When Ernestine was a little girl, she defied God, mocked His congregation and cursed profusely. After she accepted Christ as her Savior, He changed her heart, crowned her with grace and gave her spirits of love and humility. Today, she is a beautiful example of what He can and will do for anyone who accepts Him. But, you know God, He didn’t stop there. He had a plan for her life and it included a ministry to inspire thousands of people to get fit and healthier. Once she surrendered her life to His, He began working on and through her not only to bless others, but to bless her—exceeding, abundantly above all she could ask or think according to the power that works in her (Ephesians 3:30). Ernestine found her power in prayer, and Christ has blessed her beyond her wildest expectations. Even though she had never set foot in a gym before age 56 (she was exempt from P.E. as a child because of an accident), by 2011, Christ had enabled her to achieve the Guinness Book of World Record for the Oldest Female Competitive Body Builder in the world! But as amazing as it is, it almost didn’t happen. Read her story and learn why her anger at God came so close to pushing her away from Him—and the lesson that’s in it for all of us.
HimPower: Ernestine, you’ve been told thousands of times what an inspiration you are to women and men of all ages and all walks of life. And you didn’t get started with body building until your mid-50s. Few people accomplish such a feat over a lifetime. How does it feel to be an inspiration to so many people?
E. Shepherd: You know, it’s a wonderful feeling, but I had promised my sister over 25 years ago I would follow her dream if she didn’t make it. Little did I know that people would really love me, write me letters and tell me I had helped them to gain a happy and confident life. The key to anything is with prayer. I always start with prayer, and I encourage them to eat as healthy as possible. I practice what I preach. Whatever I tell people to do, it’s what I do. It’s just wonderful that I have the love of so many people, but I am nothing without the Love of Abba.
HimPower: We know your sister played a major role in your decision to become a body builder. How did she convince you?
E. Shepherd: I never would do anything, I would just sit around and mope around. If you would have seen me then, everything had to be just right—my hair, my nails, my clothes. When my sister, Velvet, talked about exercising and sweating, I told her she was out of her mind. She looked out for me all of my life. I was a scary girl, I would bite my nails down to the nub. She would tell me you need to do something. Whatever she said do, I would do.
HimPower: Tell me about your faith-walk with God and how it has helped you in handling your celebrity?
E. Shepherd: You know when my sister and I wanted to inspire others, I was going to call this our mission. What my sister said is, “This is not our mission—it is our ministry.” That why you have to pray before you do anything—when I go up to the gym, before I work out. Prayer is so important to me.
HimPower: It’s exciting that you’ve chronicled your journey. Tell us about your book, Determined, Dedicated, Disciplined to Be Fit – The Ageless Journey of Ernestine Shepherd, and why you decided to write it?
E. Shepherd: Growing up, I looked toward my sister for everything that I did. I was a nervous child, a bad girl. At age of 6, my sister and I were walking through this beautiful square with grass and flowers. I called to Dibbi (Velvet) and said, “I am going to walk on that (profanity) grass.” She was only seven. She looked at me and asked where did you learn a word like that? I told her, “You have to promise you won’t tell Mom.” She said, “I won’t tell.” That’s when we began pinky finger, if she told the seal was broken. I still enjoyed saying bad words. She said to me, “Someday, something is going to change you, I don’t know what it is.” I said bad words for many days, it made me feel 10 feet tall. We had just started working out and she was working hard and her body changed. I wasn’t doing that much, I said, “I don’t want to look like any man.” She said, “We weren’t going to look like men we were just going to look good.” She got in the newspaper. I got angry. My sister came to my house and said, “If you want this joy I’m having, you will have to do what I’m doing.” After I started working out, I felt better. I thought if it’s going to feel like this, I will continue. I have been doing it for the past 25 years. So I wrote the book because I wanted to tell people just what my sister and I had done. Some of the exercises that I have in there, it’s not about big muscles—women want to remain feminine.
HimPower: Tell us about your diet, what you eat and why.
