Although Roxanne Edwards does not define herself as super
human, she in fact is. When setting aside her impressive physique, it's her
outlook and perspective on humans and society that make her such a powerful
individual. In her interview with DIS Magazine, Edwards explains that her
journey of bodybuilding began at the age of 30, much later than one would
expect. Even as she lived a good portion of her life with an average body type,
she hands down would choose her life with a "Hard Body" every time.
This choice would then signify an importance that Stuart
Ewen's "Hard Bodies" overlooks. Edwards mentions that her
bodybuilding was initially motivated by her want to "look good naked"
but as she progressed through her journey, she discovered more of her strength
from within. Edwards makes several comments about femininity throughout the
interview, however, "I wear my strength outward" was the most
impressionable. When considering Ewen's article, those who strive to achieve
this body are in search for the "perfect" body that symbolizes power
and wealth. Edwards take on her body isn't either and in fact is the opposite.
She sees her body as her inside strength displayed for the world.
Edwards recognizes people’s negative depiction of her body
and responds that “We judge by our own wishful thinking.” Because one wants the
“perfect” body they take that idea and project it on to every person that they
see. For Edwards, her personal views of
herself matter much more than any words pitted against her. This is clearly visible when she discusses
the idea of femininity. There are different versions of femininity across the
world. It cannot be simply defined just by the way one looks. Having the
biological components of a female, according to Edwards, doesn’t make you a
woman. It’s about excepting who you are, just the way you are and acknowledging
the beauty in it. Her example of drag queens teaching her how to walk in heels
exemplifies the attributes one needs to have in order to be feminine. Despite
them lacking the physical features of a women, those drag queens who worked
twice as hard to learn how to be feminine is what being a woman is.
Contrary to Ewen’s idea that Hard Bodies have no
biography, Edwards sees her body as everything she is proud of. Her body
represents her determination, hard work and most importantly her inner
strength. Bodybuilding, to her, is about working on who is she as a person
while working on her outer appearance. Her insecurities are completely
unrelated to her body or her image but rather how she interacts with the
world. I completely adore and respect the way she embraces her body in her
photo shoot. Edwards is photographed in various “feminine” outfits, from a
bikini to a club-like dress and in each photo her confidence is radiant. She
proudly displays her large muscles in each item she wears including an image of
her hand with her nails done and a bracelet
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