Mona Poursaleh
I live in Toronto Canada; I have moved to Canada from Iran in 2003. Currently I am the only Iranian female bodybuilder who has turned pro. I started training when I was 12 back in Iran. Ever since I remember I was always fascinated by muscle and how beautiful they look. Before I started training, I used to swim and do martial art and that’s why I’m very flexible. My first job ever when I was in Iran was a lifeguard. After I moved to Canada, I shortly became an aerobic instructor then became a personal trainer. My boss at the time was prepping for a competition and I watched her transformation and I loved what I witnessed. I started training with her coach, but I wasn’t very successful at prepping, it took me 4 years to learn to trust the process and stay consistent. After 4 years of constant prep I did my first show in 2010 and I won overall in Bodybuilding division. A year after I competed at Toronto super show and I got 2nd. A year later I did physique competition and I got 3rd but my heart was in bodybuilding. I competed same year at national level in bodybuilding and I got 3rd. I took a break from body building competition and traveled. During that time, I didn’t stop training, and because my strength got very high, I decided to compete in power-lifting. I won my class and broke record in my weight category. During that time after I was done with travelling, I decided to go back to school. Until now I have done and completed few programs. Currently, I am studying full time at York university in Toronto, and I am studying health Study. My academic goal is to get into Physiotherapy or Osteopathy. During one of my internships from school I traveled to Thailand as I got accepted to work at a physio clinic in Bangkok for my internship program. I got very motivated in Thailand to compete again as I met many athletes in Bangkok. I started my prep in Thailand then came back to Toronto, then competed at Toronto super show pro qualifier and I got my IFBB pro card. A year later I did my pro debut at the Toronto pro show and I placed 3rd. I was then qualified to compete at Rising phoenix in September 2019. At Rising phoenix, I got 9th place and I won best poser title. Right now, I am getting ready for Norfolk pro, July 11th and would love to also compete at Rising phoenix. My competition goal is to be able to compete at Olympia and continue to improve myself.