‘Our Supergirl’ Kristyn Lia remembered for her limitless strength and blossoming bodybuilding career

Her exact cause of death remains unknown.

At a memorial service in Shepparton on Saturday, February 3, Reno Lia told his daughter’s story, Kristyn’s Story: Our Supergirl, tracing her life from birth until her passing.

Kristyn Ashley Lia was born in Shepparton on May 17, 1984 to Reno Lia and Faye Panting.

Being the eldest sister to Travis and Shanee, and Madi and Paige (daughters of Reno and Meredith Lia), Kristyn shared a special bond with each of her siblings.

She doted on her little brother, Travis, and loved dressing him up.

During adulthood, they lived under the same roof for some time and frequently compared muscles.

The pair, tarred with the same stubborn brush, competed to see who could lift the heaviest weights.

Kristyn always won.

Kristyn and Shanee were inseparable throughout their lives.

Shanee said they had a special agreement: if Shanee texted a heart emoji, it meant she needed support, and Kristyn would be there for her.

Shanee knew something had happened to Kristyn when she did not respond to the last heart she had sent her.

Paige and Madi would tell Reno that they, too, looked to their big sister for advice.

The trio had a Snapchat group called ‘The Girls’, with a streak of several hundred days.

Growing up, Kristyn was her father’s daughter — cheeky and mischievous with a devilish smile to match.

However, this sometimes turned into defiance.

Kristyn was infatuated with Punky Brewster, a 1980s television sitcom.

To channel her inner Punky, Kristyn imitated her trademark style by wearing mismatched socks and shoes.

But living out her fashion fantasy didn’t exactly fit the dress code policy at her primary school, and an agreement had to be struck with her principal.

From a young age, there was no denying Kristyn was full of pluck, expression and unshakeable confidence.

“I saw and believed from even at that age, she was destined to succeed in sport,” Reno said.

He was right, though given her ability to excel at everything she did, it could’ve been in any field.

Kristyn attended Emerald Secondary College in the Dandenong Ranges and took accelerated classes before commencing university studies.

Despite not studying the subject in high school, she received honours in Chinese language studies in her first two years at university and was offered a study tour to China.

Kristyn graduated with a double degree in commerce before completing a diploma in nutrition and sports personal training.

However, in 2005, Kristyn had to take a break from her studies.

At age 21, she was hospitalised with an eating disorder, weighing just 39kg.

“She was barely recognisable,” Reno said.

“I remember having permission to take her for short periods out of the hospital to aid her recovery.

“She would beg me not to take her back and promised she would get better.”

During these visits, both father and daughter would be in tears.

But this was Reno’s Supergirl.

Kristyn worked hard, struggling through copious psychiatry sessions, to defeat her mental kryptonite.

In time, she was on the mend and ready to move forward.

There’s a desire for strength amid a sense of powerlessness, and Kristyn gravitated to the sports industry to find it.

Kristyn worked as a personal trainer while preparing herself to enter the world of bodybuilding.

She sculpted her muscles enough to begin competing in 2012 and was deeply immersed in serious women’s physique competitions by 2016.

But the weight of her health woes was never fully lifted off her shoulders.

In late 2018, Reno received a phone call from Kristyn.

“She had been having trouble breathing, and after some tests, she was diagnosed with bronchial carcinoid, a cancer in her lungs,” Reno said.

“After that call, I called a good friend, Craig Carley, and sooked up while Craig consoled me.”

The initial prognosis was that the cancer needed to be removed.

This would involve taking out a large part of her lung and some of her back muscle.

It would be a medical intrusion on her body’s symmetry and, in turn, an end to her physique competitions.

The theme song from Punky Brewster was a childhood anthem; now, it was a fight song.

Maybe the world is blind or just a little unkind. Seems you can’t be sure of anything any more … I see the girl that turns my world around, standing there.

Kristyn was determined to turn things around, and she did.

After five years of treatment, Kristyn went into remission in 2023.

Pumping iron and pushing through her illness barriers, Kristyn won the Women’s Body Building Physique title at the 2021 National Physique Committee Worldwide Australia competition — during the pandemic, no less.

The win signified more than muscles.

She had fulfilled her dream of earning her IFBB Pro Card, one of bodybuilding’s most prestigious honours, and was on to the big time.

Kristyn wanted to establish a name for herself in the professional bodybuilder world, and getting championship-ready meant a major change of scenery.

In April 2023, Kristyn sold everything, left her job, and moved to Tampa Bay, Florida, where the best of the best lived and trained.

She gained broader momentum in the sport, training hard to compete in four universally recognised competitions in six weeks, including the Pittsburgh Pro (13th place) and New York Pro (eighth place).

Reno and Meredith visited her in New York on September 21, 2023.

Kristyn was applying for citizenship and had just finished the Chicago Pro, placing 11th, and the Atlanta Pro, placing third.

“She told us that she was the happiest she had ever been and that, most importantly, she felt safe,” Reno said.

“It gave us all the happiness and comfort one could hope for as a parent.”

Three months later, gratitude was eclipsed by grief.

Kristyn was found deceased in her apartment; their Supergirl had left them.

Like all heroes, Kristyn was resilient, brave, driven to succeed and, above all, selfless.

And she will always be remembered as such.