Back in 2009 when Dayna Maleton entered her first NPC bikini contest, she didn’t know anything about the sport or the industry. “Friends of mine were competing in the NPC and said I should do a show,” she says. “I entered the Atlantic City Amateur and won. The NPC Team Universe was a couple of weeks after, and I won my class and turned pro.” Two shows, two first-place trophies, and just like that, Maleton was in the IFBB Professional League. But despite an auspicious start, she couldn’t find the winner’s circle in the pros. Luckily, Maleton is as tough as she is beautiful. “I’ve always been a competitor,” she says. “I thrive on competition.” So she fought on, made improvements, and above all, always believed she was good enough. Faith in her abilities eventually led to a win at the 2015 Toronto Pro Supershow. “I was overwhelmed with so much emotion that I got offstage, sat on the floor, and cried because I was so happy,” Maleton says. “It was probably one of the best moments of my life so far.” With the IFBB Pro League season just starting, you can bet Maleton’s competitive spirit will drive every rep and every set of every workout so that she can have more “best moments” of her life in 2016.
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“To be an IFBB bikini pro you have to be extraordinarily dedicated to every workout and pay attention to detail when it comes to eating.”
“Traveling, making new friends, and seeing what limits I can push my body to are what I like best about being a competitive athlete.”
“THE HARDER YOU WORK FOR SOMETHING, THE GREATER YOU’LL FEEL WHEN YOU FINALLY ACHIEVE IT.”
“My favorite exercise would have to be weighted barbell bridges. It hits the glutes and hamstrings without too much tension on the quads. And, incidentally, glutes happen to be my best body part.”
“I don’t train upper body that much because I tend to build muscle rather quickly and that’s not what the judges are looking for in bikini.”
“As silly as it sounds, my favorite thing to do outside of training is taking my dog to a dog park. And I also love my jobs, which are managing gyms and being a freelance makeup artist.”
“Three weeks touring Europe is my idea of a dream vacation. Maybe one day…”
