LUNGI Plummer is hanging up her skimpy bikini, saying she has had enough of bodybuilding - the sport that last year saw her walk off with a top title.
Plummer, who is from Ndwedwe, north of Durban and now lives in Pinetown, said though she had risen to the top of her game the sport held some unpleasant memories for her.
She holds the National Amateur Body Building Association's Miss Universe title, the International Federation of Body Building South Africa title for 2010 as well as the 2009 and 2010 Samson's Classic title.
"Black female bodybuilders are rare in South Africa and the sport is dominated by white women.
"While they were able to get sponsorship I always struggled," Plummer lamented.
"That meant that when I had to compete internationally I had to find the money myself."
Plummer, a single mother, said she had also had enough flak from her family, who could not understand why she was competing in a "man's sport".
"I come from a rural area where the expectations are that women stay at home and plant amadumbi. So whenever people heard that I was participating in what they called a man's sport, it was not well-received in my area.
"Worse than that, it meant my taking off my clothes and wearing a skimpy bikini on stage for all to see," she said.
Plummer said she stumbled on the sport when a woman approached her at the gym while she was training and encouraged her to try her hand at bodybuilding.
"It was back in 2003 when I was approached. I was also into fitness and had just given up long-distance running.
"I won the first competition I entered as a novice. The second competition was the KwaZulu-Natal provincial bodybuilding championships and I won that one too.
"Then I just kept on winning or being placed among the top three."
"If you can get sponsorships it's a good sport," she said.
Asked if she had ever been tempted to pop the steroids that plague the sport, Plummer said: "My son is only 14 years old and I want to see him grow up so, no, I have not been tempted.
"My son is also the reason why I am giving up the sport. I always have to pay when I compete and I cannot afford that. I want to keep whatever money I have to pay for my son's school fees."
Lungi hangs up her bikini
LUNGI Plummer is hanging up her skimpy bikini, saying she has had enough of bodybuilding - the sport that last year saw her walk off with a top title.
Plummer, who is from Ndwedwe, north of Durban and now lives in Pinetown, said though she had risen to the top of her game the sport held some unpleasant memories for her.
She holds the National Amateur Body Building Association's Miss Universe title, the International Federation of Body Building South Africa title for 2010 as well as the 2009 and 2010 Samson's Classic title.
"Black female bodybuilders are rare in South Africa and the sport is dominated by white women.
"While they were able to get sponsorship I always struggled," Plummer lamented.
"That meant that when I had to compete internationally I had to find the money myself."
Plummer, a single mother, said she had also had enough flak from her family, who could not understand why she was competing in a "man's sport".
"I come from a rural area where the expectations are that women stay at home and plant amadumbi. So whenever people heard that I was participating in what they called a man's sport, it was not well-received in my area.
"Worse than that, it meant my taking off my clothes and wearing a skimpy bikini on stage for all to see," she said.
Plummer said she stumbled on the sport when a woman approached her at the gym while she was training and encouraged her to try her hand at bodybuilding.
"It was back in 2003 when I was approached. I was also into fitness and had just given up long-distance running.
"I won the first competition I entered as a novice. The second competition was the KwaZulu-Natal provincial bodybuilding championships and I won that one too.
"Then I just kept on winning or being placed among the top three."
"If you can get sponsorships it's a good sport," she said.
Asked if she had ever been tempted to pop the steroids that plague the sport, Plummer said: "My son is only 14 years old and I want to see him grow up so, no, I have not been tempted.
"My son is also the reason why I am giving up the sport. I always have to pay when I compete and I cannot afford that. I want to keep whatever money I have to pay for my son's school fees."
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