The more you get to know Carmen Brady, the more you realize how extraordinary she is and understand what motivated her to become the #1 World Champion in Women’s Body Building at 70 years old. It’s no surprise after looking at Carmen to discover that she has the metabolism of a teenager and is all muscle, without a visible ounce of body fat. In fact, she can bench press up to 315 pounds and do 70 dips in a row without resting! Wow!

As you dig deeper into the challenges she has overcome, it’s obvious to see how her professional skills as a personal trainer have helped to transform of her clients into more healthy, active people. She often works 10-hour days with a wide variety of customers, including seniors and people who are overcoming accidents, surgery or health challenges. Carmen takes away their aches and pains and builds strength while enabling them to improve their quality of life. Her motto: “Life is movement. So, let’s get moving!”

No stranger to trauma, Carmen was in an accident when she was 23, which required major surgery, a hip replacement and other fixes. Her recovery motivated her to step up her bodybuilding training efforts to stay healthy, and she even won a variety of body building competitions.

More than 20 years ago, Carmen’s 23-year-old daughter, Krystal, who was also into body building, died in a tragic motorcycle accident. The grief of this loss was overwhelming, and Carmen wasn’t sure how to move forward. However, about 6 weeks after Krystal’s passing, Carmen received a call to audition for the role of Starla, the bodybuilder in the movie Napoleon Dynamite.

Krystal had a special affinity for stars, including decorating her ceiling with them, and Carmen took this as sign from Krystal to go for it (since the character she tried out for was named Starla) and was hired. “I believe this was Krystal’s way of helping me to rebuild my life,” Carmen said. “Ultimately the movie became a cult classic, and its success has provided me with income I wouldn’t have received otherwise — not to mention the joy of being part of a feel-good movie.”

Becoming a Bad Ass
Over time, Carmen realized that she wanted to do something special to honor the memory of Krystal and decided that since building more muscle was a goal of Krystal’s, Carmen would make it her goal too.

Competitive bodybuilding helped Carmen work through her grief. “The day I won a worldwide competition in 2025 and wore a rhinestone-studded bikini, I knew Krystal would be laughing from above at my clothing selection but be proud of my success.”

Carmen’s granddaughter was born the same day her Bad Ass grandma won the competition – a double win for the champ. Check out her victory speech at the 2025 Master’s World Champion Women’s Bodybuilder’s competition.

~Submitted by Linda Donovan. Carmen is her friend and trainer.

Carmen Brady

Not Your Average World Champion Grandma

Ginny Smith

Bad Ass Dog Mom

Dogs have been Ginny's children (and life, practically) for more than 30 years.

She and husband Don didn't have children together, so Ginny started adopting dogs that needed good homes. She usually has two at any given time, all from shelters. She's also active in Dog Gone Seattle, a foster-based rescue group that saves countless dogs from euthanasia and prepares them for forever homes.

At least once a week you can find Ginny volunteering at ReTails, a Vancouver, WA thrift store that benefits the local humane society. And, since life can't be entirely about dogs, even for Ginny, she's also an active hospice volunteer.

Taking in shelter dogs isn't always easy. Ginny's home has carpet -- cream colored carpet, no less. So she and Don cover their side yard in straw to keep the mud down when the dogs run in and out of the house with wet, muddy paws. Anything for the dogs, right?

She and Don often take separate vacations so one of them can stay home with the pups. And she's broken her wrist twice when rambunctious dogs pulled too hard on their leashes during their twice-daily walks.

She wears shirts that say things like "Easily distracted by dogs" and "Sorry I'm late. I saw a dog." And even her phone's ringtone is a dog barking.

But it's all worth it, given the love and affection her canine kids constantly shower upon her. In fact, it's hard to imagine her without a furry canine or two by her side. "Dogs are some of my very favorite people," Ginny quips.

~ Submitted by Alesa Lightbourne, Ginny's sister