Bloodstock's Vicky Hungerford: "I've never viewed myself as the lesser sex"

I think that a lot of the time, how some women view themselves (and perhaps each other) is down to mindset. My belief has always been that if I put my mind to it, I can and I will get it done.

I’ve never viewed myself – being a woman in the music industry – as the lesser sex. I know what I bring to the table and know I’m great at what I do. I think we should, as people, focus less on what others are doing and more on improving our own self-worth, self-respect, and self-esteem. But this goes for all of us: men and women.

If you have honest and moral intentions, a passion for what you do, and the drive to know you can succeed, it will always shine through.

One of the reasons I started body building is because it helped me feel stronger - both physically and mentally. There’s a great satisfaction lifting something obscenely heavy!

I feel lucky I was born into a country and at a time where women are not suppressed; at least in the life I’ve grown up living in, as I can only go on my own experiences. It disgusts, angers, and upsets me to think of women around the world who live in societies where their opinions aren’t heard or they aren’t allowed what we consider basic rights. For those of us lucky to have these things, we need to grasp them, embrace them, and show the world who we are!

I feel particularly strong about how women use social media. I think it can be incredibly detrimental to their body-confidence and self-confidence. As a follower, you can see distorted images of beauty and Photoshopped ideals of what women 'should' look like and how their lives 'should' be, when really what we should be pushing is no-one is like you and that is your power.

To any women reading this who want to get into the music industry... go for it! Don’t critique yourself, second guess, or talk yourself down – just take a leap of faith and remember everybody started somewhere!

READ THIS: Why Bloodstock is such a vital part of the UK metal scene