Mount Maunganui College dance teacher and dean Abbey Yule has become the 2024 ICN Fitness World Champion after the ICN Natural World Games in Canberra, Australia.

The Pāpāmoa-based bodybuilder first stepped on the stage of the NZIFBB Wellington Championship in August 2021 where she then moved to ICN NZ in November 2021, gaining a pro card in Ms Sports Model.

She became a Pro Ms Fitness model in 2022 and has competed in four pro shows.

She has competed in the ICN Oceania Ms Fitness Pro Show in October 2022 and competed in Ms Fitness Australia (MFA) Pro Show at the end of Oct 2022.

Then she took out second in ICN Oceania and first in MFA for Ms Fitness and Ms Fitness Classique Pro.

World champion bodybuilder Abbey Yule from Pāpāmoa. Photo / David Hall

“I now hold two ICN Pro cards - Ms Sports Model and Ms Fitness Model and two MFA Pro cards - Ms Fitness Model and Ms Fitness Classique Model.

“I have been a performer since childhood, so stepping on stage in high heels and a sparkly bikini brings happiness and peace to me.”

This is the first time Yule has competed at the world championships and said the competition went well.

World champion bodybuilder Abbey Yule from Pāpāmoa. Photo / David Hall

She said show day is always relaxing for her as she knows she has put the hard work in and can just enjoy.

“The competition run by ICN Worldwide was conducted with excellent organisation, and the judges offered efficient and professional judging, which meant all competitors had good stage time and could display the best poses possible.

“I always want to be the best version of me, so, my first goal was to beat the condition and size I presented at the last show. This was happily achieved as my muscle size and overall symmetry improved.

World champion bodybuilder Abbey Yule from Pāpāmoa. Photo / David Hall

“This year, I came to the stage at 6% body fat and holding over 54kg of lean muscle.

“In 2022, I had roughly 51kg of lean muscle, so gaining 3kg of muscle at that time was a significant achievement.

Her passion for bodybuilding all began during the Covid-19 lockdowns, when Yule decided she wanted to improve herself.

“I wanted to better myself and see how I could test myself mentally, emotionally, and physically – finding where my boundaries are and how to become 1% better daily.”

World champion body builder Abbey Yule from Pāpāmoa. Photo / David Hall

Competitive bodybuilding is a huge commitment and requires a lot of determination and emotional and mental strength as well as physical.

Yule sticks to a strict diet of gluten-free Weetbix, yoghurt, dark chocolate, chicken, rice, salad and fruit.

She supplements her diet with protein powder and creatine, and as a natural athlete limits any other supplements to a simple musashi pre-workout.

“Competitive bodybuilding, for me, involves a 4.30 start five days a week, training for two hours before work and up to three hours on the weekends.

World champion body builder Abbey Yule from Pāpāmoa. Photo / David Hall

“It involves hours of meal prep and aiming to achieve eight hours of sleep, and six litres of water daily.

“This happens in both the build phase and the prep phase. My personal prep phase takes 24 weeks to achieve.”

Yule is unsure what she wants to do next year but said she has options.

“From here, I have a few options: I could graduate from the sport and hang up my bikini or continue competing.

“In choosing to continue competing, I would need to factor in my lifestyle, family and work, then decide if I would like to go back-to-back world titles or change my class from Ms Fitness to Ms Figure and go back to amateur and try to get another Pro card in Figure for ICN.

“I look forward to having some downtime, spending time with my family and partner and seeing what the new year has in store.”

To stay updated with Abbey Yule’s journey, visit her Instagram @abbeyyule_icnpro_mfapro