Donna-Lee Flowerday. (submitted photo/Donna-Lee Flowerday)

By Ben Tompkins

Muscle and Fitness Hers

Carrot River woman competing to be on cover of Ms. Health and Fitness

May 24, 2023 | 8:47 AM

A Carrot River gym owner is hoping to walk away with $20,000, while also being the cover model for an issue of Ms. Health and Fitness magazine.

Donna-Lee Flowerday, owner and operator of Outback Spinshack, is currently competing with women across the world in hopes of being on the cover of Muscle and Fitness HERS.

Flowerday finished first in her group last week, courtesy of online voters, which now has her in a race to make it to the top 10. Voting for this round ends at 8 p.m. Saskatchewan time, this Thursday (May 25).

“I had a friend send me the link telling me that I should try and go for this and I didn’t think I should, and then last minute I thought, what the heck, who doesn’t want to try and win $20,000 and support the wounded warriors,” she told northeastNOW.

A free daily vote is available for everyone, with additional votes costing $1 each. All proceeds will go on to support Homes for Wounded Warriors.

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Should Flowerday win the $20,000 grand prize, all of it will go back into her gym.

“We definitely need more and different types of places for people to go where they feel comfortable and supported and feel like they can start where they’re at. That’s what I’ve kind of tried to create with Outback Spinshack, which is just a comfortable place for people of all ages and fitness levels to just come and start,” she added.

(submitted photo/Donna-Lee Flowerday)

The winner will be announced July 13.

Flowerday explained fitness is a very important thing in her life and she hopes it can be for others too.

“Just being a mom and having kids and having to be a wife and everything, I just found that I really didn’t have anything in my life that was just for me that had no impact or influence from anybody else around me. It was just something I found that I could do that was totally for me, where I didn’t need my kids’ approval or my husband’s approval,” she said.

“I just really thought that I could be a good example and that I’ve really influenced other women, especially in our community to just start where they are. Just start slow and do what you can and once you do that, you figure out you’re even stronger than you think.”

Flowerday has to finish first in her group every round to continue on and advance one step closer to the grand prize.

She mentioned she has been first since around day four into the competition and is ecstatic about all the support she received, which is also supporting a great cause.

“The support has been amazing. The added bonus is that there are so many veterans out there that are a part of the wounded warriors and it goes toward their mission to build and remodel homes for the critically injured that were in the US military. They also do it so it’s mortgage-free so that’s pretty awesome,” Flowerday said.

“Just sending it out there to everyone, don’t be scared. Put yourself out there and try, and if you find something and it doesn’t work, just try and find something else and just find that passion and that love of moving your body, it is out there. There will be a place where you fit in, can feel comfortable, can grow, get fit and healthy, and just love it.”

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8