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 from Sweden, a very active woman with a long journey in fitness. She has ADHD, Asbergers, is extremely gifted, and has found ways to use her diagnoses to her benefit.

Petra has been a part of the GASP and Better Bodies family for years. Keep reading to get to know her better!

I am a very active woman who is always doing something. I am a “Now” person and I try to see solutions for everything. My motto is in Swedish: 

“Det är inte hur du har det utan hur du tar det.”

 I’m from Strömsholm, a little village I live in now as well. I grew up here, in this idyllic place in a big villa and when young my hobbies were horses and outdoor activites. I have always liked to spend time outside and I love all kinds of animals.

I am a very red person in personality, I have heck of a temper, but it goes away quickly. I overanalyze but I also over love. I love helping others with difficulties and I really promote equal value. Why be normal when you can be you? We are all unique.

I have always worked better with male friends than females. I guess it is both due to my diagnosis; I am a very straight forward honest person. I am also hyperactive. Men are easier to socialize with as they more often speak the truth straight up to your face. I like that. Women can confuse me and very often they don't like me. I am not so good at pretending and I don´t like small talk. So many women either think I look ugly with all my muscles, or they are intimidated by me, or they are jealous for not having the character to do something all the way themselves. I have 6 good girl friends; the rest are men. My interests have always been training at the gym, I went to the army and I love driving motorcycles. All those hobbies are mainly man dominant.

When young I drove a Ducati Monster and raced a lot. Nowadays I have my darling: She´s called Black Widow and is a Harley Davidson, Dyna Super Glide of 1585 CC. A powerful machine. My friends always say my frank way of being, together with my craziness and hyperactivity reminds them of Harley Quinn. So now two Marvel characters merge together when I ride. I also love Super Man and that logo is sort of my thing.

My friends describe me as a very open, crazy person that does everything I want to with out thinking of the consequences. I am considered as tough independent person I think but I am also very sensitive. My doctor is stunned over that fact that I have such a high IQ but also high EQ. This is not very common apparently and is probably one of the reason I am the weird lovable crazy empathic, deep, overanalyzing hyper person I am.

If you want to know what my friends think about me one person that knows me very well is Carina Isaksson. We have been close friends for 30 years now and I know she loves me deep inside, but she can also get very tired of me. She always calls me her little Einstein and says that she can´t understand 

“how a person who is so smart can lack so much common sense”

I grew up in Strömsholm with my parents and four siblings. My mother was always ill and died when I was 15 years old. I have lived in both Wales, first when studying at Upper Secondary School. Then I lived with a family there for a couple of years. This was a year after my mum had died and my dad figured I needed to go away and do something for me.

I had spent a few summers in Bude; Cornwall already and then I moved to Wales. I loved it there so when studying English at University I managed to be allowed to study on distance so I lived in Swansea, Wales for a few years studying day time and working as a bartender at the biggest night club Ritzys night time. After that I moved to Sevilla to study Spanish for a few years at University level. Then I studied to become a high school teacher at Uppsala University.

Later in life, while being home with the kids I studied so I also have a degree as a teacher for children/youth with special needs. My special focus is neuropsychiatric disabilities. At my job now I also work as a “Förste lärare” in specialpedagogik.

I Love my job and I feel appreciated among the young adults and my colleagues. As I have children with special needs and also have two diagnoses myself, I feel I can use my academic training together with my personal experience in a good way.

I have ADHD myself and Asperger’s and I am gifted as they call it as I am a member of Mensa with an IQ of 149.

I worked as a Spanish and English teacher at High School level for 20 years but then I decided I wanted to focus on young adults with special needs. So now I work full time as a teacher for children with special needs, or gifts, as I prefer to see it. If the environment is adaptable

someone with ADHD; ADD or Autism can function extremely well. It is not a coincidence that most of the people that have done remarkable things have a diagnosis. Also, many actors, singers or other people in professions that demand a lot of focus and/or energy have a combination of letters. In history we have many inventors, painters, authors and athletes that have diagnoses. Albert Einstein, Salvador Dali, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Michael Jordan, Emely Dickenson, Edgar Allan Poe, Virginia Wolf, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, to mention some.

I am single now. It is not something I have chosen deliberately. I never feel lonely as I have so many friends around me whenever I want to. But I am sincerely starting to wonder if there is someone out there that can accept all of me and love me unconditionally. Time will tell, I guess.

