From muscles to curves. We met Carina Møller-Mikkelsen in Berlin.
For the first time, in 2014, Carina signed up for sports classes and discovered her passion for weights & co. Many training sessions later she entered the first contests in the figure division. Finally, the pressure she was facing every day became too much for her. Slowly but surely, she’s got passed body perfection and a strict diet. Today, Carina is still disciplined and pays attention to her body but with a regained zest of life. On top of a shooting we did together with ZDF TV, she’s sharing her exceptional story with us in an interview! In the editorial, we show you the athleisure look, one of the season’s top trends. Carina Møller-Mikkelsen shows it as a curvy model now.
The Curvy Magazine: You used to be a successful bodybuilder in the past. When and why did you decide to become a curvy model?Carina Møller-Mikkelsen: That move was long overdue! Bodybuilding is all about a strict diet and exaggerated perfection. The hook: You’re never satisfied with yourself and would always find new flaws to be improved. That’s why I put myself under pressure and therefore, I was never happy and content for a long time.
And: I’m a bit sturdy by nature. Before, that’s what made me so unhappy. I wanted slimmer legs, thinner arms and a slender pelvis. The sports taught me, though, that there’s much more than just “black and white”. It’s more about getting to know you better and to realize what you can make of yourself.
Nobody needs to follow wrong role models just to please other people. No! I’m the only one who needs to be happy with my very own self. Today, I love my curves and all rough edges that go with it. I feel like liberated.
How did your environment react? Has there been criticism/hate speech?
Many people from the sports world thought that it was “easier to hit the skids and to become fat”. But that’s not what it is about! Also as a curvy model, you need to have a healthy discipline to keep fit. But today, I don’t force myself to extremes that fit neither my body nor my nature.
But besides the many negative messages, I met great popularity. Many girls wrote to me that I made a healthier and happier impression on them. And thanks to me they’d started to accept their body as it is. A beautiful compliment!
Do you feel more comfortable in your body than before?
I sure do! As a bodybuilder, I couldn’t stand the ongoing pressure for physical perfection. 24/7, I was thinking about nutrition and body improvement. I lost the healthy relationship with food so quickly and was still not a 100% happy with myself. If I think about it now, I’d say it was pathological.
Did your lifestyle change the way you dress?
Definitely! Before, I spent much time in sports gear. Today, I love to attract attention and to be crazy! Fashion-wise there are no no-gos for me.
Translation: Danielle De Bie
