Rita Trotter wins IFBB Pro Card: "Olympia, I'm coming for you"

PLUS: UK Stars Shine at Mr Big Evolution Portugal Pro 2026

By Gary Chappell

TWO months ago NABBA told Rita Trotter she needed more muscle to be awarded their Pro Card before reversing that decision and offering her one just hours later. On Saturday, however, she won the Amateur Olympia and is now an IFBB Pro.

And now she says: "Olympia, I'm coming for you."

In the wake of Trotter's overall victory at that NABBA South East show, Trotter gave an exclusive interview to Front Double, in which she revealed how, just two years ago, a surgeon told her she would probably spend the rest of her life on crutches, never work as a Personal Trainer again and never return to bodybuilding.

This was because both of her legs, from the knee down, have no muscle and no nerves and her feet are paralysed. It all happened after routine blood tests to check she remained clear of the cervical cancer she beat five years ago flagged an issue and so a cervical biopsy was performed. This caused an infection, which then spread to her kidneys. Her kidneys then shut down.

In our interview, Trotter said: "When the kidneys shut down, your whole body fills with fluid. My lower legs filled with fluid. It's called compartment syndrome. It crushed all the muscle and nerves. They couldn't save it."

But fast forward two years and Trotter is now an IFBB Pro and the narrative is very different indeed.

Speaking again exclusively to Front Double, she said: "It still hasn't quite sunk in. Winning my IFBB Pro Card at the Amateur Olympia was the culmination of years of hard work, setbacks, resilience and refusing to let circumstances define what I was capable of achieving.

"When Front Double first shared my story, it was about overcoming life-threatening illness and major surgery and fighting my way back to the stage. To now be continuing that story as an IFBB Pro is something I'm incredibly proud of and grateful for.

"The focus now shifts from chasing a Pro Card to becoming the best IFBB Pro I can be. That means embracing a proper off-season with patience, purpose and a long-term mindset. Rather than rushing back to the stage, this chapter is about building more muscle, refining every aspect of my physique, improving my presentation and giving myself the best possible opportunity to make a strong professional debut when the time is right.

"I'm taking my time to carefully consider the right path for this next phase of my career. There are some important decisions to make over the coming months and I want to ensure every choice supports my long-term goal rather than looking for quick results."

The dream is to qualify for the Olympia as a Pro

Trotter continued: "The dream now is very clear: to qualify for the Olympia as an IFBB Pro. Just earning the opportunity to stand on that stage alongside the best Women's Physique athletes in the world would mean everything to me. I know that won't happen overnight and I'm prepared to invest the time, patience and consistency needed to give myself the very best chance of getting there.

"If my journey has taught me anything, it's that success isn't defined by how quickly you arrive. It's built through resilience, discipline and showing up every single day, especially when the road isn't easy. Becoming an IFBB Pro is the achievement of a lifelong dream, but I genuinely believe it's only the beginning. The most exciting chapter of my story is still to be written.

"Olympia I'm coming for you."

Trotter also paid tribute on social media to many others who had helped her along the way and the relationships forged. She said: "One of the things I'm proudest of wasn't what happened on stage, but what happened behind it.

"Being able to help other athletes with their bikinis, posing and anything they needed reminded me that this sport is about so much more than trophies.

"The friendships, the kindness and the incredible people you meet along the way are what make bodybuilding so special.

"A huge thank you to my amazing friend Fallan @barbara_sue_aesthetics who somehow managed to be my tanning, hair and makeup guru all rolled into one. I honestly couldn't have done it without you.

"And a massive thank you to my coach @jordanfern_pro ... thank you for standing by my side, believing in me, guiding me, pushing me and helping me bring my best package to the biggest stage of my life. Having you there meant everything.

"To @sooby.sue.pro for getting my posing so on point. Couldn't have looked so good up there without you!! And to @bikinimama_store for providing me with the best ever bikini to win in!

"To my family, friends, clients, everyone who has followed this journey, sent messages, supported me and believed in me... thank you. Every single one of you has been part of this moment. This season has given me memories I'll treasure for ever.

"And now... the next chapter begins. IFBB Pro. And I'm overflowing with gratitude."

BRITISH bodybuilding had a strong showing at the 2026 Mr Big Evolution Portugal Pro on Sunday July 5 in Estoril – with James Hollingshead going toe-to-toe with eventual winner Jordan Hutchinson.

