A desire to feel better about her own body prompted former Hawke's Bay sprinter Rachael Palmer to take up bodybuilding.
That was three years ago and on Sunday Palmer, 37, will travel to Spain to prepare for the May 27 world championships in Castellon.
"I've been doing weights since I was 14 but I still wanted to feel better and stronger," Palmer said as she recalled her journey to Castellon.
A novice figure class competitor, Palmer, will be the only Hawke's Bay competitor in the six-strong Kiwi team which will be in action at the worlds. She qualified with her second placing in a six-strong field at the Asia Pacific Pro-Am Championships in Auckland last month.
Last year Palmer, a personal trainer at Flex Fitness, Napier, won her class at the Taradale High School-hosted Hawke's Bay championships in August and the October nationals which were staged in Napier's Municipal Theatre. Both events had six-strong fields in her class and in Castellon she is likely to be up against 30 other starters.