Body Talk

This has made me feel better about myself, to appreciate my body and reboost my self-esteem. But I will still not change the fact that I do need to lose weight for I am 2 kg overweight so yeah... to be healthy!

Head, shoulders, knees, and toes . . . introducing six women and their exceptional bodies. By Kristina Grish

JENNIE SOMOGYI 29, principal dancer with the New York City Ballet

I’ve been a professional dancer for 13 years. I was on pointe at 8 years old, just one year after I started dancing, because my ballet teacher thought I was strong for my age. She told me never to pamper my feet. A lot of dancers tape their toes, but she said I shouldn’t: If I was ever without tape, I wouldn’t be able to dance. It’s amazing what you can get used to when you’re driven to do what you love. I sweat for 13 hours a day. It’s repetitive: My feet swell, and my blisters bleed. I used to wear closed-toe shoes and not let anyone see my feet. I have a lot of friends who aren’t dancers, and they can’t get over what mine look like. But as I got older, I accepted them: This is what I do. Besides, my short, fat, stubby, awful toes make me keep a sense of humor about my body!

TRACY LEWIS 33, firefighter

Of the roughly 11,500 firefighters in New York City, only 31 are women. My first year, I ran up 13 flights of stairs wondering how I’d get to the top. But I made sure I stayed right behind the officer, while the other guys straggled behind. Now, six years later, I’m the only woman in my firehouse, along with 11 men. My team carries the hoses: When a 50-foot-long hose is filled with water, it can be extremely heavy. I do pull-ups, push-ups, and bicep curls to tone. But I don’t want to be built like a guy. Fifty percent of my job is muscular strength; the rest is cardiovascular endurance and technique. Firefighting is about practice and training. I knew a guy from the military who thought he would ace the physical test just because he had huge muscles—and he had to retake it twice! The first thing female recruits say is that they’re not strong enough to be firefighters. But how do they know? We train for three months, working as hard as our male counterparts. If the men do 30 push-ups, we do them, too. My position wasn’t handed to me; I worked for it. When I look at my body, I see years of training.

Me :This woman have helped me to love my muscles that my sister alway scrutinise and criticise about! My muscles from my past martial arts background have made me strong so I shouldn't be ashame of it!

MAGGIE STOVICKOVA 31, swimmer

My friends always comment on my back muscles: One says they’re so sturdy, he could hang his clothes from them. I’m shaped like a V, so I have a narrow waist—when I see skinny girls in bathing suits, they look like skin and bones to me. My muscles are visible, and you can feel them. But I’ve made so many sacrifices to be this fit. I began swimming when I was 8, five times a week for two hours a day. I trained so often I never saw my family. I never played with friends or went to parties; instead, I competed. I won the national championship for my age group 20 times in my home country of Slovakia—I have two shoeboxes filled with medals! At 16, I switched to triathlons. Swimming 12 miles a day was mentally tiring, so I expanded to running and biking and earned six national titles. I finally left my family behind when I came to the States at age 24, and I didn’t see my father for five years. But on the up side, I get to travel the world going to races. I’d have never seen South Africa or Madrid otherwise. I’m living my dream, and when I get old and lose my muscles, my bones will still be strong, so I’ll always keep my shape!

There are 6 women... I have posted the first 3 go and see all 6 of these inspiring women here>>> http://lifestyle.msn.com/mindbodyandsoul/womenintheworld/staticslideshowmc.aspx?cp-documentid=859038&imageindex=1