Defying Age: Marly Paulus Earns Her Pro Card at age 42
Age is just a number, they say, and Marly Paulus is living proof of that statement. At 42 years old, she achieved a remarkable milestone in the world of fitness competitions by earning her pro card. Marly’s journey to this achievement is a testament to dedication, resilience, and the belief that it’s never too late to pursue your dreams.
My journey into the world of natural bikini competitions began later than most. I completed my first competition at age 39 and have seemingly done one competition per year in December of all months to do one in. I wrote a two part post about all the things that nobody talked about or mentioned along with my experience. You can catch up on this compelling post here. I am by no means seasoned like many competitors out there. I do these competitions for a few reasons. One: for myself, I enjoy the challenge of being able to push yourself to really see what you are capabale of, both physically and mentally. Two: to set an example for my girls that they can achieve anything they set their mind to. Also, with living in a world of instant gratification I hope they learn to appreciate and understand the difference between instant gratification and dedication. But also they have the choice. I can only hope they choose wisely from the examples I try to set in watching me navigate these competitions.
With a few of these under my belt I felt more confident in my ability to pull it off. The dedication to training and nutrition can be grueling, but again, knowing my resting metabolic rate, which we test at BodymetRx has been key to dialing in my nutrition specific to my body. Not to mention, pinpointing my fat burning zone with an Optimal Fat Burning (VO2 Max) test allowed me to train smarter not harder. As life gets busier I have learned to train smarter in order to maximize my time in life. With that comes more stringent discipline to get up and get what I need to get done before the sun comes up. The rest of the day can quickly get away with the demands of work and family
Next is mindset, without that, one could not survive the daily struggles of the whirlwind of thoughts that can run through your head…. “Did I eat enough?” Did I eat too litle?” “I could have gone heavier” Can I move the cardio I missed to another day?” Everything becomes a balancing act.
Balancing my commitment to fitness with my responsibilities as a mother and business owner can get tricky. I have found that involving my girls in my journey of training and meal prepping has become a bonding experience. They get a kick out of keeping me in line and are beginning to understand the value in choosing healthier options. But as life goes, there is always setbacks, hurdles, emotions, reality….life.
With a lot of life going on, earning my pro card was not without setbacks. I faced fierce competition, and there were moments when self-doubt crept in. I learned to trust myself, I learned to value the “setbacks” and use them to fuel me through those moments of doubt. I learned that I am enough.
After years of dedication and hard work, I stood on stage, the judges recognized my undeniable progress and awarded me my first pro card. It was a moment of validation, proving that age had no bearing on my ability to excel in the sport. But also that perseverance, passion, and mindset breaks barriers. We can achieve greatness at any age. Age is just a number, but determination and hard work are timeless.
If you’d like to learn more about how an RMR or VO2 max test can help you or to find one near you visit Bodymetrx.
