Deer inspires at bodybuilding comp

Cheryl Deer is 48 years old, works seven days a week, is a mother of four, and a grandmother to six. For many, those descriptions might not fit the classical description of what a bodybuilder is - but Deer has never let traditional expectations limit her.

“I never envisioned myself being on stage, it’s really out of my element,” Deer said. “But I love challenging myself. I love seeing how far I can push myself.”

At the end of last month, Deer headed to Valleyfield to compete in her first ever bodybuilding competition, the PUSH Natural Classic. She participated in the bikini division, competing in the Novice and in 40+ division.

She placed fifth in the 40+ division, a huge achievement after deciding to sign up for the competition on a whim last November.

“It posed a good mental challenge, because you have to be so disciplined, you have to be willing to give up your life and do exactly what the competition requires you to do,” she said. “You have to be ready for it.”

Deer committed to a strict training regime, hitting the gym five days a week and eating a restrictive diet, working with a coach to find the best ways to meet her goals. She was motivated by seeing the continued changes in her body, watching as her nutrition goals and exercise plans paid off over the months.

“It’s crazy to see how you can manipulate your body, the way you can change your whole physique is just mind-blowing,” Deer said.

Deer first started her fitness journey in 2013, after deciding to get in shape ahead of an upcoming vacation. Back then, she met Nick Tritton, who owns Tritton Performance, a studio specializing in wrestling, judo, and more.

Over the years, she worked with Tritton and other coaches at Tritton Performance, working on strength training and heavy lifting routines. As she built more muscle, she started getting asked by strangers if she was a bodybuilder.

“Each time I said ‘No, I don’t compete,’ I would be told ‘Well, you should do it,’” she said.

Though she didn’t have much time to prepare - many bodybuilders train full time for more than a year for competitions - Deer was proud to have placed fifth after only a few months of training.

“Regardless of if you’re number one or number 10, you’re still challenging yourself, it’s definitely not something easy to do,” she said. “I’m happy that I faced my fears and participated, and now it’s checked off my bucket list.”

Though she definitely plans to continue her fitness journey, Deer is still deciding whether or not she wants to keep training to a competition level. Her advice for anyone that does decide to take to the stage is simple: have a good network of people around you, both in the gym and out of it.

“You need to have a good support system, because if you don’t it’s really hard to do on your own. Make sure you have family support, make sure you have people around who are going to be there to support you, be proud of you, and be there whatever the outcome is,” she said.

She wants to inspire others in the community to also strive to meet their fitness goals, whether that be for competitions or for regular health.

“One of my goals is to find the time to train other moms, to show moms how confident and healthy they can be for their children and also for themselves,” she said. “I only started this after I had all my babies, so hopefully at one point in my life, that can be my job too.”

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