SLABBFA Championships was a national affair

It’s become increasingly clear that bodybuilding has taken on a new look here, judging by what transpired at Saturday’s St Lucia Amateur Bodybuilding and Body Fitness Association (SLABBFA) National Championship. Nine gyms from around the island were represented making this a truly national affair. At least for that night, gone are the days when muscularity, vascularity and mass reigned supreme. Instead competitors in every division displayed sleek well-defined physiques, even in the senior class. The big winner on the night was Joneil Pelage of Laborde’s Gym. He was the Champion of Champions and also won the Senior Bodybuilding title. 

In the women’s division, newcomer Sara Honora (Vel’s Fitness Centre) won the bikini title while Velda John who literally had no competition, captured yet another Body Fitness/Figure championship. 

Jabari Brouet (South Side Gym) was a cut above the rest in the highly competitive Men’s Physique Tall Class. He was also named the Men’s Physique Champion.  Calum Samuel (Vel’s Fitness Gym) emerged victorious in the Men’s Physique Short Class. Owen Phillip (Mango Moon) placed first in the Bodybuilding Intermediate class and Kim Leon (Laborde’s Gym) was a first place finisher in the Novice Bodybuilding division. 

Pelage took a leap  of faith last year, having won the Intermediate category. This time he La Caye resident was on top of the world and during an interview he could hardly contain his emotions, “I gave it my all, my diet, the discipline it took. It was very challenging but I pulled through. I guess I had the right mindset and came out and did my best,” he said.

Challenging indeed! He’s come a long way. Pelage who is a former student at Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, started out as a long distance runner. During the 2017 Inter School Road Race he collapsed and was hospitalized. He told me: “During that time my world was falling apart because I really liked being an athlete. I told my cardiologist I really wanted to get back with what I was doing. It was really taking a toll on me and I really wanted to get back to it [running]. He told me it would [be] very dangerous if I did so.”

All was not lost though. He joined a gym, began walking on a treadmill and gradually built up his endurance. After that (you guessed it), Pelage began lifting weights! “I really fell in love with it after I saw how quickly my body was developing,” he said. 

Taking the advice from the proprietor of Laborde’s Gym, Pelage entered the novice category at the 2017 bodybuilding championships where he placed second. The next year in the same show, he placed second in the intermediate category. This year he reached the mountain top and emerged a champion.

Bodybuilding proved to be the perfect cure for his ailments. He couldn’t help but rave about the sport. “Bodybuilding helped me a lot”, he said: “It’s not just about bodybuilding, it is just the feeling of going to the gym. It relieves stress and for me [it] is a form of medication for everything.”      

In winning the bikini fitness competition, Honora received stiff competition from Dillette Gerson (Fitness Freaks Gym) and Deanne Dujon (Voltage Fitness). But was this her first and last appearance? Honora’s interest in bodybuilding came from a desire to stay fit by going to the gym and admiring the physiques of others. Someday she imagined herself performing on the big stage. So said, so done! 

During an interview back stage she said: “This is my first time competing and I am very, very happy that my hard work paid off and I ended up placing first. It was indeed a difficult time leading up to the show. There were a lot of restless afternoons and being very tired from gym work. Like I said, I am just so happy that the hard work paid off. Like they say you work hard and you get the results that you need once you stick to it consistently.” For now defending her title is up in the air. When asked about it she replied: “I am not sure, most likely, but for now I definitely don’t plan on competing next year. It takes a lot of work and dedication so I guess we will see what the future holds.”

Once again SLABBFA had a tardy start to the show which was over an hour late. President of SLABBFA, Jaqueline Trim apologized for the this, “When you are dealing with so many athletes coming from different parts of the island you tend to have a little late start. We have athletes coming all the way from Choiseul and Vieux Fort and they are here with us today. We want to ensure that our aim and motto is to decentralize the sport and we need to get all our athletes from across the island to come and display their physique. I thank you for being here and welcome you. Tonight is going to be a night you will not forget. Our athletes and guest posers have a great show planned for you.”

A parade with all the competitors from the various gyms was first on the agenda, however, not everyone was in attendance and the first competition that evening was delayed. The Association attempted to appease the crowd on account of the late start by allowing one of the guest posers Elite Pro Natasha Samuel-Ploeg who is Saint Lucian but lives in Canada, to give a teaser of what to expect later in the show. And it worked!

The crowd thoroughly enjoyed her performance and everyone, including yours truly, forgave the association for their tardiness. Overall, the championship was entertaining. The huge crowd (mostly women of all ages) gave all the performers tremendous support. However, they saved their best for last and were totally overwhelmed with the performance of the two guest posers. Samuel-Ploeg displayed flex and sex appeal during her stunning performance.

Then there was the King of the Night, International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Elite , Raylison Maria, from Holland. He appeared on stage looking somewhat like a gun-toting cowboy cloaked in a dark overcoat with a red bandana. When he slowly removed his lengthy overcoat displaying skimpy black shorts complete with a holster, the crowd shrieked at his enormous physique from head to toe.

Maria delighted the audience even more, by wandering through the crowd and posing and flexing in a manner that excited young and old. In the end, did it really matter that the show was more than an hour late? Like always it ended on a high note and the audience certainly got their money’s worth and then some.

The following are the top three bodybuilders in the various categories. Champion of Champions: (1) Joneil Pelage (Labordes Gym), (2) Kim Leon (Labordes Gym), (3) Owen Phillip (Mango Moon).

Bodybuilding Intermediate: (1) Owen Phillip (Mango Moon), (2) Simeon Mathurin (Fitness Freaks), (3) Anthony Medard (Sidonie Brothers Gym).

Bodybuilding Novice: (1) Kim Leon (Labordes Gym), (2) Lance Etienne (Keep Fit Gym).

Bodybuilding Senior: (1) Joneil Pelage (Labordes Gym), (2) Orville James (Sidonie Brothers Gym, (3) Kurton Hubert (Labordes Gym).

Men’s Physique Tall: (1) Jabari Brouet (South Side Gym), (2) Zimeron Leon (Mango Moon), (3) Caleb Steide (Fitness Freaks).

Men’s Physique Short Class: (1) Calum Samuel (Vel’s Fitness Centre), (2) Dwight Williams (Mango Moon), (3) Ultan Stanley (Labordes Gym).

Men’s Physique Champion: (1) Jabarie Brouet (South Side Gym), (2) Calum Samuel (Vel’s Fitness Gym), (2) 

Bikini: (1) Sarah Honora (Vel’s Fitness Centre), (2) Dillette Gerson (Fitness Freaks), (3) Deanne Dujon (Voltage Fitness).

Body Fitness/Figure: (1) Velda John (Vel’s Gym).