The identity of Britain's sole female representative at the Olympia in 2017 would have been a bit of a surprise at the start of the year, but she did not arrive unheralded.
Emma Paveley of the United Kingdom came out of the blue to beat [Ryall]
Graber in Vancouver. It was her pro debut, and her Olympia debut could be equally electrifying. The former elite gymnast has a strong routine, but her cute physique may not be enough to get the judges' attention in round one. Even so, the routine counts for two-thirds of the score in fitness, and she could make a lasting impression at the finals. I'm not suggesting that Paveley could win, obviously, but she's my long-shot pick to knock one of the previously mentioned athletes down to seventh.
Ruth Silverman, Women's Olympia Predictions, Bodybuilding.com, 29/08/17
Her rise from Junior Fitness to the first rank of her sport has been thoroughly deserved and - if you are a budding UK Fitness competitor - inspiring. She was British champion for the first time in 2014 at the age of just 22, and by the time she was 23 she had European and World bronze medals and a second British title to her name. Her big breakthrough though came last year, when a win in her class at the Arnold Classic Europe plus another British title plus victory at one of the Diamond Cup events added up to mean that for 2017 she would be competing as a 25-year-old IFBB Fitness pro.
Her journey began back at school in Manningtree, Essex. I was known as "the girl with the six-pack" because I had a ripped six-pack from being a gymnast, she told her local press after her win in Vancouver earlier in the year. I had bigger biceps than all the boys. But I used to be very ashamed of my muscles and broadness, thought it wasn’t womanly. Fortunately all that changed after her first time on stage in 2011. It made me realise that lifting weights gives you the ability to shape your body, she continues. I am now super proud to show off my shape - all the right curves in all the right places - my great legs, my waist. I have never felt so comfortable in my own skin.
So Emma headed to Olympia for what was to be only her second show as a pro. Pinch me now! she exclaimed after seeing the official list of competitors. Can't believe I get to share the stage with these incredible ladies! With hard work and passion you really can turn your dreams into reality. Then they sink in! Fitness Olympia here I come!
Her mere presence at the event was, on a personal level a dream come true (or, as the more focused Emma puts it, a "goal achieved") and for British female bodybuilding, a historic moment. She became the first Brit to compete at the Fitness Olympia since Kizzy Vaines in 2011, and only the fourth since its inception back in 1995*.
She was in the third callout ("totally expected") during the presentation round, then vowed to "show them what we've got" for her routine. The scorecard reveals she was dead last after round one, then her routine pushed her up to 11th overall - which was kind of as Ruth Silverman predicted. Though Emma didn't finish above any of the big names, she did show she very much belonged among the elite. Her "moment of a lifetime", as she described the experience, may well come round again very soon.
So, how does Britain's Olympian Fitness pro celebrate?
VIP Pool party. Obvs.
After time in the sun with her significant other, Emma was "back to normal life" and reflecting on the year she had had. INCREDIBLE. It's pretty amazing to think that in one year I've become an Arnold Fitness Champion, won British title no.3, turned pro, won my pro debut AND been to the Olympia. Is she about to ease up a little, spend some time away from the stage, focus on her personal training business? Of course not. I will make next year even better! she promises. You wouldn't bet against her.
Congratulations Emma!
If you want to go even deeper into her story, Emma has appeared previously on FMS many times. From her 2014 IFBB Worlds bronze, to her astonishing pro debut in Vancouver via UKBFF British wins, and the Arnold Classic Europe. In fact, we're rather proud to say that having done our research, the best source of Emma Paveley information, better even than Emma's own Fitspo Next Door website, is ourselves!
*In case you were wondering, Christine Tooze was 9th in 1995 - still the best placing by a British woman. Claire Hillman - who, like Kizzy Vaines (2010 & 2011), competed at two Fitness Olympias - achieved a 10th place in 1996, 15th in 1998.
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