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Nataliya Kuznetsova isn’t your average female bodybuilder

Keeping ourselves in shape is important for our body and soul to feel comfortable. For most of us, that means simple things like taking a walk or doing some light daily exercise.

For 33-year-old bodybuilder Nataliya Kuznetsova, however, keeping in shape looks a little different. The professional Russian female bodybuilder is said to hold the world arm lifting, bench press, and deadlift titles – with one look at her, it’s hard to believe otherwise.

Personally, I think everyone reserves the right to look however they want. Individuals should never be teased for their appearances – how one chooses to dress and shape themselves is, of course, entirely up to them.

Here at Newsner, we have previously reported on amazing and fascinating people who are strong enough to do things their own way. They don’t give a heck about society’s preconceived ideas of beauty, preferring to follow their own dreams.

I, for one, think that’s very important. We must never forget that all people are equal, and the cultural differences between us are what makes our world so colorful and lively. In any case, that’s my firm opinion.

Nataliya Kuznetsova, a Russian 29-year-old, holds the world arm lifting, bench press, and deadlift titles – and her entire lifestyle is about improving her muscular and impressive body.

Everything in her life has centered around always becoming stronger in the pursuit of being able to lift more. As a young woman, Nataliya knew what she wanted to do with her life. At 14, she began powerlifting and decided to become a bodybuilder, according to UK site LadBible. When she started her journey, she weighed just 80lbs.

Today, her scale usually shows anywhere between 246–275lbs.

Road to celebrity

There isn’t a lot of information out there concerning Nataliya’s childhood and upbringing. What we do know is that she was born Nataliya Trukhina on the first of July 1991, in Chita, southeast Siberia, Russia.

Growing up, she was very active. She loved training and combat sports in particular. So when she turned 14, Nataliya embarked on a bodybuilding career, going to the gym almost daily.

Under the supervision of coach Alexei Ivanov, a well-known and respected coach in the area, Nataliya was put on a rigorous diet.

The goal for Natalia wasn’t to build a mountain of muscle and compete. Instead, the main target of the gym classes was to get stronger, while attending some mass as a bonus.

But it didn’t take long before people noticed the young girl putting on weight and gaining bigger muscles every day. After a few years, she started signing up for competitions. Nataliya was entirely focused on becoming a bodybuilder, and she did very well in one of her first championships.

As a 17-year-old, she weighed only 150lbs, but was capable of bench-pressing 220lbs. According to Nataliya, this was in the early days of her career while she was still living in Chita. She hadn’t even discovered protein shakes and didn’t know how crucial it was for building muscles. Still, she managed to achieve some amazing results.

Whether it was simply because she discovered protein or not is a matter for others to debate, but to this date, Nataliya has won several championships and set numerous records.

According to The Famous People, the Russian colossus won the 2014 Cup of Eurasia in Vologda, Russia. In 2015, she became the Champion of the Cup Eastern Europe (GPA).

Nicknamed the World’s Most Muscular Woman, Nataliya holds many records in powerlifting, bench press NAP, and deadlifting. Her bench press record is over 374lbs, and her deadlift record is 530lbs. According to herself, Nataliya holds the European bench press and deadlift titles. The Russian gym lover is 5’7″ tall and weighs just over 220lbs during the offseason.

“It’s not about being perfect – it’s about showing up, putting in the effort and getting the work done to get you were to envision yourself to be-Everyday is another opportunity to move forward a little more,” she wrote on her Facebook account.

But Nataliya is more than just a powerful bodybuilder with an eye-catching exterior and biceps measuring 18.5 inches.

In 2013, she graduated from the Moscow State Academy of Physical Culture. She also participated in a “Manon Lescaut” production at the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia.

Today she lives in the Russian capital with her husband, bodybuilder Vladislav Kuznetsov. The couple met in 2009 and tied the knot in 2015. Nataliya often posts sweet tributes to her husband, who supports her in whatever challenges she takes on in her life. The couple have no children at the moment, but Nataliya would like to have one in the future.

”Our love story is quite modern. We met on the Internet, more precisely, on Odnoklassniki(a social network service in Russia). For a while, we only talked as friends,” Nataliya said in 2019.

Over the years, Nataliya has fought hard to be able to live on her passion. In the early years of her career, she was almost always short on money.

