For those of us not familiar with the fitness world, Leanne Bartolo is one hell of a Maltese success story. Not only does she double as a primary school teacher and fitness trainer, but she also competes in international competitions and is achieving exceptionally stellar results at that!
Last year, Leanne won big by securing the title of WFF European Bikini Champion but now, the determined athlete has her sights firmly set on a more international platform: the World Fitness Federation in Mexico.
Leanne placed 3rd in last year’s edition and hopes to repeat the good performance and secure herself another place within the coveted ‘Top Six’. To achieve this, she has embarked on a gruelling training regime to ensure her body is in tip-top shape to compete against some of the best in the business.
“Working towards a competition of this kind is always exciting, but also very hard work” Ms Bartolo says. She reveals her reasons for putting her teaching career on hold: “This year I chose to take an extended period of time off from my career as a primary school teacher to focus on the competition, and to give myself the best chance at placing among the winners.”
While harbouring high hopes, she admits that her confidence has taken a blow when compared to last year due to several health-related setbacks. “A couple of long-term injuries reared their heads recently, which made training harder,” she explains. “This means I feel slightly less prepared than I did last time around, but I am nevertheless excited to be going out there to compete, to do my best, and to represent Malta.”
What a legend - good luck Leanne!