Black Country nurse who underwent incredible transformation for bodybuilder dream is training for her first contest - raising money for poorly babies
Age is just a number for a Dudley neonatal nurse who is getting into shape for her first bodybuilding competition in aid of poorly newborns.
Claire Cockburn, who works as an advanced neonatal nurse practitioner at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, is in training for her first bodybuilding contest at the age of 55 to raise funds and purchase staff training equipment to help care for patients in the special care baby unit.
Neonatal care involves specialised hospital care for premature, low birth weight or sick newborns, generally within the first 28 days of life, to manage breathing, feeding, infection or recovery from early surgery.
In May Claire will be stepping up to the stage for a personal challenge that she has long dreamed of pursuing, but only in recent times summoned up the courage to finally have a go at.
The money raised from the sponsored challenge will be spent on a new neonatal simulation doll, which will directly support the training of the hospital staff and improve the care given to its tiniest patients.
Claire, who has worked in the NHS for 25 years, explained: “I’m a mum of three and I play in three concert bands, so life is definitely busy, but I love my job. If taking on this bodybuilding challenge helps raise money for new neonatal training equipment, it will be absolutely wonderful and worth every moment of effort.”
"I was doing quite a bit of running before I took up bodybuilding. In about 2021 I started doing more weight training. Then at some point last year I decided to get a bodybuilding coach as I wanted to take it a bit more seriously.
"I always believed I couldn't do a bodybuilding show because I'm only 5ft, but apparently that's an advantage so I'm really happy about that.
"At the moment because I'm prepping for a competition I'm eating the same things every day. I don't eat meat. I did have a vegan diet, but now I eat free range eggs or else it's difficult to get enough protein.
"Otherwise, on a daily basis I eat oats, tofu, green beans, eggs, spinach, sweet potatoes, bananas. I eat the same things so that my macros [macronutrients] keep stable and I have vegan protein powder.
"I train six days a week: five days of weight training, one day is cardio. The days are split into various body parts. As I work shifts I have to work out where and when I do them. I often will go to the gym before a 12-hour shift to get it in. Sometimes on cardio days I opt just to ride my bike to work instead because it's all uphill and fulfils my cardio day very well.
"My biggest challenge is how to do the posing, so I'm having posing lessons."
She is training at David Lloyd Dudley, where she is being trained by Brett Smith, and her online appeal so far raised more than £600 for the effort.
She will be in the line up at the FIT X Federation competition at Bolton Arena on May 16.
In addition to looking after her family and holding down a full-time job, Claire is a musician in three community bands and has recently started a master’s degree level leadership apprenticeship as part of her career development in neonatal care and team development.
Dudley Group NHS Charity added that by documenting her training journey and sharing her progress the dedicated nurse is hoping to inspire others to fulfil their own dreams while raising vital funds for neonatal care. Every donation, regardless of size, will contribute to better training for staff and improved care for babies and their families.
To donate to the appeal visit justgiving.com/page/claire-cockburn-5. Follow Claire on Instagram at instagram.com/claire55bodybuilder.
