Season 3 of Femme Flex Friday is here. Eight-time Ms. Olympia Lenda Murray and 2018 Rising Phoenix World Champion Alina Popa are back to educate, entertain, and inform fans on the women’s side of the sport every Friday, and they began the new season with a recap of the first annual NPC National Women’s Seminar. The event, organized by Sandy Williamson, was held on January 29 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“That was absolutely amazing to be there, to feel the energy of all of those athletes,” Popa said. “To me, what was so amazing was that this had never been done in the federation.”
The objective of the seminar was to serve as a workshop for women in the industry, especially at the NPC level. There was no cover charge to be involved, and 350 athletes were in attendance.
“I believe for every division for women, they had the representation there,” Murray added. “The top women in the world were there.”
Among the 18 pros that were in attendance were Bikini Olympia champions Jennifer Dorie, Ashley Kaltwasser, and Janet Layug, The reigning Ms. Olympia, Fitness Olympia, and Figure Olympia champs were also there to share their wisdom. Andrea Shaw, Whitney Jones, and Cydney Gillon all had wise and kind words that inspired everyone there. What stood out to Popa was that the ladies were so open to sharing their individual stories.
“I had a lot of girls coming to me and telling me their stories, just because there was another female ear there to listen to them,” she explained. “They all had beautiful stories, and they just wanted to talk.”
Murray also looked back at how far the sport and training in general has come since the first time she walked into a gym in 1984. There weren’t nearly as many ladies training back then like there are today.
“It was smaller numbers, but it was easier (to stick together),” Murray told Popa, who replied in agreement while recalling training in Switzerland in her early years.
“You did feel that support.”
Popa and Murray both continued to share stories that give a great glimpse into the women’s side of the sport as well as how important the comraderie has been for them and others in the sport and industry. Catch every episode of the new season of Femme Flex Friday, as well as past episodes, over at www.wingsofstrength.net .