I live with four kids. I have three biological children who live full time with me and always have since I divorced their father in 2012. They are: Tindra 17 years. She studies to become

a doctor like grandpa (my dad). Ängla is soon 16 years old and is in year 9. Neo is 13 years old and is in year 8. I also have a bonus/foster son living with me, Jason who is 16 years old and is at first year in Upper Secondary School. All my four children have different letter combinations. They are all awesome kids and I love them, and I am so proud of all of them.

In the family we also have two dogs, one snake and soon two rats. We are picking up our baby rats in a few weeks Now the snake is on the run, lost somewhere in our house, but that´s another story.

I started training at the gym when I was 20 years old. I had a lot of pain in my neck and my dad who is a doctor said I should strengthen my body and muscles. So that was my way in. And as always when I do something I do it 110%. And that lead to good results.

For me, with my Asperger and ADHD, gym training is perfect. I want to train when I want to train, and I usually train alone. Nowadays I have two good friends I alter between and train with every now and then, two guys. But I mainly train alone and that´s the way I want it. Gym

training is a great way to get to know your body and a great sport as you can really push yourself to the limit and achieve miracles. If you succeed or not is all up to you and I like that. I like to have food schedules and fixed times to eat and knowing what to eat. I also like to train extremely early in the morning and with gym training that is possible. I love morning walks out in the nature as a combo to my weight training.

My ADHD needs me moving for my brain and soul to be in harmony and my Asperger helps me keep order in what I eat, when I eat and when I train. Making lists on what to do, rigid planning and schedules are things I love and need.  When training and dieting on high level you really get close to the ones in the same position. It is not possible for anyone who has not competed at elite level to know the amount of work and character needed. So you get close to the ones in the same position. Carina and I got to know each other that way and have been friends ever since. I am also close to Semiran Dag, Anette Fabretto and others who

have competed and lived that kind of life.

When I got divorced and ended up with three young kids full time on my own, I got depressed. Two of them were also at the moment being tested for diagnoses and my middle daughter is extremely allergic. There were a few very tough years when I had to go to the hospital once a week with my daughter for allergy shots, and at the same time work full time to afford to keep the house, also of course taking care of all three kids and helping them

to manage school and be able to have their own sports and other hobbies after school took up all my time and energy. I simply did not have enough hours a day and my own training was what had to go for a while.

As I do everything 110% the consequence of not training so much led to my stop eating healthy as well. And the tablets I had for my depression also led to putting on weight. I also struggle with some other severe health issues (which I prefer not talking about as I don't want people to feel sorry for me. I try to keep a positive mindset). It was a combo of all that. There was simply too much and I put on weight as my body was used to rigid training and healthy food.

My goals right now are to manage to get minimum of 5 gym workouts a week. I need that for both body and soul. The gym and my walks outdoors are my ways of relaxing, reloading and pulling myself together so I can be a good mother, a good friend and a good colleague.

I love my work; it is so rewarding to help others and I feel I matter. But to be able to be indoors all day I need my hour in the gym, and a few walks a week outdoors as well.

I love spending time with my kids. I also love the sun and outdoor activities in the warm seasons. I need sunlight so I do not like the winter and from now in October to end of February are tough months for me.

We have a pool at home and the only time I can be still for a while is when I am out in the sun by the pool or by the sea. The water calms me. I ride my Harley Davidson and as soon as the weather is nice, I want to go on road trips. The freedom feeling you feel when riding a motorbike is thrilling.

I like to take photos, so I have tons of them. They are good for me because with my sensitiveness to a lot of noise or movement makes me not being able to enjoy everything 100 %. But when I take photos, I can relive moments at home when it is quiet.

I am extremely academic, and I just love English and Swedish grammar, I know that is a very odd interest. I also love words and see myself as a word collector. Poetry and Shakespeare is my type of literature. The best book I have ever read is: Cien anos de soledad de García Marquez. Of course, I read it in Spanish first. (Hundra år av ensamhet). I also love going to the movies. Action movies and Marvel movies are my type.

I have through the years learned how to adapt to others. But also to stand strong and dare to be different. I have raised my children to understand that normal is not something to strive for.

