Natalie Joyce's Incredible Transformation 'Look At Me Now!'

Australia’s former Second Lady is preparing to compete in her first bodybuilding competition – after rebuilding her body and life

- Lizzie Wilson

These days Natalie Joyce can’t wipe the smile off her face. After weathering the worst two years of her life, Barnaby Joyce’s ex-wife has transformed herself into one of the fittest women in Australia through sheer grit and determination.

The remarkable transformation has seen Natalie, 49, shed 15kg in less than 12 months, thanks to a balanced eating and exercise program. And it has helped her fulfil a dream – to become a bodybuilder and compete in her first competition.

“I quite literally had an epiphany – I decided this was not going to break me, but be the making of me. At the time, as the collapse of our marriage played out so publicly, I won’t lie – I was not in a good place,” Natalie tells Woman’s Day.

“I knew I had to keep it together for the girls, and I had two choices: either unravel, or shake myself off and aim to get the best out of myself, so I could be the best for them.”

Natalie’s “ah-ha” moment came after the breakdown of her 24-year marriage to the former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, who left her for his mistress and former staffer, Vikki Campion.