The event, an IFBB Pro League Olympia qualifier spanning 10 divisions, drew a stacked international field — and UK athletes made their presence felt across the board.

Holllingshead narrowly missed taking victory and qualifying for the Olympia in what many ringside called one of the closest calls of the night.

Hollingshead's size and conditioning were on full display and the runner-up finish keeps him firmly in the Olympia conversation. Fellow Brit Marc Hector also took to the Open stage, placing eighth in a brutally deep lineup.

The women's divisions were well represented too. Kerry Sexton finished ninth in Bikini, Chelsey Warnes and Lorna Paterson both placed 16th in Wellness, and Taylor Joslin landed eighth in Figure. The UK's Fit Model contingent – Marnie Al-Saraf, Emily Olivia and Melanie Wilkinson – rounded out a solid team effort across the card.

With Olympia qualification on the line in every division, Portugal was never going to be an easy stage and Hollingshead's near-miss is proof he is still operating at the sharp end of the sport. Hector's eighth-place finish, meanwhile, banks valuable experience against elite competition.

"Both my legs, from the knee down, have no muscle and no nerves. My feet are paralysed. I can't feel them"

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"Both my legs, from the knee down, have no muscle and no nerves. My feet are paralysed. I can't feel them"

After being told she would never train, work as a Personal Trainer or bodybuild again, Rita Trotter has returned to the stage and won multiple overall titles

By Gary Chappell

TWO years ago a surgeon told Rita Trotter she would probably spend the rest of her life on crutches, never work as a Personal Trainer again and never return to bodybuilding.

This season she has won her NABBA Pro Card, the PCA Universe qualifier overall and the overall titles at the IBFA Liverpool and BPA Masters AllStars.

But make no mistake, Trotter's achievements have come in the face of serious adversity. That devastating medical ordeal left her with paralysis from the knee down in both legs.

How a routine medical procedure changed everything

"I had cervical cancer about five years ago now," she told FrontDouble. "So I get annual checks just to make sure everything is OK.

"The blood tests came back a bit funny in July 2024, so they did a cervical biopsy. Everything was fine. No cancer. All in remission."

The biopsy itself, however, led to complications.

"The biopsy caused an infection," she said. "The infection spread to my kidneys. The kidneys shut down."

What followed would change her life for ever.

"When the kidneys shut down, your whole body fills with fluid," she said. "My lower legs filled with fluid. It's called compartment syndrome. It crushed all the muscle and nerves. They couldn't save it.

"So both of my legs, from the knee down, have no muscle and no nerves. My feet are paralysed. I can't feel them."

'My feet are paralysed. I can't feel them'

It means every step she takes – both on stage and in everyday life – has to be relearned and carefully managed.

"So I'm only moving and posing by practice," she said. "I can feel knee up. I know what my quads are doing. But I have no idea where my feet are. I'm having to guess because I can't feel the stage."

The injury has forced changes most competitors never have to think about.

"I can't wear heels anymore at all," she said. "I can't move my feet."

Despite being officially registered disabled, Trotter refuses to allow the label to define her.

"I'm registered disabled now," she said. "But I can beat able-bodied people. It [her disability] doesn't show. Most people don't even notice."

Watching Trotter win the overall title at the NABBA South East last month, FrontDouble was surprised to learn she was registered disabled when the subject came up during an on-stage interview.

The evidence of what happened is visible – but you have to really look for it. Scars run down her lower legs where surgeons removed damaged tissue following the compartment syndrome.

"That's what the big scars are," she said. "That's where they took all the muscle and nerves out. There's nothing down there."

The surgeon said she would never bodybuild again

Yet perhaps the most remarkable part of Trotter's story is not what happened to her, but how she responded.

"The surgeon said, 'You'll never train. You'll never be a PT again. You'll never bodybuild. You'll probably be on crutches for the rest of your life.'

"And I went: 'Screw you. Not having it.'"

That attitude has carried her back on to the bodybuilding stage.

Ironically, one of the biggest dilemmas she faced after returning to competition was whether to compete in disability categories at all.

"When my coaches, Sarah and Jordan Fern of TeamFAF, and I first started discussing my competition season, we looked carefully at both disability and able-bodied categories. It was never a decision taken lightly and we had many conversations about where I would be most appropriately placed.

