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Marina Power claimed the Ms Swimsuit Momma, Ms Swimsuit 30-plus and Ms Swimsuit Open amateur titles her way to turning pro at the iCompete Natural (ICN) Australian Pro/AM Championships last month. Photo supplied
Three national amateur titles in a day. A pro debut by night.
Just five years after taking up bodybuilding, Burdekin local Marina Power has earned her place among the sport’s professionals.
Behind the achievement were 31 gruelling weeks of preparation, juggled with parenting, running a business and full-time work.
A Burdekin amateur bodybuilder has turned professional after winning three titles at a national natural bodybuilding competition in Canberra last month.
Marina Power claimed the Ms Swimsuit Momma, Ms Swimsuit 30-plus and Ms Swimsuit Open amateur titles at the ICN Australian Pro/AM Championships on 17th October.
The Open victory qualified Marina for a spontaneous professional debut that same night, where she finished national runner-up in her category and earned her ICN Pro Card just five years after her first amateur show.
She described turning pro as a years-long dream realised.
“I remember getting off stage and just crying happy tears in my husband’s arms,” she recalled.
“I felt this overwhelming sense of appreciation for all the people around me who had supported me and made it possible for me to chase this dream.
“It was quite literally a dream come true. I had just hit the pinnacle of what I ever aspired in this federation.”
Marina became fascinated by bodybuilding after attending a competition in Townsville as a spectator following the birth of her second daughter.
Initially something to just “tick off the bucket list,” she had already competed twice in back-to-back years by 2022.
This year marked her return to the stage after roughly a three-year hiatus.
The mother of two began an intensive training program earlier this year, balancing up to four hours of daily training with meal preparation, parenting and her full-time job as a Burdekin Shire Council media and communications adviser.
“This year, I wanted to see how far I could push myself,” she said.
“There were very early mornings, countless hours on the treadmill, training when I was tired and plenty of times when motivation wasn't there, but I'd made the commitment to myself, so I kept going and I kept showing up.
“When I look back at the whole process now, I do have those moments where I think, ‘Wow, I DONE that!’”
Marina kicked off her 2026 campaign at ICN North Queensland in Townsville early September, before heading south to Brisbane for the ICN Queensland State Titles, an Australian Championships qualifier, a month later.
Her performance at the latter would ultimately qualify her for the Australian Championships, where she expected to compete solely as an amateur.
She called the success that followed a turn of events she never anticipated.
“Winning one Australian title would have been incredibly special, but walking away [with three] was beyond anything I had ever expected,” she said.
“It also meant a lot to achieve this as a mum. Life doesn't necessarily become quieter or easier when you decide to chase a big goal. You just have to work out how to make it fit amongst everything else.
“Looking back, it's pretty incredible to think that a random thought I had sitting in the audience after having my second daughter eventually led to where I am now.”
Marina’s Pro Card opens the door to professional ICN competitions around the world, something she said was “pretty incredible” for “this little girl from Ayr”.
“Earning my Pro Card was the ultimate dream, but it definitely doesn’t feel like the end. If anything, it feels like I’ve opened the door to a whole new chapter,” she said.
“For now, I want to take some time to enjoy what I've achieved and continue improving before deciding when I'll compete again.”
Now in her offseason, Marina will turn her attention back to her dessert business, Sweethaus, which will make a comeback after taking a back seat during competition preparations.
“Bodybuilding and an indulgent dessert business might seem like complete opposites, but they're both things I genuinely love. I love lifting weights, but I also have a really big sweet tooth,” she said.
“I joke that bodybuilders develop a sixth sense for dreaming up incredible food combinations.”
Founded in Australia, iCompete Natural (ICN) is an international natural bodybuilding federation that runs drug-tested competitions across categories including swimsuit, bikini and physique. Its Australian Pro/AM Championships bring together amateur and professional competitors from across the country.
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