Lisa Bavington is one of Canada's popular IFBB pro bodybuilders. She is vivacious and shapely with curves that emphasize the hard work she has put into developing her physique. Blessed with obvious genetic gifts, Lisa carved a breathtaking body of aesthetic beauty. Lisa has a fire for bodybuilding and a flare for commenting on women's bodybuilding issues. But for her, there's more to bodybuilding than going to contests depleted from dieting and collecting trophies. She is the new women's bodybuilder, standing up for what is right and pursuing greatness.
BB.com: What is your full name?
LB: Lisa Dawn Bavington
BB.com: Are you of Italian decent?
LB: No - (English, Irish, Scottish, French)
BB.com: Oops! Sorry, you have some strong Mediterranean looks.
BB.com: What color are your eyes & hair?
LB: Brown hair, hazel eyes
BB.com: Lisa here's the basic body question, what's your height and weight?
LB: 5'5, usually between 150 - 160 lbs.
BB.com: When and where were you born?
LB: Scarborough, Ontario
BB.com: Where do you live now?
LB: Same as above
BB.com: Do you have any brothers or sisters?
LB: 1 sister and 1 brother
BB.com: What do your parent's do?
LB: My father is a truck driver and my mother is an executive assistant.
BB.com: How was your childhood growing up in Canada?
LB: Eventful. Academics and athletics took up most of my time.
BB.com: Sounds like pretty normal teenage years.
BB.com: Where did you grow up?
LB: Whitby, Ontario
BB.com: Did you participate in any sports while growing up in Whitby?
LB: Baseball, volleyball, basketball, soccer, rugby, track & field, cross country running / skiing, ringette, figure skating, etc.
BB.com: Yeah, I'd say you participated in sports.
BB.com: What did you do after high school?
LB: I moved out West (Banff, Alberta) for close to a year, then returned to attend York University pursuing Kinesiology, Varsity Volleyball (92-94) and Varsity Rugby (95-96).
BB.com: What got you started in bodybuilding?
LB: I finished University and wanted to remain a competitive athlete. I have always been muscular and responded immediately to changes in my training and diet. I enjoyed the idea of participating in a sport on an individual, rather than a team basis and saw an opportunity to excel in something that I knew I could be successful at.
BB.com: When did you actually get serious in bodybuilding?
LB: Summer 1996
BB.com: What are your thoughts on the current trend in women's bodybuilding?
LB: I think it's great that a number of veteran competitors are returning to the sport. There are a number of younger women that look to them for guidance and I hope they see this as an opportunity to participate to a greater degree in the community as a whole. Women like Lenda Murray and Laura Creavalle could go a long way by providing leadership and shouldering the responsibility to demand that some of the issues currently facing the women as a group will be resolved in a productive manner. A number of the women are beginning to network with one another and I'm looking forward to a few new projects aimed at positively representing the women's side of the industry as a whole.
BB.com: I see that your getting into serious editorial messages about women's bodybuilding and the treatment of women in this so-called sport. Do you think it will make you an outlaw in the click?
LB: It shouldn't. I'm not anti-IFBB or anti-women in any way. I have listened to people complain about these issues for a few years now, but no one seems willing to take any action in trying to resolve them. The only thing I'm doing differently than my peers is putting my opinions down on paper. Many of the women have great ideas that could take the sport in a positive direction, but haven't got together and shared them with the rest of us as a group. My goals have always included working within the system, not against it, but until we all come to a shared understanding, nothing is going to change.
BB.com: That is so true, and Lisa I didn't think you where anti-IFBB (but maybe some of us should be to shake up the system).
BB.com: What is next on the plate for you?
LB: The next year or so will bring some major changes in my life. I will be re-locating to somewhere other than Toronto and continue to build on what I've started both personally and professionally.
BB.com: What is your best experience in bodybuilding?
LB: In general, just the experience of participating in something I'm passionate about and all the great people I have met along the way.
BB.com: What is your worst experience in bodybuilding?
LB: Dieting for a show.
BB.com: How many weeks before a contest do you start to diet?
LB: Usually about 16 - 20 weeks out I start dieting.
BB.com: Are their any dietary secrets to getting that physique tight?
LB: I wish I knew some.
BB.com: Do you use any supplements for your bodybuilding prep?
LB: None!
BB.com: What things need to be changed in the sport of female bodybuilding?
LB: Increase: female representation, athlete participation and sense of community as a whole.
Decrease: negative perception and overall attitude towards women as a group.
BB.com: Yeah, it's interesting when they say that women's participation in shows is down and attendance for shows also, when those shows pack the house.
BB.com: What do you do when you're not bodybuilding or working out?
LB: Work, school, write, read, listen to music and go out with boys/friends.
BB.com: What would you have to say to other girls who may want to start bodybuilding?
LB: Determine your own experience in the sport, set your own standards, and surround yourself with people that care about you as a person, not just as a bodybuilder.
BB.com: Tell me something our readers do not know about you?
LB: Claim to fame: Steven Page, lead singer from the Barenaked Ladies, is my cousin.
BB.com: Very cool! Do you think you can get us all some back stage passes? Thanks for taking a moment and letting our readers know who Lisa Bavington is. You can check out Lisa at her new website www.lisabavington.net