Natural bodybuilding competition happening at College of the Desert

Nadia Popova is a fitness professional who’s getting in top physical shape and getting ready to host what she says is the first natural bodybuilding competition in the Coachella Valley. "This is the opportunity for everybody who has been serious about their health and being natural to showcase their handwork," she said. Called the Desert Oasis Classic, this event is happening on the College of the Desert campus on March 30. That’s when people from various age groups will be competing in all kinds of events. "We have bodybuilding, we have physique classic, for women, we have many beautiful categories," Popova said. "We also have a physical challenge category. And we also have a bikini mama for those women who just became mothers." Local fitness fanatics are calling Popova and this event inspirational. "This is perfect," said Karen Karlson, a fitness and nutrition coach who is attending the event as a spectator. "It’s local, it’s normal people and I’m just super excited to try something new." "To have it in the valley is great," said Jaime De La Torre, an employee at PurFit Athletic. "We need to have more of those and have more people to join." After the final contestant leaves the stage, Popova hopes to host this competition again next year while continuing to inspire the next generation of natural bodybuilders. For more information on the Desert Oasis Classic, visit https://naturalbodybuilding.com/project/inba-desert-oasis-claissc/. This story was written and reported by Kai Beech.