What matters is that you are an open-minded generous and kind person. I think my job is the perfect place for me to be. Here I can help others to see their self-worth. I take medicine for my ADHD I make my lists to feel safe. Things do not need to turn out exactly as planned but to have a list is a way of feeling calm. At work I am a very organized person who knows exactly what to do and when. I am always in time and always come well prepared. I leave nothing to coincidence. But then at home when I relax, and the medicine wears off, I am different. Crazier, I always misplace my keys etc. But that is ok. And I think it is good for my

children to see that we do not need to be perfect all the time to be good.

 in a fitness/bodybuilding division, make sure you do it for the right reasons. It´s a sport of judgement and the rules are not that clear. It is after all also a matter of taste etc. Compete because you want to see how far you can go and always compete first and foremost to improve yourself. Also make sure you have trained enough beforehand. It takes time to build muscles, more time than most people realize. You'll have to follow rigid routines and allow no slack. If you contact a coach for help, make sure it is someone you trust and that you only listen to that person. Stick to what that one person says so make sure it is someone you level with.

, remember that it is all about what goes in and comes out. 80% of the results come from how you eat. And make sure you eat enough protein to keep the muscles. Do not eat too much and do not eat too little. You can never reward yourself with food after training. You train to get healthy and look good when you have lost weight, but you eat to lose weight. Also, muscles burn fat so to build muscles are good for that too. Make

sure you have a plan how to train and eat that you can live by to have long lasting results. You must find food that is good for you that you like and will continue to eat, and you must find some way of movement to train your heart. Your training must be something you want to do otherwise you will give up. Don’t´look at the scale. Take your measurements as that tells you so much more.

, know that you are unique and just as much worth as everybody else. Sometimes you just need the environment to adjust to you a bit more than others. Find a good doctor that can help you to get to know yourself. Most important of all: Be proud to be you. <3

Up Close And Personal With Petra Törnros 

More in Ambassadors

We invite IFBB Bikini pros Narmin Assria and Kaylie Fountain to the GASP & Better Bodies HQ for training, product shoots, barbecues aaaaaand to get the sh!t scared out of them. (That last part was a surprise).

If you want a life that is fulfilling and sometimes thrilling, you got to be willing to get out of your damn comfort zone. Think big and have the guts to go out and get it.

 was a good change of pace and a different side of Narmin and Kaylie y'all probably haven't seen.

What ever stage you are in bodybuilding, career or life, do something that scares you out of your comfort zone. What should be really scary is NOT risking it...

Risk To Play - No Regrets

More in Training

Kaylie Fountain is a pro bikini competitor who is enjoying her offseason and the workouts that come with not being on a caloric deficit.

Kaylie flew into Dallas from McAllen, Texas for a fun few days of training, shoots and team building with the Better Bodies crew and Narmin Assria who flew in from Orange Country, California.

In this workout Kaylie is training back and biceps.

Kaylie is a fan of always being active and a big advocate for weight training to build the muscle she needs to compete on the pro bikini stage. The offseason is crucial for having the raw materials and nutrition needed to fuel her workouts and her recovery.

Balanced Pro Bikini Training - Kaylie Fountain

There is a lot of interpretations of what intensity is, furthermore there are a ton of training techniques and strategies.

Here in this case Olivia Gravengaard and Olivia Rothenburg teach Jeremy Potvin there strategy of getting several warm up sets (avoiding exhaustion) and then 1 all out top set to total mechanical failure that is logged to track progress and then 1 "back off" set to failure that is also tracked.

The point is to produce a novel stimulus ie more weight or more reps on the lifts that are tracked without 3-4 or more sets.

The first 3 "work" sets would've wasted energy that could have been geared towards your top set.

The Olivias go into a lot of detail on exercise selection and more execution advice. Check it out and let us know what you think in the community groups.

Leg Day School - Jeremy Potvin, Olivia Gravengaard & Olivia Rothenburg

More in Motivation

Stress can kill any efforts you try to have in the gym or any other area of your life that you want to stay productive in by altering your mental peace and composure.

This is a pro tip on a couple of things I do to be proactive when it comes to stress.

1. When your day feels chaotic, try breaking down your day hour by hour. Don't focus on every task you need to accomplish but only the task at hand.

2. Try making a list. When you're feeling over whelmed it might help to make a list to visualize everything you need together done that day and then physically cross out every task when you have completed it.

Dealing With Stress - Jennifer Ronzitti Pro Tip 5

More in Destination

One common denominator of the human race is that we all aim to do the "right" thing. Whether it be serve your country, choose the right career, be the best role model, or lift up your community.

In that same breath, another common denominator as humans is that we all struggle with inner demons, challenges and set backs while trying to do the "right" thing.

