Windham High graduate reaches for the moon and lands beyond the stars

Cassidy Mullins

By Lorraine Glowczak

Who, among us, can say they not only accomplished a dream in less than a year after high school graduation but soared way beyond it? Cassidy Mullins of Windham, that’s who.

Mullins, a 2017 graduate of Windham High School, began an interest in body building during her junior year. “I have always enjoyed exercise,” explained Mullins. “So, I started watching various videos of body building on YouTube and knew that it was something I wanted to try, at least once in my life.”

After graduation, she took a few courses in exercise science, working on receiving her certificate in personal training and now works full-time at Planet Fitness in Windham. She knew where she needed to be and didn’t hesitate to do what she needed to do to work towards her dream. But it was a vacation in Florida during spring break that propelled her to land beyond the moon and accomplish what she set out to do her junior year.

“I went on vacation in April,” Mullins began. “When I looked at pictures of myself in a bikini, I wasn’t as fit as I hoped I would be. It was at that moment of looking at those pictures that I knew the time was now to act on my dream of body building.”

She immediately approached a local body building expert, Rose Beth Wilson, to get the ball rolling. “Rose Beth was on board with me and helped me to prepare for a body building competition.”

Immediately, Mullins began working on an exercise program and a strict diet to prepare her body for the annual Maine Event Body Building competition in Biddeford on September 22.

At this event, she won first place in novice category as well as first place in open category which allowed her to receive her “pro card”, giving her the ability to compete on a professional level at the next match on October 6 in Cape Cod where she was awarded first place as a professional on the body building level, at age 19!

As a result of winning this competition, Mullins is now in the running on a national level, competing against those who have many years of body building experience this Saturday, October 27 in Washington D.C.

However, as many who accomplish their dreams and goals, it doesn’t come without hard work. “I have many people approach me and want to know how they can make their bodies look like mine today,” Mullins began. “What I do – the seven days a week exercise program and the weekly diet to be a body building competitor – is not a liveable or healthy lifestyle. You must have a healthy mindset and consider the time involved in exercising and watching your eating habits. It is exhausting.”

Mullins explained that she works out every day, building specific muscle groups on certain days of the week. “I work a variety of specific muscles in a four to six-week program before switching up the plan,” she explained. “I also eat 85 grams of greens with each meal.”

Mullins will not continue this diet or exercise program after her competition in Washington D.C. this Saturday. “I will take a 6 month break to let my body repair itself and gain some of my healthy fat back. It is not only imperative to my future goals and success as a body builder – but the success of a long, healthy lifestyle.”

We wish you the best in Washington D.C. this weekend, Cassidy Mullins!