Photo by Marina Rybalka
Says figure competitor, mom, and YouTuber Florence Janvier, “My source of motivation is my father. He passed away when I was 14 yrs old, but he left me his passion for bodybuilding and training. Thirty years ago, he used to take my sister and myself to the gym with him, and we waited in the lobby while he trained. I saw a different side of him. I saw a man who was laughing with his gym buddies, dedicated, disciplined, and who was happy. In fact, while he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, going to the gym was the only thing that motivated him to get out of the house. It was his happy place.
“My YouTube podcast called Beginner Competitor’s Corner exists to highlight especially women of color in bodybuilding whose stories are not often told or promoted to the same degree as other athletes. [The goal is] to inspire other women.”
Today, the gym is my happy place too. It makes me feel connected to my father.” And parallel to Florence’s love for bodybuilding and the feeling of connection it gives her to her father is her sense of social justice. One of Florence’s focuses in the fitness industry is highlighting stories of women of color. She says, “I’ve started my YouTube podcast called Beginner Competitor’s Corner to highlight especially women of color in bodybuilding whose stories are not often told or promoted to the same degree as other athletes. [The goal is] to inspire other women.” In 2023, Florence is working towards a national qualifier, and she aims to continually bring social awareness and equity to the bodybuilding world through her activism.
