I’m a female bodybuilder dubbed ‘Human Ferrari’ – I’m backed by Arnold Schwarzenegger after battle to follow my dream
A FEMALE bodybuilder has been dubbed the “Human Ferrari” after her incredible story earned her the backing of legend Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Francielle Mattos from Brazil has won the coveted title Classic Arnold Ohio every year since 2020 as she battled through postnatal depression to follow her dream of bodybuilding.
Incredible pictures from competitions show a ripped Francielle flexing her muscles and showing off her stunning body.
After winning the championship four times in a row, the mother of two said she became a bodybuilder after struggling with postnatal depression.
She told local media: “I eventually found my calling in bodybuilding [after] experiencing postpartum depression when I gave birth to my first daughter in 2009.”
Francielle said she began working out with her family’s support.
At first, she just wanted to get back into shape – but people began encouraging her to participate in bodybuilding competitions.
After giving birth to her second child in 2012, fellow gymgoers encouraged her to compete in bodybuilding professionally because of her incredible physique.
She said: “I never thought about competing, it was something that happened. Everyone at the gym said: ‘What a beautiful physique. Why don’t you compete?’.
“And I replied: ‘What do you compete in? Like this? I don’t even know what that is.”
Eventually, in 2017, when her second child was five years old, she was invited to participate in a bodybuilding competition in Parana.
And in 2019, Francielle won the Arnold Classic Brasil and the Olympia Brasil Amateur.
Then in 2020, she won her first Arnold title in Ohio, after which she began her professional career.
She even secured a place at the first edition of the Wellness competition at Olympia 2021, where her fans started to call her “Human Ferrari”.
“It was the first time I went to compete in the United States and I was wearing a red bikini. And they said, ‘Wow, if a Ferrari were human, she would look like this. She would be this woman,” Francielle said.
She then won the Arnold Classic Ohio 2024 title for the fourth consecutive year – and was congratulated by Arnold Schwarzenegger on the stage.
An excited Francielle told the bodybuilding legend: “I can’t believe I’m in front of the biggest bodybuilding idol. I dreamed of this moment.
“I’m very excited because in 2020 I was here fighting for my pro card and I won. And today I’m here, in front of you, it’s a dream.”
What is postnatal depression?
Postnatal depression is a type of depression that many parents experience after having a baby, affecting more than one in every 10 women within a year of giving birth.
It can also affect fathers and partners.
While many mums feel a bit down, tearful or anxious in the first week after giving birth, these so-called “baby blues” don’t last for more than two weeks after giving birth.
If your symptoms last longer or start later, you could have postnatal depression – it can start any time in the first year after birth.
Signs that you or someone you know might be depressed include:
- a persistent feeling of sadness and low mood
- lack of enjoyment and loss of interest in the wider world
- lack of energy and feeling tired all the time
- trouble sleeping at night and feeling sleepy during the day
- finding it difficult to look after yourself and your baby
- withdrawing from contact with other people
- problems concentrating and making decisions
- frightening thoughts – for example, about hurting your baby
Many women do not realise they have postnatal depression because it can develop gradually.
Speak to a midwife, GP or health visitor if you’re feeling this way and remember:
- a range of help and support is available, including talking therapy
- depression is an illness like any other
- it’s not your fault you’re depressed – it can happen to anyone
- being depressed does not mean you’re a bad parent
- it does not mean you’re going mad
- your baby will not be taken away from you – babies are only taken into care in very exceptional circumstances
Local and national organisations, such as the Association for Post Natal Illness (APNI) and Pre and Postnatal Depression Advice and Support (PANDAS), can also be useful sources of help and advice.
Read more on the NHS’s resources for treating postnatal depression here.
