Grandmother and newcomer to bodybuilding LoLa ‘N

DAKOTA DUNES, S.D., March 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LoLa ‘Nez, a grandmother and relative newcomer to bodybuilding, has made it the finals of the Ms. Health and Fitness 2017 competition.

‘Nez (full name: Marinez de la Torre Burnett) is a Filipina woman now living in the U.S. as a legal, permanent resident who is making a name for herself as a bodybuilder and inspirational role model to women 35-55. Originally from San Fernando City, La Union, Philippines, the 46-year-old grandmother of two moved to the U.S. in 2010 and currently resides in Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, in the summer and Estero, Florida, in the winter.

The Ms. Health and Fitness 2017 competition, which began in February with 1,200 entrants, is entirely based on public voting. The 31 final contestants won their regional competitions; voting for the winner begins Monday, March 6, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern time. Over the next several weeks, the field will be narrowed to five finalists, and the winner will be announced April 5. She will receive $20,000 and will be photographed and featured in a two-page spread in Muscle and Fitness Hers magazine along with a front cover reference.

“By making it to the finals of this competition as probably one of the oldest competitors at age 46, I hope to continue spreading the word to women, particularly to those between the ages of 35 and 55, that you’re never too old to get fit and be active,” said ‘Nez.

Ms. Health and Fitness 2017 is sponsored by Muscle and Fitness Hers magazine, which has partnered with Homes for Wounded Warriors to provide financial assistance and support to injured U.S. military veterans. Website visitors can vote once a day for free but can purchase additional votes by donating to the Homes for Wounded Warrior program. Official competition rules and the schedule are available here .

More About LoLa ‘Nez

When ‘Nez began fitness training in 2014, bodybuilding competitions were the furthest thing from her mind. She was 44 years old, a grandmother, and running Alchemy Transcription Services, which has two offices—one in Dakota Dunes, and one in San Fernando City in the Philippines.

Months earlier, ‘Nez had been diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, a painful chronic condition in which stomach acid leaks into the esophagus. Medications helped control the condition, and she began lifting weights and changed her eating habits. After just three months of working with a personal trainer, her GERD symptoms had disappeared and she was developing an amazing new physique! In May 2015, she started entering bodybuilding competitions as a National Physique Committee (NPC) athlete.

Since then, she has won three 1 ^st places in competitions, a 2 ^nd place, a 3 ^rd place, and a 4 ^th place. Her next competition is in April at the Olympia Tan 2017 NPC Natural Eastern U.S.A Championships in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In addition, she has developed quite a fan following, with more than 58,000 Facebook followers (nearly 21,000 are in the Philippines) and 1,700+ Instagram followers.

More information is available at https://www.lolanez.com/ . Follow her on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter .

For high-resolution photographs or to speak with ‘Nez, please contact Glynis Gibson at glynis.gibson@gibsoncommunications.com   or 773-278-7700.

Editorial Contact: Glynis Gibson Gibson Communications, Inc. 773.278.7700 glynis.gibson@gibsoncommunications.com