It was challenging to find sponsors, and she had to take money out of her own pocket to train and compete. In Russia, it wasn’t easy to get contributions or help – but since Nataliya has received quite a lot of attention and gone viral of late, things are looking brighter.

She currently has several sponsors and works with nutrition brands such as Oxytropin and RPS Nutrition.

Likely none of this would have been possible if she hadn’t been active on social media – pictures of her muscular body have been spread like wildfire over the years. Many have seen her face on the Internet – but probably quite a few know who the female goliath is.

“People definitely recognise me. An athletic body can be seen under clothes. Many people recognise me, ask to take a photo with them. Many people even know my name,” she told LadBible.

Nataliya has previously talked the preconceived opinions of other people. Some people call her ugly and refer to her by hurtful names, but she refers to them as children who cry when they meet someone far stronger than them.

“The classical standards and norms are long gone. Even the modeling industry is already ”very different”. My best advisor is a mirror,” she says.

However, she treasures all the love she gets from her numerous fans around the world.

“Most of my Instagram followers are men. They stand for around 75%, and it’s about the same percentage on other social networks. They write a lot. Compliments to an athlete are no different than compliments to a non-athlete,” she said.

Today, she has a whopping one million followers on Instagram. Nataliya, a unique Amazon woman, as she labels herself, constantly updates her fans with sneak-peaks from her everyday life. And of course, her feed is fully packed with gym tips and exercises.

She claims she was at one point tempted to try growth hormones, but ultimately decided they were not for her. However, she’s admitted to using estrogen blockers and other performance enhancers that are banned by most major sporting bodies.

In early 2017, Nataliya announced that she would leave the spotlight and “retire” from powerlifting, but only one and a half years later, she was back for the next big competition in Moscow. She also revealed that she was pursuing a career in coaching and wanted to help others “achieve their potential.”

What’s your opinion on Nataliya’s life choices? Is she doing the right thing by following her dreams, or is this pure madness?

Feel free to share your opinion, but keep it civil in the comments section!

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Young woman with facial tattoos, piercings confronts TJ Maxx employees after she was denied a job

Anyone who has ever been rejected from a job has probably found themselves wondering what disqualified them from the position. Was it a lack of skills, the way you presented yourself, or something else?

Ash Putnam, 23, was recently denied a job at TJ Maxx and took her frustrations to TikTok where her video went viral.

Her video has since amassed more than seven million views and tens of thousands of comments. As the 20-something, who is covered in tattoos, wondered how young people could get an entry level job, everyone in the comments seemed to be in agreement about one thing.

Putnam explained on her viral TikTok how she applied for a job at a TJ Maxx only to receive an automatic email “a few weeks” later denying her application.

“They couldn’t even call me, they just sent me some automated email.”

Unsatisfied with the response, Putnam visited the store where she applied and confronted store employees.

“I went in today and was like, ‘So what was the reason why I didn’t get hired?’ She was like, ‘Oh you just don’t have enough experience there was candidates that had more experience than you’.”

“I asked her if it was about my tattoos obviously because I know a lot of places don’t like tattoos. She said that wasn’t the reason, I don’t feel like that’s true but whatever I will leave it at that.”

“Just because I have tattoos does not mean I am not going to be a good worker. I do not understand that at all. Quite literally some of the most smart intelligent people I have ever met are people with tattoos and piercings,” she continued.

Although the Californian, who works for Uber Eats, never get a straight answer from TJ Maxx, people on TikTok seemed to agree on the reason she was denied the job.

“tattooer here, it’s probably the tattoos”

“HR supervisor here. There is no way any company would put you in front of customers like TJ maxx.”

“I worked at TJ Maxx and they will hire just about anyone that comes off the street it’s definitely the tattoos and piercings”

“I don’t think it’s because you have tattoos…I think it’s WHERE you have tattoos ??‍♂️”

Putnam also seems to think it’s her tattoos as well.

“I absolutely do think it’s about my tattoos because apparently my tattoos are demonic and scary to a lot of people,” she told the Daily Star.

“TJ Maxx did not say this to me – that’s just a lot of the comments I’ve gotten on my video. People are being extremely hateful on my TikTok saying I should work at a circus or Halloween stores.”

Even if her body art is the reason she was denied a job at the retailer, she believes companies need to rethink their hiring process.

“If they think tattoos determine job skill and qualifications they really need to rethink. Tattoos, piercings and colored hair are not unprofessional. It shows creativity and uniqueness. It’s 2024, people need to get over not liking tattoos.”

