Taylor Paton has a bright future.

Taylor Paton, age 21, placed sixth as the youngest competitor in her Figure class at the 30th international Arnold Classic.

The Fort Saskatchewan Record caught up with their hometown competitor and asked her about the competition.

“You’re usually only on stage for 10 minutes but the whole experience is absolutely breathtaking,” she said. “Placing sixth tells me if I have a passion for something, don’t give up on it. Give it everything you have.

“You prep for 10 to eight months and then you have 15 seconds to go up on stage and present your package and show what you’ve been working your butt off for. It’s absolutely exhilarating.”

Paton has only been in the bodybuilding for around two years. Part of the reason categories like Figure have exploded recently is that they don’t require decades of muscle-building. Throughout her life,Taylor was interested in fitness, and she said that the intensity of a bodybuilding lifestyle drew her towards the weights.

“I really like how you can push the human body.”

Paton works as a manager with GoodLife Fitness and finds time to workout even after 10-hour days, training six days a week with cardio on the seventh.

On stage she says she was 148 pounds and 11 per cent body fat:

“I have a good size for muscle but I have very young muscle and it will take time for it develop and mature. It’s a passion but you need to be patient as well because great things take time. Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

Previously, Paton placed well in many Canadian shows. If she places first in her class and overall figure at nationals in Ontario, she’ll earn her pro card.

“As soon as I got off the Arnold Classic stage, my prep began for nationals. I do cardio in the morning and evening and making sure I’m on top of my workouts and giving it my all.”

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