Chris Bruce, Transgender Bodybuilder, Competes As A Woman 20 Years After Doing It As A ManBy David Moye
A transgender bodybuilder who competed as a man 20 years ago is now coming back to the sport as a woman.
Back in the early 1990s, Chris Gary Bruce competed in male bodybuilding contests. He was good, but only up to a point.
"To compete at a high level, you need to dedicate yourself to training three months before a competition in order to get your bodyfat down to 2 or 3 percent," Bruce told HuffPost Weird News. "That's hard to do if you're trying to raise a family and run a business."
Bruce, a 42-year-old personal trainer living in San Diego, will get another chance to go for the gold on Oct. 29 at the Border States Classic Bodybuilding competition -- but this time, it will be as Chris Tina Bruce, and she will be competing as a woman.
It's the culmination of a long journey that included divorce and surgery, but gave Bruce inner peace.
"I had to come to terms with the transgendered issue," admitted Bruce. "I tried to get away from the things I did as a guy, but I decided I had to be me."
"I am perfectly fine that a typical male-to-female transgender wants to be girly, but don't put me in that bag," said Bruce, who speaks with a voice that's anything but "girly." "This is me. I race cars and I love football. I may be a third hybrid."
Growing up, few people were aware that the 6-foot, 3-inch Bruce secretly identified as a female -- and she didn't make any attempt to let friends or family in on the secret.
Instead, Bruce tried to satisfy her feminine side by cross-dressing. Working in sales allowed Bruce to wear dresses while away from the family.
However, Bruce's cross-dressing helped lead to a divorce in 2007, though her ex-wife didn't find out she was transgender until earlier this year, according to the Dallas Voice.
"She hates it," Bruce told the publication.
Although his ex-wife was worried about how their kids -- a son, 12, and a daughter, 8 -- would react, Bruce says that so far, their children have adjusted well.
"I think they'd rather see Dad being honest and be happier as a result," Bruce told HuffPost Weird News.
In 2008, Bruce began taking hormones, testosterone blockers and undergoing plastic surgery. By 2009, the transformation was complete.
In order to compete in her debut bodybuilding competition as a woman, Bruce had to slim down from 230 pounds to 190 and, obviously, lift a lot of weights. But the most important thing she lifted was the pencil she picked up to write the contest organizers.
"I explained who I was and my story and they were fine with letting me compete as a woman," Bruce said.
Event promoter Jon Lindsay told Fox 5 San Diego that his organization conducts neither drug nor gender tests at the event, and welcomed Bruce into the ladies' competition.
But competitors like Laurie Delaney aren't happy to share a spot on the podium with Bruce.
"This just isn't a normal man walking the street who has now decided to become a female," former bodybuilder Delaney told Fox 5 San Diego. "This is a bodybuilding male."
Delaney, who will be competing in the fitness division, added that Bruce has a decided advantage . . .
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/28/transgender-bodybuilder-chris-bruce_n_1062737.html
