0 s . ▁Her ▁career ▁pe aked ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁when ▁she ▁placed ▁second ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁M s . ▁Olymp ia . ▁ ▁Biography ▁▁ ▁An ja ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁in ▁Stuttgart ▁in ▁Southern ▁Germany , ▁where ▁she ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁nearby ▁town ▁of ▁B ö b lingen . ▁L anger ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁a ▁house ▁near ▁a ▁forest ▁and ▁at ▁a ▁young ▁age ▁she ▁did ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁out door ▁activities . ▁Because ▁of ▁this ▁she ▁developed ▁a ▁passion ▁for ▁nature ▁and ▁the ▁out do ors . ▁As ▁an ▁active ▁child , ▁her ▁first ▁passion ▁was ▁g ymn ast ics . ▁She ▁competed ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁eight ▁in ▁several ▁g ymn astic ▁compet itions ▁and ▁was ▁successful . ▁She ▁also ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁horse back - rid ing ▁compet itions ▁since ▁her ▁family ▁own ▁two ▁horses ▁and ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁horse back - rid ing ▁club . ▁During ▁this ▁time ▁An ja ▁became ▁more ▁involved ▁with ▁different ▁types ▁of ▁sports ▁that ▁captured ▁her ▁curiosity . ▁She ▁tried ▁div ing ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁four teen ▁and ▁jazz ▁dance ▁soon ▁after . ▁It ▁was ▁during ▁this ▁time , ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁fifteen ▁that ▁she ▁was ▁introduced ▁to ▁body building ▁by ▁her ▁first ▁boy friend . ▁ ▁She ▁began ▁weight ▁training ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁at ▁a ▁local ▁g ym ▁near ▁her ▁home ▁in ▁Germany . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁she ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁girl