her first natural bodybuilding competition
By Rebecca Codey
Volume
48, No. 12, July 13, 2006
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FINE FORM: The hard work paid off for FLTLT Kay Hatton at the HMAS Cerberus Natural Bodybuilding and Figure Titles.
Photo by Brendan Breen
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FLTLT Kay Hatton is proof age really is no barrier.
The 47-year-old entered her first natural bodybuilding competition last month and walked away with three titles, including First Place
Women’s – Overall.
“I was pretty nervous going in to the competition,” FLTLT Hatton said.
“But the audience and other competitors were all very supportive, which made it easier. Overall I was happy with my performance, considering it was my first attempt at competing.”
In addition to her first place, she won the Women’s – Short and Women’s – Senior (over 40) categories. She was among a number of Air Force members who performed well at the 9th Annual HMAS Cerberus Natural Bodybuilding and Figure Titles on September 25.
Fellow natural bodybuilders SQNLDR Kathleen Pyne and CPL Lia Halsall won their respective categories and placed second and third behind FLTLT Hatton. CPL Daniel Halsall won his category, Best Posing Routine and Third Place Men’s – Overall, and SQNLDR Anthony Clarke took out the senior men’s category.
FLTLT Hatton, a nursing officer with Headquarters Health Services Wing at RAAF Base Amberley, was introduced to the sport when she met her now-husband, Michael.
“He had been training for a lot of years at that stage, and he got me into bodybuilding. I liked the changes I saw in myself – changes that came with hard work and dedication,” she said.
She considered competing a decade ago, but lacked the self-confidence. However, reading about 2005’s winners in AIR FORCE News inspired her to take part in the competition this year.
“I have continued to train over the past 10 years to varying levels, but deciding to compete motivated me to train harder and gave me another goal to work towards,” FLTLT Hatton explained.
“Having a great training partner in Kathleen, who had the same goal, to compete, was a big advantage. We motivated each other and pushed ourselves that bit further, with outstanding results.”
Hatton’s new-found confidence also spurred her to compete in the Queensland International Natural Bodybuilding Association Competition on October 7, where she placed second in her category (40–49yrs), and to continue training and compete again next year in both ADF and civilian
competitions.
“To succeed in anything you need to set yourself goals and push yourself to that next level. I have proven to myself that age is no barrier and I can achieve anything if I set my mind to it,” she said.
n For more information on the HMAS Cerberus Natural Bodybuilding and Figure Titles, contact CPO Mick Short at mick.short@defence.gov.au.
It’s just the beginning in Lia’s quest for body best
By Rebecca Codey
Volume 48, No. 12, July 13, 2006
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CPL Lia Halsall strikes a pose
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NATURAL bodybuilding is not just a sport for CPL Lia Halsall, it’s a way of life – a passion.
And in only her second year of competition, she continues to receive accolades, awarded first place Women’s – Tall and third place Women’s – Overall at the recent HMAS Cerberus Natural Bodybuilding and Figure Titles.
Lia and her husband CPL Daniel Halsall will compete in the Australian Natural Physique Titles later this month after successful performances at the 2006 International Natural Bodybuilding Association Victorian Titles on October 7. Lia was awarded third place in Ms Figure Victoria, and Daniel placed first in Novice Men – Class 1.
As reported in AIR FORCE News last year, Lia was inspired to give the sport a serious go by the chance to help her seriously ill father, Dennis Rowbottom, who is on the organ donor transplant list awaiting his second kidney transplant.
The military skills instructor from Officer Training School, RAAF Base Williams – Point Cook, was determined to be a living donor for her father, and used her love of natural bodybuilding to get herself “fit for life”.
Although deemed a suitable candidate, the decision to give a kidney to her dad was taken out of her hands due to renal concerns of her own.
“To say I was devastated would be a complete understatement,” she said. “Not because of my own health issues, but because I couldn’t help my dad.
Seeing what he goes through just to live a semi-normal life makes me appreciate how lucky I am to be this fit and healthy.”
Despite this major setback, CPL Halsall and her father are looking positively toward the future. Dennis is continuing to survive on hemodialysis three times a week while he awaits a donor kidney, and she is thriving on a sport that she loves and that keeps her in the best possible shape.
She said natural bodybuilding was one of the best things to have happened to her. She is not only more fit and healthy than she could imagine, but she has more confidence and focus.
She concentrates on three key factors in preparing herself for competition: self-discipline, consistency and a ‘whatever it takes’ attitude. No doubt this cocktail of powerful tools helps her to forge ahead in life, no matter the hurdles.
CPL Halsall thoroughly enjoyed competing in this year’s ADF and civilian titles alongside Daniel – “I’m blessed to share this sport with my husband…” – and the pair have their sights set firmly on a series of state and national competitions in the coming months, including the Australian Natural Physique Titles.
“This is only the beginning for me,” she said. “I want to be the best that I can be and if there’s one thing this sport has taught me, it’s to be patient, very patient.”
n For more information on registering as an organ donor, call the Australian Organ Donor Register on 1800 777 203, or visit http://www.hic.gov.au.