"My disability presents challenges, but thanks to my splints and the rehabilitation I've gone through, I am still able to train in a way that is much closer to an able-bodied athlete than many competitors in disability divisions.

"There are athletes competing in those categories who face far greater physical limitations than I do and I have enormous respect for every one of them. For me, entering disability classes didn't feel like the right fit. Not because those categories are any less valuable, but because I felt it would be unfair to athletes whose disabilities significantly affect how they can train, perform and compete.

"Together, my coaches and I agreed that the able-bodied route would allow me to challenge myself against the strongest competition available while ensuring I was competing in the most appropriate category."

Rita Trotter's enormous praise for her coaching team

That determination recently led to one of her proudest achievements – beating her posing coach. She said: "I couldn't have reached this point without Sarah and Jordan. They have been with me before, during and after my diagnosis.

"My disability was completely new territory for all of us, yet they embraced every challenge, adapted my training when needed, believed in me when I struggled to believe in myself and guided me through every stage of the journey.

"Their support, knowledge and encouragement have been instrumental in every success I've achieved.

"One of the proudest moments of my competitive career came when I won the NABBA South East overall title. Standing in the overall line-up against my own posing coach, Sarah, was genuinely one of the most intimidating moments I've ever experienced on stage.

"She is an exceptional athlete and an outstanding poser and I know first hand how much work, skill and dedication she brings to the sport. To stand alongside her was an honour in itself. To narrowly edge out the win was something I never expected and a moment I will always treasure.

"More than anything, it was a reflection of how well she has coached and taught me. Sharing a stage with someone I respect so much, then coming away with the title, remains one of the most meaningful achievements of my bodybuilding journey."

Learning to walk, pose and compete again

Away from the stage, everyday life still requires adaptations. Trotter relies on specialist splints attached to her shoes to walk normally.

"Those plastic things you can see coming out of my shoes are splints," she said. "In normal life, you walk heel-to-toe. I can't do that because I can't move my feet.

"So the splints lift my feet for me and move them as if I was walking normally."

Yet throughout the interview, there is little self-pity. Instead, there is acceptance. And perhaps more importantly, perspective.

"The thing I've told people is I'm no longer trying to be the old me," she said. "I'm just trying to be the best version of the new me. And whatever I do now, I try to see it as a positive.

"How can I use this to show people that disability doesn't mean you stop doing stuff?"

For many athletes, losing the ability to feel both feet would have marked the end of a bodybuilding career.

For Rita Trotter, it became the start of a different one.

NABBA South East 2026 Report: Georgiou dominates but federation still needs wake-up call

From Jim Georgiou’s pro-level dominance to Rita Trotter’s inspiring battle against adversity, NABBA South East 2026 had plenty of highlights – but organisational issues again highlighted the federation’s ongoing struggle to modernise

By Gary Chappell

OVER the past two years, NABBA has been very public about wanting to bring its federation into the 21st century. But regardless of the improvements it has made – and there have been improvements – the machine still needs more oil to run as slick as its rivals.

This was never more evident than at the NABBA South-East on Sunday, May 17.

Nigel Gordon-Rae, below, brings 40 years of experience to the role, but his style can feel somewhat old-school. Communication issues surfaced several times. He repeatedly failed to deliver the key photography instruction ("winner on his own"), forcing snapper James Lineham to scramble to prevent athletes exiting prematurely. He also overlooked posedowns for initial classes and later called for them while two athletes were still off-stage.

Gordon-Rae was, to his credit, at least on top of the misfiring DJ. It is one thing not playing the right track for athletes' routines, but Shaggy's Massive Roadshow appeared not to have a Scooby-Doo when to play background music, or when to play music at all.

That was not all. Some judges even missed the start of the Men's Physique Open class after the break, having taken too long to return. Surely somebody should be making sure every person involved is ready to reconvene. Gordon-Rae, perhaps? Who knows...

Tommy Broomfield impresses in junior classes

Still, the athletes come to NABBA regardless. Junior and Teenage winner Tommy Broomfield will be happy with his two trophies after just four years' training. Arguably the hardest thing for any competitor is bringing condition and Broomfield nailed it here.

Karl Lette, below, appeared confused and surprised when his name was called for second of two in the First Timers. But despite clearly winning on mass, his condition was simply not there, especially in the lower body. Very little quad separation or detail cost him heavily here and he was slightly soft in some upper-body poses. Nail this and he will be a threat.

