Ten years ago, Kate Winchester<\/a> had never worn a bikini. Then, at 51, the behaviour analyst and coach decided to conduct an experiment on herself \u2013 could she use the principles she studied professionally to completely change her own behaviour and enter a bodybuilding competition?<\/p>\n The answer was a resounding yes, and now, aged 61, Kate is New Zealand\u2019s oldest INBA pro sports<\/a> model.<\/p>\n \u201cI was incredibly shy and reserved, and I had a lot of my friends saying to me, \u2018You realise what you\u2019ve got to do,\u2019\u201d shares Kate, remembering that life-changing decision she made in 2016 to sign up for her first competition.<\/p>\n At the time, she was also going through a difficult break-up and struggling with low self-esteem.<\/p>\n \u201cI was wanting to prove to myself and actually to other people that you can change behaviour quite radically,\u201d explains Kate.<\/p>\n Five months later, she stepped onto a bodybuilding stage for the first time and absolutely loved it.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember it vividly,\u201d she tells. \u201cI wasn\u2019t nervous. I couldn\u2019t believe it, but I think one of the reasons was because I knew I\u2019d done the work.\u201d<\/p>\n Kate was hooked.<\/p>\n \u201cI just got the bug,\u201d she enthuses. \u201cThe people, the atmosphere and the feeling that you get showcasing the work you\u2019ve put in\u2026 I can\u2019t describe it. It\u2019s just amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n Since then, she has entered 13 events and this year, received her pro card, meaning she can compete professionally for prize money.<\/p>\n \u201cGetting your pro card, in some respects you\u2019ve reached the pinnacle, but it\u2019s also like the beginning of the next round.\u201d<\/p>\n For Kate, the appeal goes far deeper than looks. It\u2019s more about discovering what happens when she commits to a goal and refuses to talk herself out of it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is possible when you just give something a go and get in boots and all? That has been my message.\u201d<\/p>\n Her approach has also challenged expectations within the bodybuilding world. Kate is entirely plant-based and doesn\u2019t eat any meat, eggs or dairy, something she says is still a rarity in a sport where protein and animal products are often considered essential. But she has never been interested in doing things simply because everyone else does.<\/p>\n Away from the gym, she runs her online coaching business from home, loves getting out in her two classic cars or spending time with her dog and horses.<\/p>\n She smiles, \u201cI have my two horses who are also trained using the same principles of behaviour analysis and positive reinforcement that I\u2019ve trained myself with. It\u2019s brought me a lot of joy trying things out.\u201d<\/p>\n This June, her decade-long experiment came full circle when Kate won the Overall Sports Model title at the INBA Armed Forces & Emergency Services Championship, which is open to past and present emergency service workers.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a bit of a buzz,\u201d beams Kate, who was a volunteer firefighter from 2017 to 2025.<\/p>\n For years, she has kept her age quiet in public. But now she\u2019s embracing it \u2013 and hopes her example encourages other women to question their own limitations.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it was scary for me to acknowledge because for so long I couldn\u2019t relate to being in my late fifties, and then when I turned 60, it was like, \u2018I don\u2019t feel like society says I should feel,\u2019\u201d explains Kate.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t want to fall into that ageing gracefully bracket. Now I am less concerned about what other people think. At the end of the day, I\u2019m doing what I love, and there are a lot of people who have been inspired by my decision to be more out there and open about it.\u201d<\/p>\n True to her motto, \u201cWhat is possible for me?\u201d, Kate can\u2019t wait to see where the next decade will take her. First up is competing next month in the professional division at Natural Olympia in Las Vegas, one of the world\u2019s biggest bodybuilding competitions.<\/p>\n She hopes other women will be inspired by her to pursue what makes them happy, regardless of age or any expectations to slow down.<\/p>\n After all, she knows first-hand that the biggest transformation can begin with a decision that feels just a little bit frightening.<\/p>\n \u201cI love being able to look back at small decisions that led to something as incredible as this,\u201d she smiles. \u201cI am actually living a life that I probably dreamed about years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n Follow Kate\u2019s journey on Instagram @katewinchesterunlimited<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/api.photon.aremedia.net.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/10\/30-10-26-kate-winchester-2-6ae3f61f7c301.jpg?fit=786%2C1024&resize=1680%2C2188\")
The bodybuilding bug<\/h2>\n
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Doing it her way<\/h2>\n
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Defying ageist stereotypes<\/h2>\n
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Related<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n