preview

Research Paper On Ernestine Shepherd

Better Essays

Being an old woman with abs of steel is a feat that not many can claim as theirs, yet there are some who can say they are ripped. Seasoned professional bodybuilder, Ernestine Shepherd, is one of those few. Day in and day out Shepherd trains, and over the years she has slowly worked her way to become the world’s oldest female bodybuilder. Today, she is 81 and still exercises, though she no longer participates in competitions. But in the beginning, as DeNeen Brown illustrates in her essay, “6 Pack Abs at Age 74” Shepherd was not always as famous or dedicated to her cause as she is now. Her transformation began at age 57, when Shepherd and her sister, Mildred, (as she is referred to in the text), age 56, started to work out. After becoming stronger, …show more content…

For Shepherd, this self mastery entails passing up a lot of things she would otherwise have. Ernestine Shepherd is able to “turn down that that slice of chocolate cake in the cafeteria” and firmly insist as she has, that she has no interest in it (Brown 335). She chooses what is best for her, knowing that eating unhealthily will not bring the physical strength she seeks. This is applicable in everyday life. One does not need to become a bodybuilder to experience the health benefits Shepherd has found for herself. It is about self-mastery, not self-indulgence. No one is perfect, though, Shepherd herself was not originally as disciplined. As DeNeen Brown explains, Ernestine Shepherd spent much of grade school living for compliments and “sitting still to look pretty” (Brown 336). She had no interest in changing her lifestyle because she had been told that she was beautiful and needed no alteration. As a result, Shepherd spent the first half of her life with no plan, and no end goal in mind. Those who lives this way will feel the consequences. I have felt them. For me, it is in academics that I am told I excel. Therefore, I procrastinate. In my mind, I am good at it, so a last-minute effort will still help me succeed. Consequently, I feel much undesired pressure in my work that could have been avoided had I gotten to work sooner. In contrast, as seen in the efforts of Shepherd, when one is determined and dedicated enough, the discipline will come naturally. The desire is backed by action and so a plan is instinctively put into place. This plan allows the dream to find direction and therefore have a better chance of coming true with

Get Access