Claudine Newton

The journey to where I am today is a bit of an unusual story.

I was, in my younger years, a semi professional dancer. I was at my mother’s dancing school every afternoon of the week, and on weekends I competed. That was just a part of my life from an early age. Then the plan went out the window when I suffered three spinal injuries over the space of seven years.

The first one was an accident in the ocean; the second I fell from a height; and the last one was the icing on the cake. I compacted my spine whilst at a dance workshop at the age of about 19 years old, which blew my back out doing a great job of it too.

I discovered that I had two intervertebral disc ruptures in my Lumbar spine that was steadily deteriorating, and for the next four years I was unable to sit, stand, sleep on my side or stomach for any period of time and definitely was not able to participate in any physical activity without pain.

I fronted up to a spinal surgeon looking for a miracle, a spinal fusion! It sounded like my last chance and I was hoping that even though my range of motion would be limited, that maybe I could have somewhat of a normal life again?

He proposed the following to me:

Although he didn’t want to perform a spinal fusion on a then 23 year old female, he suggested that I could either; come to terms with more than likely being wheelchair bound by the age of 40 or, become as fit as a professional footballer. There started my journey, very slowly, in the fitness industry.

It was frustrating only being able to perform simple things like a 10-minute walk on the treadmill to begin. Pretty soon, after incorporating a trunk stabilisation program and perseverance, the fitness levels increased and the strength did as well.

I leapt into the fitness industry by becoming a Fitness Professional but being an ex dancer with that competitive streak in me, I wanted something else to set my eyes on.

A good friend of mine had just competed in his first ANB National Titles, we had a talk about what it would take for me to get to a competition, and I decided to do it right then. I trained, dieted, slept and got up the next day and did it all over again.

I don’t know what it was inside me that made me think to myself ‘hey maybe I could do that?’ but I did, and the next year I was up on stage at the ANB Sydney Championships competing in Sports Model. It was that day that I met Tiger G as she presented me with my first trophy, and she has been a fantastic support, mentor and friend ever since. I think I must definitely be the president of her fan club!

Along the way I’ve met and have formed friendships with many wonderful people, all with a different story but all feeling the same passion for a very challenging but rewarding sport.

So that is my story, I guess if you can sum it up…. take it from me, anything is possible… anything! The human spirit is an amazing thing, and everyone has something inside them driving him or her to where they want to be. The drive that pushes you to be the best you can be!