I'm a 71-year-old bodybuilder and bikini model. Young men want to date me — but I refuse to be called a cougar.

• Renée Landers began to enter bodybuilding competitions at the age of 69.
• She took up training and weightlifting after having spinal surgery to treat her spondylolisthesis.
• She says younger men often ask for dates — and she never feels the need to approach them herself.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Renée Landers. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I'd always been interested in fitness and health. I was a cheerleader in high school and went to the gym, where I did light aerobic exercise. I also watched what I ate.

However, after the birth of my son, Gareth, 38 years ago, I developed spondylolisthesis. It happened because one of the vertebrae in my lower back had slipped out of place.

I tried my best to exercise throughout my 30s and 40s. I used to run a lot. But it became too painful. By the time I'd reached my mid-50s, I could barely walk or lift anything. I was worried that I'd have to stop working.

At the age of 58, I resigned myself to having a lower lumbar fusion. It was something that I ultimately had to do. But, to my relief, it was life-changing.

My trainer had a master's degree in kinesiology

"Renée," the surgeon told me, "Go get your rehab done, and then you can do whatever you want." I wanted to have a great quality of life, play with my grandbabies, and do fun stuff like traveling and dancing.

The surgery triggered my serious fitness journey. I met a trainer, Dustin Jackson, who specialized in athletes with injuries. He had a master's in kinesiology and knew how to train a 60-year-old with a fusion without getting hurt.

He recognized that I was a goal-oriented person in the gym. "I can see you onstage," he told me. "What are you talking about?" I said. He said that he meant bodybuilding.

I didn't really know what it was. But I looked into it. "That's great," I told Dustin. "But I cannot imagine putting on a skimpy, sparkly bikini and getting onstage in front of a bunch of strangers." I just kept on doing what I was doing.

I didn't give it another thought until the age of about 65. I went on a trip to Germany with some girlfriends and took a few pictures on the beach. When I looked at them, I was disappointed. I had gotten fuller. I was 5 feet tall and weighed around 130 pounds.

My physique is nothing crazy muscular

"You've been lifting weights for four or five years already, but you can do better," I told myself. I didn't want to become the stereotype of the plump senior citizen. I worked out hard and lost 10 pounds.

It springboarded me into thinking there were a lot of things I hadn't realized that I could do.

I trained with a new purpose. I went to the gym four to six times a week. I'd do 45 minutes of weights and another 45 minutes of cardio. We looked at my nutrition more closely. I'm a pescatarian. I eat eggs and a little bit of cheese. But seafood is my main source of protein.

I entered my first bodybuilding competition in the "bikini" category at the age of 69. The category is about your overall appearance, symmetry, and tone. You want to show a little bit of wide shoulders and a smaller waist. But it's nothing crazy muscular.

Going onstage felt scary. But I was among "my people." We think alike and support each other. There's no judgment. Nobody has ever said to me, "What are you doing? You're 70 years old!" I never looked back after my first competition. I've totaled nine over the last two years.

The shows don't come cheap. You can easily spend $1,000 on registration, travel, hotel rooms, and beauty services like tanning, makeup, and hairstyling.

Those sparkly bikinis cost anything between $300 and $2,000 each. Luckily, I recently got sponsored by a clothing manufacturer. My outfits are free. I model for the company and post photos on Instagram.

I avoid so-called old speech — when seniors whine about their health problems

As for dating, I am approached a lot by younger men. I date men in their late 40s and early 50s. I'll meet them online and sometimes at shows. I don't like the term "cougar." I'm not an older woman who "chases" men. They approach me. I will only go out with gentlemen. I won't compromise, settle, or put up with any bullshit.

I also say no to what I call "old speech." I don't want to hear it when people moan about their aches and pains. Yes, we all have them. But I don't believe in verbalizing any of that negative talk. My bodybuilding friends and I don't complain or whine. We appreciate what we have.

Whenever we start getting older, we start to feel invisible. It's the perfect time to decide that it's worth feeling great, not just OK. You can make a statement at any age.

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