Brandon Orange was stationed in the demilitarized zone in South Korea awaiting orders at any moment to deploy to Iraq after the terrorist attacks in New York City in 2001. In a training accident he was injured and had to face rehabilitation while his unit was deployed and later killed in Iraq.

The 10 years after this all unfolded was a dark time for Brandon questioning his presence still on this Earth with thoughts that he should have died with his unit and living everyday in pain from the accident.

Brandon's story is one of conquering inner demons such as the debilitating clinical depression and learning to live through constant daily pain from the injuries he sustained in S. Korea.

In 2015 he moved from the army rehab facility in San Antonio to Dallas. He earned his bachelors and MBA. He later joined Destination to continue on his own passion driven journey to improve both mentally and physically in order to be a role model for his kids and his community.

"I moved to a city where no one knew me. No one knew I was injured. No one felt sorry for me and I wanted it that way. I joined a place that encourages the no limits and no fear mentality and to live every day with passion and purpose."

Live Every Day With Passion and Purpose

IFBB Pro Athlete and 5 x Olympian Ahmad Ahmad was raised in Sweden but has his heritage from Iraq.

Ahmad has recently done the transition from the 212 Bodybuilding to Classic Physique and in preparations for this years Olympia he is set to make it among the top few.

 on his journey, and check out his shoulder/chest workout in this video.

Ahmad Ahmad - Aiming For Top Finish At The Olympia

Delts are one of the most important aspects of Body Fitness competition.

Here are some of Jackie's favorite movements for her push workout and also for focusing on details in the muscle.

Lateral cable raises superset with front raises

Jackie Masete - Push Workout for Better Delts

More in Iron World Tour

The Mr. Olympia weekend has changed to Orlando, Florida so we had to be super agile and change plans to take over Orlando with the Iron World Tour.

The GASP and Better Bodies team along with 13 Olympia competitors including Hunter Labrada, Shaun Clarida, Derek Lunsford, Jennifer Ronzitti, Samantha Jerring, Guy Cisternino, Divine Master, Irene Anderson, Ahmad Ahmad and Jeremy Potvin will all be either competing in the 2020 Olympia or taking over Orlando in the best way possible.

We will have a HUGE house near Kissimmee Muscle Gym in Orlando. We will be training every day, working hard and playing hard and you all are invited!

Iron World Tour Orlando

Brett Wilkin is back at Destination. This time with wife Ivana. They touchdown a week before thanksgiving and receive a warm reception from Destination GM Johanna Evertson and global project manager Hanne Gaines.

Brett is pushing the scales at 270lbs now but both Ivana and Brett are well in the "unrestrictive" off season.

"Its important to have that balance and to wake up without worrying constantly to have to pack so many meals and eating on the hour whenever you need to eat." Ivana speaking on the rigidity of contest prep.

Brett and Ivana are visiting right before our Iron World Tour and Olympia pre party. The Iron World Tour has been to UK, China, Denmark, Sweden, New York, Denver and now we are taking the whole Texas team along with some GASP and Better Bodies athletes and ambassadors along with 13 athletes competing in the 2020 Olympia to Orlando Florida. So along with attending product meetings and recording training and lifestyle content, brett and Ivana will get to be a part of this week and weekend's events.

Lift Together Grow Together - Brett and Ivana Wilkin

Don't over think things. Sometimes, more often than not a good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.

IFBB bikini pro sits down with Better Bodies CEO Michael Johansson and discusses her competitive career from amateur to professional to top tier professional. Admittedly Jen is a perfectionist however her ability to be decisive and to take action when needed has been an asset with a lot of accomplishments early on including her pro career.

As Jen said in the intro to this video, whether ready or not totally 100% ready, have a clear vision and jump off the metaphorical ledge and go for it. Perfect as you go but OWN IT and do it today!

Stay tuned as we go to Orlando and catch up with Jen Ronzitti for the 2020 Olympia.

Own It Everyday - Jen Ronzitti IFBB Pro Bikini

The glutes are a huge and strong muscle group. To get them to respond you need to make them work and WORK HARD.

Samantha Jerring is making her Figure Olympia debut in 2 weeks. Here she links up with Keone Pearson who qualified for the 212 Mr. Olympia by winning the Chicago pro but is waiting to step on the 212 Olympia stage until 2021.

Samantha leads the workout off with a "glute activator" of abductions and hyperextension geared to glute contraction. She provides cues for every lift in the workout here.

Stay tuned as both Keone and Samantha heads to Orlando for the Iron World Tour and Olympia weekend with the GASP and Better Bodies team.