thenunsgarden.org tells us that Saint Valentina was from Caesarea in Palestine. She was small and known for wearing old, worn out clothing.
One day, when she was with her friend Thea, they joined a group of Christians gathered to hear the Holy Scriptures. Local officials broke up the meeting, grabbed Thea and tortured her.
When Valentina protested at this, she was also grabbed and was dragged away to be burned on an altar. Kicking the altar with her feet, she knocked it over, after which Valentina and Thea were tied together and burnt alive.
Saint Valentina’s Christian bond with Saint Thea was so strong that whether or not they were natural sisters, they were spiritual sisters. And, Saint Valentina was not going to let Saint Thea be martyred without her.
The women died for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in 308.
The ancient Latin name “Valentina” means strong, vigorous and healthy.
Coincidentally, I know of a woman named Valentina who fits that description.
Valentina Chepiga was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine in 1962. She graduated with a degree in Gas Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning. So if your units need servicing, she’s your muscle woman. Between 1979 and 1992 she worked first as a technician, and then was promoted to engineer, but fortunately for femuscle lovers everywhere, Valentina began bodybuilding in 1988, and in 1992 she gave up the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning game and became a personal trainer, moved to Kiev in 1993, and competed in the European Championships for the first time, finishing 3rd in the middleweight division. She came in 2nd the following year. She also gained two 7th place finishes at the World Amateur Championships in 1994 and 1995 (those must have been quality fields if Valentina was finishing out of the top 6).
In 1997 she returned to competition and won the middleweight class at both the Europeans and the Worlds, the springboard that launched her competitive career in the USA. After an appearance at the Miss Olympia in 1998, she moved to the States permanently.
The next five years were her most successful, her most notable wins being the 2000 Jan Tana Classic as a middleweight, followed by the heavyweight class at the Miss Olympia in the same year. With Britain’s Andrulla Blanchette, who took the middleweight class, Valentina had become the first European to win the title since Kike Elomaa 19 years previously. Add Juliette Bergmann, winner in 2001, and you have the only four European winners of the title to date. Valentina also became Miss International in 2002, making her one of a handful of women to have won both that title, and the Miss Olympia.
Never dominant in a Lenda Murray/Iris Kyle way, Valentina enjoyed nothing but top 6 finishes in all major competitions from 2000 to 2003 - no mean feat in such a highly competitive era. Having finished 8th at the Olympia (as a lightweight this time!) in 2004, she took a break, but returned in 2007 for her last appearance, finishing 12th.
Apparently, Valentina got engaged to an American (you see, it can happen) and settled in Anchorage, Alaska, where, as far as our research team can deduce, she still lives. And I bet she’s doing her name justice and is still strong, vigorous and healthy.
Now, the original Saint Valentina means nothing to me (except a good excuse to make posting loads of pics of Valentina Chepiga seem relevant) but I am a fully-paid-up member of the Order of the Female Muscle Lovin' Brethren. Why don't we make February 10th the day when we celebrate strong, vigorous and healthy women? You can pay tribute to Valentina of Kharkiv if you wish, but wouldn't it be better if we just celebrated muscular women in general?
In fact, here at FMS, we'll be making a week of it, our own tribute to the Valentina's of the world.
If the rest of the world is getting loved up this week, we don't see why we shouldn't be getting muscle loved up.
Enjoy!
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