The Incredible She-Hulk

A Dutch kickboxer who turned bodybuilder during the pandemic is showing women how to keep their curves while becoming muscular

Jackie Koorn, a Dutch bodybuilder, is winning over fans with her 24-inch “curvy girl muscles”. In 2020, Koorn, 33, lost her favourite pastime, kickboxing, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. To fill the void, she focused on bodybuilding in isolation. Koorn now claims to rival the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose biceps measured a mere 22 inches in his prime. “I want to bring some new thing to the market. I call it curvy muscle, because I want to have my female curves but also want to have the muscles in a healthy good way,” she says.

Koorn, who owns a security company, says she’s always been the athletic type. “I am one of six children, our family has a background of playing sports. At a young age I was taking part in judo, football and swimming,” Koorn recalled. “I come from a good family,” she continued. “We were always taught, if you want something you have to work for it. I think that has carried through into my fitness, I work very hard for my body.”

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Fitness has been a journey for Koorn, who weighed just 154 pounds in 2020, and a whopping 350 pounds now—gaining 70 per cent of pure muscle in the process, she claims. “What led me to building my curvy girl muscle was my temporary hiatus from kickboxing,” she explained. “I always had an interest in fitness but having to take a hiatus allowed me to focus on a different way of using my body, that led me here.” These days she can deadlift 330 pounds, bench press 400 pounds, squat 200 pounds and leg press up to 990 pounds.

The muscle maven shared her fitness journey on Instagram with the hope that others embrace their strength and natural curves. But opening up and promoting body positivity hasn’t come without its hardships. “You are called fat, ugly, stupid, transsexual, feminine man—nothing stops me,” she said. “There will always be people that think they know better or can do it better, but this journey is mine and I will do it my way.”

Fly high

Canada detains pigeon for carrying a backpack with crystal meth, sends it to rehab

A pigeon was detained in a Canadian jail after it was discovered to be carrying a backpack that contained crystal meth. The bird was found and later captured at the Pacific Institution correctional facility near Vancouver after officers noticed the high-flying fowl and its cargo.

“My initial reaction was shock because of all the advancements in technology and the number of drones we’ve seen,” said John Randle, Pacific regional president of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers. “The fact that it’s tied to a pigeon is abnormal.” According to Randle, the bird was apprehended on the penitentiary wall after the staff set a trap for it. “It was spotted by correctional officers.”

Lizards morphed to survive city life

Lizards that once dwelled in forests but now slink around urban areas have genetically morphed to survive life in the city, researchers have found. Some species of lizards have sprouted special scales to better cling to smooth surfaces like walls and windows.

‘Flush’ to reveal gender

One dad-to-be is getting prepared by flushing his baby’s gender reveal down the loo, literally. Banong Delos Angeles invited family and friends where he revealed the gender of his future newborn, but instead of coloured smoke or confetti, he chose a stream of dyed water swirled down the bowl to announce his news.

Dog makes world record for skipping

A jump-roping dog and his German owner broke a Guinness World Record by skipping over a rope together 32 times in 30 seconds. Wolfgang Lauenburger, a dog trainer, taught one of his dogs, Balu, to jump rope on his hind legs. 

The mysterious solar panels of Utah

For about a year now, authorities in Salt Lake City have been trying to solve the mystery of a series of solar-powered antennas that keep popping up in the foothills around the city. The first devices were discovered around a year ago.

911: The new movers and packers

Two people in Florida were arrested after one of them made a 911 call to get help with moving their belongings from a home they were burglarising, authorities said. Deputies responded after a 911 call was made but nobody spoke, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said.

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