Alongside Ross’ dedication to powerlifting she is also training to become a lawyer.
She said it could be quite challenging juggling her apprenticeship with training four times a week.
But she says originally, she did not join a gym for muscle building but to make herself small.
However, over time, her approach to putting on size and gaining muscle has changed.
Umariah Malik, from Beat, a charity which supports people with eating disorders, said: “Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses, and not everyone who has one will struggle with overexercising.”
But, he added, it was important to be aware of the signs of an unhealthy relationship with exercise, which includes exercising through an injury, or at the expense of other things in their life, like important family events.
Ross explained that what changed her approach to food was her nephew, who always wanted to know what she was doing in the gym.
His admiration for his aunty weightlifting helped Ross change her mind about how she looked, she explained.
Even though things worked out for Ross, Malik, a researcher at Beat, said “it was crucial” for anyone recovering from an eating disorder to get medical advice before beginning to exercise.
He added different methods would help people during recovery, and it was possible to have a healthy relationship with exercise as part of that.
Now that Ross has overcome her eating disorder, she said that to be a powerlifter she needed to eat nearly 3,000 calories every day.
“I think this sport is really interesting for women. But what I say is don’t be afraid to pick up a weight,” she added.
