Given the title of the post today, it probably won’t surprise you to find that the answer to that question is Sharon Madderson, who appeared there in 2010 and finished 4th (one place higher than a certain Katerina Kyptova) in a very competitive heavyweight field that was won by the Argentinian femuscle beast Rita Bello.
left: Arnold Amateur 2010; right: Chicago Pro 2012
That appearance was probably the pinnacle of her career (so far), and despite her disappointing placing in her most recent competitive outing at the Chicago Pro last year, I think it’s fair to say that Sharon can claim to be the most successful British female bodybuilder of the last 15 years.
Like Georgina McConnell, Sharon hails from the north-east of England, but unlike Georgina (and Kate Austin), who from a very young age wanted to be muscular, she didn’t take up the sport until she was 30, admitting she had paid little attention to her body until then. And it wasn’t a female bodybuilder who inspired her, but rather the men she saw once she had entered the gym.
I was truly amazed at what they could do with their bodies. I knew then that this was for me. After a short while I began to notice and feel the difference my efforts were making to my body, this incredible feeling helped to motivated me further.
One of the men at the gym was her future husband, Graham, and with his guidance, Sharon began to train to compete, making her debut in 1999 in a local competition as a figure competitor. She won that contest and later in the year became EFBB Miss Figure UK. The following year she was NABBA Miss North Britain, finished 4th at NABBA Britain and 2nd in the Figure class at the Miss International.
After a three-year break she returned to the stage, this time as a bodybuilder, winning the 2003 EFBB Miss North East overall title and finishing runner-up at the EFBB British Championships, before going on to the NABBA Universe and finishing 7th. Another three-year break, and she was back in action, now a heavyweight, as overall winner at the UKBFF Midlands, which she followed up with the UKBFF British title. Then another three-year break and she reappears at the 2009 IFBB European Championships and finishes 6th, which brings us up to 2010 and the 4th place at the Arnold Amateur.
But why all these breaks? Why, every time Sharon seemed to be on the cusp of an international breakthrough did she take three years away from competition?
Well, FMS can only speculate on the reason, but it’s certainly not because of the grind of training and diet. I thoroughly enjoy the contest preparation and the preparations before the show, she says. Perhaps then the reason is a more practical one, because Sharon has three children, and now two grandchildren.
Nevertheless, a pretty impressive CV for a UK bodybuilder. A long career, with plenty of success both at home, in Europe and ultimately in the US. In spite of the stop-start nature of her career, I can’t think of a female bodybuilder active today in the UK who can boast of such achievements. And anyway, are contest finishes the only measure of female muscle success? After all, how many 47-year-olds, indeed how many grandmothers, do you know who look this good?
We leave you today with a clip of Sharon from a UK TV appearance in 2009. If you don’t want to watch the whole thing (and there’s no reason why you should) Sharon appears from the 3.27 mark. Check out the presenter’s face after Sharon flexes her pecs for him – do you think we have another secret female muscle lover at the BBC?
Enjoy!
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