‘Women can be both strong and feminine’: Malaysia’s first female CrossFit representative aims to break gender barriers
- Amira Ayob is looking to blaze a trail by representing Malaysia at this year’s Games
- The former engineer came second two years in a row, but took the top spot in 2019
“There's a handful of female CrossFitters around but I would love to inspire others to try,” said the 28-year-old former engineer who now works as a part-time coach at Grit Nation Subang just outside of Kuala Lumpur. “The stigma behind women and lifting weights is still very real here and I hope it will change for the better.”
According to the World Economic Forum’s 2018 Global Gender Gap report, Malaysia ranks 101st in the world, behind Indonesia and Singapore when it comes to various women’s rights markers. Ayob noted the CrossFit scene in Malaysia is still relatively small and mostly made up of men and stated there is a specific stigma around women who work out too much and look “bulky”.
“Being strong should be something to be proud of and celebrated. Women can be both strong and feminine.”
Ayob first got into the sport four years ago during her second year of studies at Ohio State University in 2014. The Shah Alam-native said what is now almost a full-time passion originally started as a way to stay in shape without getting disinterested.