Rinnah Schmid building up to Ms Olympia title

RINNAH Schmid has gone from race walker to champion bodybuilder in the space of three years.

RINNAH Schmid has gone from race walker to champion bodybuilder in the space of three years.

Schmid, 33, of Penrith, returned from the Arnold Classic after winning the amateur figure novice and overall categories.

After watching her husband Chris in bodybuilding competitions over the years, she decided to give it a go.

"In September 2010 I had my first go at a bodybuilding competition and I haven't stopped since," Schmid said.

"The Arnold Classic was my first overseas competition and has more competitors than the Olympics.

"After winning that I am classified as a professional bodybuilder, which is further to what my husband has done, so I will remind him of that every now and then."

Now she wants to focus on getting to the Olympia competition in the US.

Despite her quick success, the switch from race walking to bodybuilding wasn't an easy one.

"There is a big difference in training and dieting," she said.

"With bodybuilding, you have to be on a very strict diet. I eat about six to seven times a day.

"I have to eat a lot of egg whites, oats, chicken, steak, turkey, green vegetables and good fats over a 12 to 16-week period before competing.

"The thing I love about it, though, is the training, which was what I hated doing with race walking."

BUSY BODY

Away from bodybuilding, Schmid owns supplement store Mass Nutrition in Penrith and runs the bistro at the Gaels Club with her husband.

"I have a partner in the shop but we obviously keep very busy throughout the year," she said.