E. Shepherd: I eat as natural as possible. I drink liquid egg whites because it gives protein, and I eat 4-5 small meals a day. It takes preparation. Before my husband got sick this past year, he made certain everything was prepared daily. He would prepare my baked chicken, turkey, tuna, baked potatoes red or white, walnuts and certain fruits but not citrus fruits, liquid egg whites and plenty of water.
HimPower: Your husband has played a very important role in your success. What can you tell us about your family?
E. Shepherd: My husband and I have been married 61 years. No matter what I tried to do, he’s always been there in my corner. We have a 60 year old son and he tries to help to promote what I’m doing. We all pray together. We also have a grandson, he’s 21 years old and very supportive. We have two Michaels, our son and our grandson. Our son and his wife got divorced. Our grandson is in college and comes at Christmas. When he graduates, he wants to turn refuge into energy.
HimPower: Well, you know what everyone wants to know—how do you stay so healthy and beautiful?
E. Shepherd: I have a strong prayer life and stay with my diet. I’m very happy and contented even though my husband is sick, we have so much fun. We’ll talk about my clothes—my garments of life: compassion, gentleness, humility, kindness and patience—that’s what I wear when I go out. I try to get in harmony with the people I meet.
HimPower: How do you remain committed to staying on the diet when there are so many other options?
E. Shepherd: There really aren’t that many. I like what I eat, so I don’t think of it as staying with a diet.
HimPower: What would happen if you went off your diet for a day or a week?
E. Shepherd: I don’t know because I have never given that a thought. I am so accustomed to eating this way.
HimPower: Do you think your sister saw something in you that you didn’t see in yourself at the time?
E. Shepherd: My sister saw a lot in me, because I just wouldn’t do anything. She was such a beautiful writer. If you go on my Facebook page, you will see things that I have written. I’m not sure why I couldn’t have done that while my sister was living? Was it her death that changed me to be a different person? She had her head on straight. It took me a while to find myself. I wasn’t going to church regularly. I would see people with their hands in the air. I was admiring their rings and fingernails and waiting to see who was going to put on a show because before I thought people were joking. After Velvet died, I hated God. I was not angry with her, but then things went wrong. In the beginning, I was so angry. I was moping around feeling sorry for myself. I really didn’t get myself together until after I saw her in a dream and she asked if I was going to do what she had asked me to do. So after I got to the church, some people were beginning to lift their hands. Don’t you know, I sat on the very back pew and thought to myself, there they go again. The organist started playing a song. I started to sing, “Here I am Lord, I heard you calling through the night. I will go….” Before I knew it, I had jumped out of the pew and disrupted that service with, “restore to me the joy of my salvation, the joy of each new day. Give me back the love that I once had for you and never let me slip away.” I never thought that would ever happen to me.
HimPower: The Lord does amazing things when we surrender ourselves to him. What accomplishment are you most proud of?
E. Shepherd: You know, I am so proud that I was so able to go to Rome to get my medal and certificate to be crowned by the Guinness book of world records as the oldest female competitive body builder in the world. It was something that I was able to do that.
HimPower: Is there anything you would like to do that you haven’t done yet?
E. Shepherd: You know, I have been interviewed by a large number of people and enjoyed every minute of it. But there is one thing I would love to do this year. I once did a skype with Oprah, and I would love to meet her face-to-face. If the Lord spares me, I will figure out a way to meet her face-to-face this year.
HimPower: Is there anything else you would like our readers to know about you?
E. Shepherd: I love people. I hug everyone that I meet. You never know who may need a hug—your hug may be speaking to that need.
Ernestine Shepherd is an 81 year old body builder, competitor, trainer and model. She is a wife, mother and grandmother. She is also a devoted follower of Christ who believes in the power of prayer and has learned the secret to staying fit for life. For your personally autographed copy of her book, Determined, Dedicated, Disciplined to Be Fit – The Ageless Journey of Ernestine Shepherd, email Ernestine at: e.shepherd1@comcast.net . The cost is $20 + $7 for shipping. Non-autographed copies are available at amazon.com
