LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: Two young Aboriginal women set out on a quest to meet Arnold Schwarzenegger and on the way transform themselves through bodybuilding. Project Arnold, they called it, and the film that's resulted from their mission is about personal empowerment and overcoming past trauma. Conor Duffy reports.

NATASHA LAWRENCE, BODYBUILDER (Destination Arnold): Hi, Arnold. I'm Tash. This is Kylene. We're a couple of Aboriginal girls, first-time bodybuilders inspired by you. ...

... I'm Tash. How are you? Thanks for inspiring us.

CONOR DUFFY, REPORTER: This is a film about two women with a firm friendship and a common goal. It's also a story about remarkable reserves of strength and courage.

KYLENE ANDERSON, BODYBUILDER: I wanted to test the body and test the mind and see how far I could take it.

CONOR DUFFY: The film follows Kylene Anderson and Natasha Lawrence as they prepare to take part in the Arnold Classic body building championship, named after The Terminator himself. The women are determined to storm the traditionally male bodybuilding world.

KYLENE ANDERSON: My brother used to come home with, um, you know, the Muscle & Fitness magazines when I was young and there he was, Arnold Schwarzenegger on the front. Here I was, this little fat kid. I thought, "Oh, I could never do that." But now I'm actually doing it and I love it. I'm so focused. I want this that nothing - nothing is gonna get in my way.

CONOR DUFFY: Kylene Anderson and Natasha Lawrence became mates while working at the ABC.

KYLENE ANDERSON: You'll see the trials and tribulations that Natasha and I go through throughout the film. Behind every person, there's always a story and there's always struggles that we go through. It's just a matter of that having to keep going and keep moving forward.

CONOR DUFFY: Mother of three Natasha Lawrence is rebuilding from the pain and abuse of having lived with a violent partner.

NATASHA LAWRENCE: I call him the man of my dreams. Turned out to be my worst nightmare. We got into a fight. It got ugly. He hit me. I remember I hit the wall, "Bang!" And I fell and I felt my jaw move.

CONOR DUFFY: Natasha shows remarkable strength and fierce independence as she regains confidence and control.

NATASHA LAWRENCE: Sometimes you feel like you can't do it and it makes you think like that because they make you feel like you can't do nothing. They make you feel like - they make you feel like you need them, and in all honesty, you don't. You just need yourself to pick yourself up. And that day he broke my jaw, I remember it as if it was yesterday. 'Cause it was clearly - I remember the jaw, as soon as I hit the wall, "Bang!" It was like - the dentist - I had a dentist look at me and they described it as a king hit.

CONOR DUFFY: That remarkable strength and independence shines through as Natasha resets life on her own terms.

NATASHA LAWRENCE: I want us women to know that we can do anything we want. We don't need no man. We don't need this s**t. No man, me, you know? I did it. You know, I slept on a mattress seven months pregnant and built my little empire. My little empre is my home, my kids, my life. You know, and I want the women feel empowered. I love being a woman. I love my sisters.

CONOR DUFFY: Kylene Anderson has also thrived despite hardship. She battled with weight and self-esteem. When her parents split up, it got worse.

KYLENE ANDERSON: My mum was drinking a lot throughout that stage. I turned to food for comfort and it just got out of control. I just kept eating and eating every time I'd be sad or upset. Dad, he was very tough growing up. He would definitely call me fat and chubby at times and it hurt. It did hurt.

NATASHA LAWRENCE (Destination Arnold): Oh, my God. I don't know how I'm gonna wear this. It's - it's too small. Help. Help. ... That's the front. That's the back. ...

... This is gonna be all worth it. It's already making me think about ways of just living healthier and being healthier with the kids. I want them just to be proud of me.

ANNOUNCER: And welcome to the stage, Natasha Lawrence. Natasha is 37 years old, a mother of three from Newtown, New South Wales. ... And I'd like to introduce Kylene Anderson. Kylene is from Redfern and she trains with Nathan and Andy Page.

CONOR DUFFY: After the competition, Kylene prepared to push her body again, competing at the Amateur Olympia on the Gold Coast. Her parents were there.

KYLENE ANDERSON: I look different, eh? (Laughs) Don't start crying, 'cause I'll start crying now. ...

... The message - I guess always from the start it was to motivate women, but it grew from there. It's never too late to, yeah, get started and take control of your life. so, that's definitely the message.

CONOR DUFFY: Competing was an enormous achievement, but what happened afterwards was more valuable than any medal.

KYLENE ANDERSON: Are you proud of me?

FATHER: Of course. Wow. (Inaudible)

KYLENE ANDERSON: That's hard for you to say, eh? Love you, dad. ...

... My trophy at the end of the day was my dad to say that he was proud of me. So, that was a very, very important day for me and a very happy day. ...

... Better late than never, eh?

LEIGH SALES: Fantastic message. Conor Duffy reporting.