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Strong Mom

Moundsville Woman to Compete at ‘Arnold’ Event

Marcy Dunn entered this series of photos of herself to be considered for the Arnold Fitness Model Search, which will take place March 3 in Columbus. She is one of 12 women nationwide chosen to compete.

Like many new moms, Marcy Dunn of Moundsville felt she needed to get back in shape after giving birth to her son, Cooper, three years ago. She was tired all the time, and she had baby weight to lose.

“I wanted to be able to play with my little boy and go and run with him,” she said.

Unlike most other moms, though, Dunn’s desire morphed into a passion for bodybuilding. Over the past three years, the former John Marshall High School softball player’s love for and dedication to bodybuilding has grown to the point she decided to go competitive. Earlier this month, she was chosen as one of 12 women nationwide to compete in the Arnold Fitness Model Search that will take place on March 3 during the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus.

“I kind of went ‘go big or go home,'” Dunn said. “It’s a really big stage to be on.”

The annual festival is a smorgasbord of physical strength contests, with competitions and exhibitions in everything from bodybuilding to cheerleading to martial arts. The four-day event — touted as the largest multi-sport fitness event in the world– was founded in 1989 by actor, politician and former Mr. Universe Arnold Schwarzenegger as a one-day bodybuilding competition.

Marcy Dunn and her son, Cooper, take a selfie with Arnold Schwarzenegger at the 2016 Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus. This year, Dunn will be one of 12 contestants in the Arnold Fitness Model Search. Photos Provided

According to the Arnold Sports Festival website, this year about 185,000 fans are expected to see 20,000 athletes from 80 nations compete in more than 70 sports and events. New events this year include Scottish Highland games, lacrosse and yoga.

Dunn has attended the festival as a spectator three times, taking Cooper along with her twice. Last year, they had the chance to meet Schwarzenegger and have their picture taken with him.

“He’s actually really cute about it,” Dunn said of Cooper’s response to the upcoming competition, which he will attend with his maternal grandparents, Charles and Marsha Rush. He talks about “Arnold” and sometimes tags along when his mom works out.

“I told him, ‘You’re probably the only 3-year-old who knows who Arnold is.'”

After last year’s event, Dunn knew she wanted to get in on the action and wanted to compete. This is the first time she has entered any type of fitness or modeling competition.

Thirty-five women entered, and the field was whittled to 12, six of whom were chosen through website voting and six by a panel of fitness industry professionals, including magazine editors, photographers and talent scouts. There is also an equivalent male contest.

Dunn wasn’t told how she qualified but said it’s likely from votes. During the voting period, she won a special weekend voting competition. She asked her friends on Facebook and Instagram to vote for her and received a lot of support from her co-workers at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, where she works full time as a billing assistant, as well as from her gym pals.

Dunn said she works out six to seven days a week for an hour to an hour and a half. Two or three times a week she completes two workouts in one day– doing strength training and cardiovascular exercise in the morning at the Chambers YMCA and Crossfit in the evening at Ryan Ferns Healthplex. She takes cues from her body on when to take breaks.

Monday through Friday she eats the same thing every day, strictly high-protein meals and snacks consisting mostly of whole foods — eggs, chicken, vegetables and fruit. On weekends, she allows herself some freedom.

“I will usually give myself a ‘cheat meal’ that can range anywhere from pizza and wings to a burger and fries. It gives me something look forward to at the end of the week and to work for,” she said.

Being physically active is not a new lifestyle for Dunn. She played softball from age 5 through high school, spending summers on the traveling all-star teams. She also cheered throughout high school and took gymnastics at Ariellettes in Sherrard.

After graduating from John Marshall in 2006, she took an office position and then attended West Liberty University where she cheered for two semesters before landing jobs at Williams Lea and then Orrick. During her time at college, she noticed she gained some weight, so she started using the fitness center to stay in shape. Later, her postpartum body inspired her to start training seriously.

“I wake up every day now, and I don’t have aches and pains, and I have energy,” Dunn said.

“I really think the dedication that it takes, the discipline, that’s something I always needed to have growing up in sports, so I really enjoy that,” she said. She also feels good about the encouragement she receives from her peers.

And frankly, she likes being buff.

“I’m addicted to that feeling of bodybuilding,” she said.

The winner of the Arnold Fitness Model Search will receive a prize package that includes a professional photo spread in In Shape magazine and an all-expenses-paid trip to compete at one of the international Arnold festivals in Brazil, South Africa, Hong Kong or Madrid. The winner also gets merchandise and a lunch date with Arnold on March 5.

Dunn’s hope is to win and then land more modeling jobs. Whether or not she wins, she plans to begin training to compete in bodybuilding physique shows. She’s also in the midst of earning a personal training certification so she can “help other people get into a routine and feeling good about themselves,” she said.

“Fitness is something I always want to be a part of my life,” she said.

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