His rival Chris Anderson, below, however, was razor sharp. He did not match Lette for size, but his condition could not be denied; detail all over. He could do well to bring up his legs and work on his posing, as he came across a little jittery at times, but there was no confusion from this viewer on class placings here. Very well deserved.

Masters Over 45 saw veteran Rafal Kwiatkowski cruise to victory. Plenty of muscle, decent quads – a rarity at this show – maybe a little distension but not enough to nudge him out of first place.

Local hero Phil Parsons is a proper showman. Great routine, likes to get the crowd going during judging, very confident. Condition, particularly in the lower body, would certainly see him place higher.

The Over 60s produced some vocal crowd reaction. John Swaby won clearly in strong shape, but when Nick Pappa placed third, heckles of "Judges, you need your eyes tested" and "absolute rubbish" rang out. Paid spectators are entitled to their opinions, even if strongly expressed.

Robert Fraser dominates the Novice category

Robert Fraser stole the Novice category from the get-go. Fraser boasts great shape and structure, had striated glutes – pretty much the sharpest on show on the day – and excellent condition.

Joe Bourne, below, won a tough Men's Classic. Great shape, lots of tissue, sharp condition. Not a lot wrong. Runner-up went to Nick Smith; superb classic shape, tiny waist and arguably the best posing of the day. What let him down was lower-body condition – so often the case here. Quads separated but not sharp enough to be awarded victory. He did, however, beat Fraser, who could count himself slightly unlucky to place third, although he was far less a Classic shape than Smith.

James Morris, who went on to win Class 3, was unlucky to miss out on placing here. He had good legs, great, deep insertions, strong condition – could perhaps flex the glutes more in his rear shots – but had no obvious weak points and had a good overall physique.

The wardrobe malfunction in the Men's Physique Over 45 saw Over 60s winner Swaby return to the stage in his posing trunks – and not in the required shorts associated with this class. How do you judge someone in Men's Physique without the correct stagewear? Just don't look at their quads, perhaps?

As lean and conditioned as Swaby was to win the 60s, he did not have the beating of Gareth Jones. Jones carries a load of muscle for a Physique guy and is tall with it. Presence was good, condition strong – so much so that he won both this and the Men's Physique Open.

Female numbers were low, but several of the athletes who did compete stood out. Holly Planson, above, deserves a special mention. A regular at the NABBA South East and training out of Evolve Fitness in Eastwood near Southend, Planson's stage presence is electric. Her opponent here, Jade Costen, probably edged her in some rear shots, with Costen's upper back more detailed, but she looked nervous and only smiled a few times, which was a shame. She can take confidence, however, that this was her first show and that she will undoubtedly grow more confident from here.

Planson had confidence in spades, edged the whole package and looked more accomplished.

BEHEMOTH: The impressive Jim Georgiou

Jim Georgiou looks every inch a professional

Rita Trotter, below, was show-stopping despite being the only competitor in the Miss Trained Figure. Lots of muscle, fabulous definition, great structure – all with no feeling whatsoever from the knee down following a serious illness. That she was not awarded a Pro Card there and then despite taking the overall was a mystery – but fortunately one that was quickly solved when she revealed that later, at dinner, she received a phone call from NABBA officials saying she had in fact been awarded one.

As for Jim Georgiou, what is there to say that has not already been said over the past few years. The guy looks like a pro bodybuilder. Already a PCA Pro, he is now a NABBA Pro and is packed with beef from top to bottom. He had fabulous hamstring definition, bowling-ball shoulders and triceps with their own postcode. Georgiou is, for all intents and purposes, insane.

In fairness, he was pushed by Bourne in the overall. Bourne's shape and midsection was certainly tighter than Georgiou's. But there was to be no Bourne supremacy. He couldn't beat Georgiou on sheer size - but then again, there are not many who can.

As for NABBA itself, given its history, the vibe one gets is of a sleeping giant.

It just needs someone to give it a damn good shake and wake it up.

Pictures by James Lineham. Visit his website HERE

Rita Trotter wins IFBB Pro Card: "Olympia, I'm coming for you"

PLUS: UK Stars Shine at Mr Big Evolution Portugal Pro 2026

The dream is to qualify for the Olympia as a Pro

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"Both my legs, from the knee down, have no muscle and no nerves. My feet are paralysed. I can't feel them"