All natural: How Rhonda Purcell became a fitness model and an inspiration for indigenous women

WHEN Rhonda Purcell could no longer recognise the woman in the mirror, she took herself off to the gym and found some weights. You should see her now.

LATE in 2011, Rhonda Purcell decided she was tired of being overweight, unhealthy and lethargic.

“When I was small I was a bit of a tomboy, I was a runner, I loved track and field and all those kinds of things. But as I got older I became more and more sedentary, making the wrong choices with food and spending too much time in the office, things like that,” she told news.com.au from her home state in Queensland.

“I knew I wasn’t as fit as I used to be but it got to the stage where I didn’t even recognise myself in photos. I said to my husband, ‘Why didn’t you tell me!’ And I knew it was time to do something about it.”

Being the self-proclaimed go-getter that she is, Rhonda took herself off to the gym, where she embarked on a regime that in two short years took her to the most unlikely of places — the INBA Natural Olympia competition in San Diego.

New woman: Rhonda, in her competition gear.

Rhonda before her transformation.

“Me being the fighter I am I started doing boxing and weights, and the weight started to drop off and I got a spring in my step. Health-wise I’d never felt better, so I just kept going.

“In September 2012, my husband and I were invited to an International Natural Bodybuilding Association (INBA) meet by some friends, and it blew my mind. When I walked in that door and saw the bodies on that stage it was insane, especially the older men and ladies. It inspired me so much.

“I was a little nervous to wear those little outfits myself but I felt confident, I’d put in the hard work. So I fundraised and entered INBA Olympia in 2013, and I came home with a gold medal for Master Sport Model, and a silver medal for Bikini Diva Masters. It was insane!

“There’s no money in the sport, but gee it’s fun. It’s a lifestyle; what you do post-comp affects you during comp, so I’ve benefited in so many ways.”

Rhonda is now 44, and is in the midst of training for the Queensland INBA titles in September, which will hopefully be followed by the national championships in October — and she’s throwing everything she has at it.

“I train five days a week, once in the morning and once in the afternoon,” she explains.

“Because I’m training to step up into the next division, I’m concentrating on more muscle and less body fat. I start the morning with some cardio for 30 minutes to an hour, and I end the day with a gym session with Nick, my Goodlife Health Club trainer, then in my own time I concentrate on my abs or my calves, whatever I might need to work on.

Competition time!

“Then of course my diet has to match. I focus on clean eating because I compete in Natural competitions, so for breakfast it’s some oats and some egg whites, then second breakfast is some chicken and greens and avocado for the good fats.

“For lunch I’ll have chicken and greens again, before and after my afternoon gym session I’ll have a protein shake, then I’ll have some white Fish, white potato, and greens again.

“To finish the day off I’ll have some more greens and some egg whites, and I make sure I have three litres of water a day.

“It’s a big day, but that’s always changing depending on the competitions I do.”

Somehow, Rhonda manages to combine all this with her full time job as a Community Liaison Officer for the Yulu-Burri-Ba Aboriginal Corporation for Community Health. Rhonda’s a proud Quandamooka woman, and she’s passionate about teaching the younger generation about how to live well.

“Getting out into the community, making sure they get health checks, helping them be clear of disease, it’s so important. I’m the link between the community and the service, and we’re trying to close the gap, trying to increase life expectancy, which for indigenous women is 10 to 20 years less compared to non-indigenous women,” she explains.

Rhonda is an inspiration for women everywhere.

Rhonda is also a Deadly Choices sports ambassador, working with the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health “to promote a healthy lifestyle and healthy choices. A healthy individual means a healthy family which means a healthy community, it’s all connected. We want to encourage all over health and fitness, eating healthily, disease prevention, no cigarettes or alcohol or drugs.

“I’ve actually just come from Redlands Hospital where I was one of the motivational speakers for a NAIDOC week event, and a lot of my mob were there. Friday we’ll be down promoting Deadly Choices at Musgrove Park for a family, drug and alcohol free event. NAIDOC week is important because it celebrates the history and culture and achievements of Aboriginal people, and all of Australia comes together for it. And it’s also important for young people to see healthy adults, so it’s a privilege to be part of that.

“I’ve always had strong ties with community, and that’s what I’m all about, giving back to the community. Our descendants have paved the way for people, and I honour them. I’m just blown away people would now be looking to me as a role model.”