Do you think tattoos play a part in whether or not a person gets a job? Should they? Let us know your thoughts on Facebook.

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Teen who wasn’t expected to live 18 months graduates high school

When Braden West was born, doctors told his parents that he would not survive.

The little boy had all odds against him – but his life-threatening condition would lead to one miracle after another. Today, Braden is 22 and celebrates his life by becoming a firefighter.

Braden West was born with the rare craniofacial condition, Pfeiffer syndrome Type 2, which causes malformations of the skull and an underdeveloped brain. His mom Cheri understood something was wrong and was told about her son’s condition two weeks before he was born.

“I mean, he’s kicking in my belly and I’m praying for God to take him home,” Cheri told News Nation Now in 2020, adding:

“It looked like he was not going to have the back of his head. It looked like he was going to be born with teeth. It looked like it was a bad situation.”

But when Braden was born, Cheri immediately bonded with her special boy.

Facebook / Michele Eddings Linn

Sadly, Cheri also felt that there wasn’t much she could do to save her baby boy. Many of the children with Braden’s condition will not live past birth. In Braden’s case, he wasn’t expected to live beyond 18 months.

“I said dear God please, just let me have him for a little while,” said Cheri.

“There’s a picture of him when he was born and it shows his skull very well, a distinct clover shape,” Cheri told The Owensboro Times, adding:

“At a month old they let us bring him home. He was not thriving, they knew he was not going to make it. We brought him home to meet everyone so he wouldn’t die in a hospital.”

Facebook / Michele Eddings Linn

But since his birth, Braden has been defying all the odds. With the support of his loving family, the little boy started to show signs of progression.

“He had over 30 surgeries, got a tracheotomy at just 3 months old, and once had a procedure done with a 10% survival rate,” Cheri said. “We had to sign the DNR papers, say our goodbyes and everything. Instead of bad news, the doctors came out and said he was okay.”

As well as the support of his loving family he also formed a special bond with registered nurse Michele Eddings Linn.

When Braden was a baby his health fell into decline and his future looked uncertain.


“Anything a mother doesn’t want to hear is what they told us. It’s amazing with faith in God what you can get through. Anyone who knew us or knew of us were praying for us,” Cheri said.

Michele was by his side the night Braden almost lost his life. “I just remember, you know, praying, ‘Lord just either take him home or make him better,’” she said. “Because no one could watch him continue to go through this.”

Linn said when baby Braden pulled through that night he was her first patient who ever got to leave hospice care. Now the two are so close that Braden even asked Michele, who he refers to as his “angel,” to take his senior photos.

“17 years ago I cried because I thought his time on Earth was ending, and now I’m crying because he is graduating [from] high school and his life is just beginning!,” Linn wrote on a Facebook post.

“To watch him become this amazing young man has been emotional, but yet I’m so proud,” mom Cheri told The Epoch Times.

“When I was watching him walk the line, every emotion of the first few months of his life came flooding back. All I could think about was, he isn’t supposed to be doing this, he wasn’t supposed to even be able to hold a pencil, speak, see, hear … and here we are.”

To celebrate such an amazing milestone in Braden’s life his parents organized for him to be flown into the middle of a live concert which featured one of his favorite musicians, country singer Cam Thomspon, via helicopter.

Braden described his graduation day as “perfect”.

“I feel pretty good knowing I worked so hard to get to this day because it wasn’t always easy,” he added.

Braden, who walked with a walker until he was five years old and learned to walk on his own with lots of therapy, is now a member of the civil air patrol unit in Owensboro, Kentucky.

He always dreamed big and now, he’s living out his lifelong dream of becoming a firefighter, joining the Moseleyville fire dept as a volunteer fireman.

His mom Cheri says her son’s achievements serve as a special reminder to those with all the odds stacked against them.

“Don’t ever give up … No matter how hard the mountain is to climb, keep climbing because the view at the top is amazing!”

Thanks to Braden’s faith and determination he’s not only survived but thrived with his amazing grades.

Help us congratulate this inspirational young man and wish him a future of health and happiness by sharing this story.

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Purple butterfly sticker near newborns – here’s what it means

Only weeks after Millie Smith and Lewis Cann learned they were having twin baby girls, they learned that only one would survive.

