Hong Kong bodybuilding star Brenda Lo Kit-ming says her silver medal won at the World Games multi-sports event in Duisburg, Germany proved that the Asian physique can also compete on the world's stage.
Lo became the first local bodybuilder to win major international recognition as she muscled her way to her first overseas success since she started pumping iron 10 years ago.
Her latest success - she also won gold at the East Asian Championships in Hong Kong last month - provided the sport with a shot in the arm. It was also the only medal won by Hong Kong at the games.
Competing in the women's 52kg lightweight category, Lo beat Austria's Ilka Schwengl and China's Cao Xinli to grab silver behind gold medal winner Iryna Petrenko of Ukraine in the year's biggest multi-sports event.
More than 3,000 athletes are competing in 40 sports at the 10-day games that end on Sunday.
'I was not only representing Hong Kong, but Asia as well, and to come away with a silver medal at the World Games is very satisfying,' said Lo, a merchandiser by profession.
'My success only proves that Asian people can also compete on the world's stage and do well. We might not be as big and strong as the Europeans but we can display good muscularity,' she said.