Pinetown’s Genevieve is ‘leg’end

WITH a passion for fitness and a lover of the gym, Pinetown’s Genevieve Joubert flexed her mettle virtually and snapped up second place in the IFBB/BBSA Miss Legs 2020 competition.

Originally from Mauritius, Joubert said her South African cousin was to be wed in KwaZulu-Natal so she decided to visit on holiday at the same time.

To sum it up, she met a man and also tied the knot.

“Not knowing many people, and not having many friends, I needed a hobby. I tried various things but nothing seemed to fit until, in 2011, I joined a gym. I didn’t take it too seriously, but the competitive edge in me wanted something more. I found a trainer, a great one at that, and started all the necessary prepping. The very next year I started competing and now here we are, eight years later,” said Joubert.

The 46-year-old is self employed and works as a consultant and doing bookkeeping and administration. Since she began competing, she has signed up for the KZN IFBB Novice Show, KZN IFBB East Coast Classic, KZN IFBB Fitness Bikini and KZN IFBB Wellness Bikini. The most recent competition was hosted online by IFBB/BBSA and entries started on 22 May and ran until 30 July. The winners were decided by public votes.

How did your training to compete in this event differ from the beginning of the year to when lockdown commenced? Did you find it to be more difficult to attain the results you wanted with reduced access to equipment? I enjoy going to gym, my trainer, my gym friends are the best support a woman could ask for, not forgetting the amazing selection of equipment at one’s finger tips. April comes along, lockdown happens and I realise that I needed to make massive adjustments to the way I train. Luckily my trainer was able to help me with some equipment that I had to have some specially made for me in order to train at home. I found this to be quite a challenge as my trainer and friends were all now on a cellphone. Setting training times and workouts was logistically a nightmare, but I just stuck to it as there was not much else I could do over the lockdown period. How long have you been training to compete in this event? Not knowing if the bodybuilding and fitness season was going to happen due to restrictions, it took seven long, hard weeks of the strictest diet, training and dedication to be competition ready.

ALSO READ: #WomensMonth: Pinetown transplant recipient celebrates the gift of life

What was the reason you chose to enter the event? I had visions of competing on stage this year, like I normally would annually. Seeing that all IFBB competitions were cancelled due to the global pandemic it was uncertain that the opportunity would present itself to me this year. Thankfully IFBB/BBSA posted an online competition and this gave me a different platform, that was just as challenging and exciting, for me to compete in.

How did you keep yourself motivated during the lockdown? Motivation was very easy for me as I have my trainer and my training partner that help to motivate me with training and eating. Not to mention I got to drag my husband out of bed every morning to train with me.

What did your diet consist of? My diet consists of various proteins, complex carbohydrates and vegetables and a nice big mug of green tea.

How often did you train and what was the most intense exercise you did while training? There is nothing to beat cardio at sunrise followed by rigorous weight training. In the early afternoon I would add in another session of weight training and in the evening I would finish off with high intensity tactical training (HITT), followed by more cardio. All of this is repeated daily, from Monday to Saturday with a rest day on Sunday. The most intense exercises I do is legs, legs and more legs. Never skip leg day!

How did it feel to compete online as compared to a stage? Although the IFBB event and platform were different, it was by no means less exhilarating. On one hand you have the stage, competitors, judges and the boisterous cheering audience. I personally found the online competition had a larger footprint, but just as exciting and competitive. Were you nervous? A little as it was the first time I competed in an online competition and I cannot wait for the next one.

ALSO READ: Hillcrest couple power their way through lockdown

How did you feel when you learned what you placed? It was absolutely awesome as all of our hard work and dedication paid off. It was great to know that so many people supported and voted for me.

What are your hopes and goals for the future? My biggest dream is to improve every year and to represent South Africa in an IFBB Championship.

For other athletes, or aspiring athletes, what would you do to encourage them to pursue their goals during the lockdown? Find a strong support team, a fantastic trainer and live by my motto. Never give up and don’t negotiate with yourself, get up and do it!

After you competed, did you celebrate with a cheat meal? I had a great Sunday roast with ice cream and chocolate sauce for dessert. It was the first time in seven weeks where the diet could go out the window, albeit for only for one day. It was well deserved!

“Thank you to my husband, Bradley Joubert, my family and friends, my awesome trainer, friend, confidant and mentor, Retha Lewis, Charlize Helberg for all the support, Linda Connell from Mizz Pin for my hair, Annalet Stols for my tan and make-up, Dawn Eastes from Miss Moo for my nail, Daryl Gilfillan from EDC Engineering for making equipment and Magic Bikini,” said Joubert.

Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting

Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).

At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.  

Do you want to receive alerts regarding this and other Highway community news via Telegram? Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5409. You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts. Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple.