Yumi Sekine, 41, a nurse by profession, began training 12 years ago and has reached levels beyond those of any other female bodybuilders competing in Japan.
After winning the Ms. Tokyo Weight-Class Category Championships in 1995, she began competing in the United States. In 2000, she clinched the middleweight title at Seattle's Emerald Cup, the country's top amateur competition. Last year, though the smallest competitor in her category (61 kg; 157 cm), she was second in the heavyweight category.
Due to her highly developed physique, Sekine is often the brunt of harsh criticism -- what she refers to as "female-bodybuilder bashing." Here, she talks about "bashing" and related topics.