Yvonne Bates was eight years old when her family left Cambodia; she still has nightmares about things she saw during the Vietnam War. And growing up in America wasn't easy -- she took her share of teasing and used to wish she had blond hair and blue eyes. These days, though, most of us would envy Bates' sculpted looks. The petite but ripped 31-year-old didn't start entering bodybuilding contests until the Gold Classic KC last September -- where she took home first place in the short division. She followed that with another first place in the National Physique Committee Kansas City meet last October. Then she earned the right to compete professionally after coming in third at the World Natural Bodybuilding Foundation's world championships in New York in November. Having earned more trophies this past spring and summer, Bates heads back to the WNBF World Championships this November. The thing is, she's almost as good at building other people's bodies as she is her own -- provided, of course, that her charges are half as dedicated as she is. Bates works as a personal trainer at Scott Fitness, 1814 Westport Road; call 816-509-1508 or e-mail
yvonne@bodyimage.com.
