Inspirational armless body builder goes viral

Barbie Thomas (Barcroft Media Ltd)

Meet Barbie Thomas, a 37-year-old woman with no arms who shot to fame after earning a standing ovation at an American bodybuilding competition.

Thomas lost both of her arms in an electrical accident aged just two, but has refused to let it halt her dreams and has competed in body-building events over the past decade.

She might not have picked up an award at the NPC Junior USA Bodybuilding Championship last weekend, but Thomas was the only competitor to get the crowd on their feet.

Thomas has brushed off her body's limitations to get into tremendous physical shape - preparing for competitions with workouts ranging from track sessions to core exercises.

“I’d say to anyone, you can do whatever you put your mind to,” she said.

“The only limitations are the ones you put on yourself. Everyone has limitations and handicaps in some way or another – mine are more visible than yours maybe.”

Thomas also has a novel way of cooking, using her mobile phone and brushing her teeth - by using her feet.
But it's taken Thomas a while to adjust to fame. In October, she posted on her website that she didn’t understand why she drew so much attention.

“To me, I'm just a normal (whatever that is) woman who does normal things....the same things everyone else does,” she said on her blog.

“Yes, I do it without having arms, but SO WHAT? I've had a lifetime to figure out how to get by without arms!”