On April 30, after 30 weeks of a high-risk pregnancy, Smith delivered identical twins, Callie and Skye, the latter who lived only three hours.

Later in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), Callie slept without her sister in the incubator, with her loving and grieving parents watching over her. In the unit with other babies, an overwhelmed mom of healthy newborn twins innocently told Smith that she was “so lucky” to not have two babies.

Crushed by the words, the new mom couldn’t find the words to explain her loss. Then, she realized that Skye’s legacy was to help other families who lose a child, and it came in the form of a purple butterfly.

In November 2015 Millie Smith and partner Lewis Cann found out they were having their first Child. Smith, who has twins in the family, said she had a “gut feeling” about having a duo and 10 weeks later, doctors confirmed she was expecting identical twin girls.

Less than two weeks after the excitement of knowing they would double the children in their home, the British couple were devastated to learn that one of their babies had a fatal condition and wouldn’t survive after birth.

“During the scan, the doctor didn’t say anything. I was very excited and loved seeing the little babies, but she was silent. Both Lewis and I immediately knew there must be a problem,” Smith said.

Doctors shared the news that one of the babies had anencephaly, which according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) affects about one in 4,600 babies across the U.S. It’s a serious birth defect where a baby is born without parts of the brain and skull, and “almost all babies born with anencephaly will die shortly after birth.”

Knowing that one baby would die soon after birth, and that there were risks involved for their other baby, the couple decided to move forward with the extremely high-risk pregnancy.

Over the next several months, Smith and Cann named their twins Skye and Callie. “We knew that Skye needed to have a name before she was born,” Smith said. “Knowing she would only survive for seconds or minutes, I wanted her to be named during that time.”

The meaning behind “Skye,” she explained “was somewhere we knew she would always be, that we could look up at the sky and remember our baby.”

When Smith went into labor after only 30 weeks on April 30, she needed an emergency C-section. To help navigate the loss, the couple had a “bereavement midwife” during the birth, and they were put I a special room the called the “Daisy Room,” where families can spend time with a baby before and after she/he passes.

“When the girls were born, they both cried. This was a huge moment, as we were told that Skye would not make a noise or move,” said Smith, who was thankful to have three hours with Skye before she died. “We were cuddling Skye when she passed away. This was the worst moment in our lives. I have never ever felt heartbreak like that before. But I am proud that she fought for so long to spend time with us.”

Born premature, Callie had to stay in NICU while she gained some strength and also in the unit were three other sets of twin.

“Most of the nurses were aware of what had happened, but as time passed, people stopped talking about Skye. After about four weeks, everyone acted as though nothing had happened, meaning the families around me had no idea about our situation,” Smith recalled.

One morning, a stressed mother whose twins were also in NICU, harmlessly said to Smith that she was “so lucky” to not have twins.

“None of the other parents knew what had happened or anything about Skye. The comment was completely innocent and more out of humor…They weren’t to know that I did at one point have two.” Smith continued, “But the comment nearly broke me. I ran out [of] the room in tears and they had no idea why. I didn’t have the heart to tell them what had happened. A simple sticker would have avoided that entire situation.”

It was in that moment Smith realized she had to create something that would speak for parents who had just lost a baby, ensuring the misunderstanding never happens again.

She designed a poster for the NICU explaining both hospital personnel and visitors that any incubator with a purple butterfly on it means that one or more babies, in a set of multiples were lost.

“I chose butterflies, as I felt it was fitting to remember the babies that flew away, the color purple because it is suitable for both boys or girls,” said Smith.

The purple butterfly concept–now under the Skye High Foundation–has spread to hospitals in several countries around the world.

Callie is now a lively, happy seven-year-old, and twin’s memory lives in purple butterfly cards along with other initiatives to help families with babies like Skye all over the world. The purple butterflies now come in numerous forms, like ornaments, cards, blankets, stuffed animals and more.

“Ultimately I will never be able to stop this from happening but the more support groups we can set up and put things in place like the stickers the better it will be. It’s the hardest thing anyone has to deal with,” Smith said.

Losing a child of any age can’t be easy for a parent and the world is blessed for people like Millie Smith who’s aiming to help others.

Please share this story so others know what a purple butterfly next to a newborn means!

If you enjoyed reading this story about Millie Smith and her twins, you’ll probably also love the story about a new mom who thought she was having seven babies, but instead had nine!

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