My Linh – profile of a new Asian champion

Before becoming a bodybuilder, Nguyen Thi My Linh, born in 1974, was a taekwondo artist. She competed in many domestic and international taekwondo contests.

She was discovered by coach Huynh Anh of the national bodybuilding team when she was joining a training course for fitness coaches in Vung Tau. As My Linh has good physical form and fitness, suitable for becoming a bodybuilder, the coach advised her to shift the sport.

She started to train in bodybuilding in 2002. She worked very hard, so with her existing good physical form, My Linh progressed rapidly. She trained with famous bodybuilder Ly Duc at the Lan Anh club. She received help and useful instructions o­n training and nutrition as a bodybuilder from her famous colleague. As a result, My Linh gained good results as a debutant at the national contest for clubs.

After the 2002 national sports games, My Linh exited contests due to her disappointing result at the games, winning o­nly a silver medal, along with family difficulties.

However, coaches of Ho Chi Minh City convinced her not to exit the sport. My Linh then gained good results at national contests. In 2004, she won a silver medal at the Asian bobybuilding championship in Thailand.

This year, she has become the first Vietnamese woman to win a gold medal at the Asian bodybuilding championship.