At the Women's Strength Extravaganza in August 1997, we announced that I'd be offering sponsorships to competitive female bodybuilders, each sponsorship being worth up to $1,000 per month. It costs more than you would imagine to train and prepare for a contest, starting months beforehand. Diet (fish, chicken and other high protein, low-fat foods), vitamins, supplements (but no drugs!) all cost money, yet she has to spend hours every day training, working her body to maintain a high metabolic rate, travelling to and from the gym. And with all those hours eaten up in training, how does she earn a living? And the prize money doesn't pay for it, because obviously not everyone can win, plus even for the first place you don't get big bucks. Mens BB prize money is so much bigger than women's, which is obviously absurd, because most of the fans are men, and most men would prefer to look at women, it's only natural!
And that's one of the reasons why Fitness is gaining ground so fast; there's simply more in it for the women who participate.
So, Diana the Valkyrie has decided to put some money into the sport of Female Bodybuilding (also powerlifting and other sports), and to put it where it will do the most good, into the hands of the women who most need and deserve it. And at the same time as we announced the sponsorship, we also announced the first recipient, Nicole Bass from New York, the biggest woman bodybuilder in the world. She won the Nationals which gave her an IFBB professional card, and then she went on to compete in the Ms O in her home city of new York.
On Valentine's day 1998, we announced the second sponsorship, which goes to Andrulla Blanchette from London, IFBB pro, 6th in the Ms O and a leading contender for the Ms International.
Just after the 1998 WSE, we announced the third Sponsorship, which is Sheila Burgess, from Canada; many of the web site members met her at the WSE. She's the Canadian Heavyweight champion.
Just before the 1999 WSE, we announced Sarah Dunlap; this is in conjunction with Femsport.
Early in 2000, we announced the sponsorship of Marylin (the Dark Princess). She's Swiss and competes in Europe, and Marylin is our first recipient outside the English speaking countries.
In March 2000, we added Christine Envall to the list of women sponsored by the web site, our first Australian.
In September 2000, we added Julia Santana, a powerlifter
We've also done some Special Awards. One for Christine Envall, to get her to New York for the event at the end of March 2000; one for Sonia Fernandes to get her to America to compete in the Womens Wrestling Convention, and one for Helen Von Mott, to get her to Florida to compete in the Gracie's Brasilian Ju Jitsu contest there.
Since then, we've done many other sponsorships, they're announced in the monthly web site Newsletter
And guess where that money comes from? It comes out of the subscriptions that members of the web site pay, so now part of your $5 per month (or whatever) is now going directly into the sport, helping the women in their efforts to win these contests, and we wish them every success, and I hope all the people on the web site will be rooting for them the whole time.
We don't just get the knowledge that we're helping them, though. We have a weekly chat session with each of them (for times, see the Clubhouse page) and you'll be able to ask them about their progress in training for competitions, about diet, and training schedules, and how ripped and cut they're getting for the events. You can also ask about mixed wrestling and what's involved in that, and they can tell you about lifts and carries, and bear hugs and how they do those, and you can tell them about how you're rooting for them to win the events they're in, and whatever else you want to talk about. And if you're a member of the web site, then you know that some of your subscription is going to the sponsorship that will help these women compete in major events.
And they will be taking video of their training, and pictures, and I'll be getting all this up on the web site. And when they visit other events, they'll be taking pictures and video there too, and interviewing other competitors and that will all go up on the web site, so we'll be getting stuff about other FBB competitors and fitness too.
So you can see this sponsorship will be a great deal all round, helping actual competitors in the sport, and getting material for the web site that would simply not be available otherwise.
So now we have sponsorships going as explained above (plus we sponsored the tenth prize at the Ms O contest, and we were one of the major sponsors of the 1998 WSE, and we've been sponsoring may other events since then). But I'm not stopping at just those. I'm looking to offering more sponsorships, also up to $1000 per month. If you know anyone who might be interested, tell them to get in touch. I'm looking for a female bodybuilder competitor (or other athlete) who is aiming high. She must also be reasonably skilled in using a computer; able to participate in a chat room, on a Message Board, able to use a digital camera and camcorder, and to be able to send me the pictures; able to use FTP and a web Browser. I'm aware that computer skills are not required for competitors, but I need her to be able to provide material for the web site, as part of the Sponsorship, so she'll need to be someone who attends all the major events. I also insist that she should not be using any illegal drugs. Anyone interested, please email me. Anyone have suggestions for candidates, please let me know. If you want to discuss this, you can use the Diana the Valkyrie Message Board.
Do spread the word about the Sponsorships; maybe other people will do the same, and put more life into a sport that is beginning to suffer from media neglect.
Diana the Valkyrie is offering sponsorship to help with the expenses of training and competing. The sponsorship is worth up to $1000 per month.
As you might expect, it's a two-way thing. Here's what Diana the Valkyrie wants in return.
1. Pictures of you. This can be training, posing, street clothes, bikinis, party clothes, whatever you like. Just get someone to point a camera and shoot. Obviously, we also need your agreement to put those on the web site, and to incorporate them in other fund-raising activities (on a CD Rom, for example).
2. Video of you, training and posing. Again, just get someone to point a video camera and shoot. Don't worry about editing it. It can be PAL, or NTSC, or tape out of various video cameras. Obviously, we also need your agreement to put those on the web site, and to incorporate them in other fund-raising activities (on a CD Rom, for example).
3. Pictures of other female bodybuilders. Take a camera to competitions and events, and (after asking if it's OK), take lots of pictures of posing. Lots of pictures means hundreds and hundreds. Maybe a thousand per event? I'll pay for film and developing, or provide a digital camera.
4. Video of other FBBs. Take a video camera to events; you probably won't be allowed to shoot in the event itself, but outside the event, you just ask people if they'll pose or flex or whatever for the camera, tell them it's for Diana the Valkyrie's web site, and shoot.
5. Participation in the Message Board on the web site. We'll make a Jane Doe Message Board (your name) and people will post messages to you, and you can answer. You can ignore any that are impertinent or that you don't feel like answering, as long as there's a feeling of conversation going. If you have your own products or services, you're free to mention them, as long as it doesn't feel too intrusive. I would think this would take no more than 15 minutes per day.
6. Participation in the Chat room. This would be a live conversation, once per week for an hour. They can say anything, ask any question; you don't have to take any notice of questions you don't want to answer. For the first few, I'd be there too, to sort out any difficulties.
Initially, the sponsorship will be for three months. If both sides feel that they're getting advantage from it, we could extend it. Also, sponsorships are given to help athletes attend particular events.