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2017 Physique Championships bring out big crowds

Organizers hopeful sport back make a huge return in Thunder Bay after two successful events.

THUNDER BAY -- Chantalle Goulet-Kiddie has been working seriously on her body for the past 18 months.

On Saturday she joined about 60 other fitness fanatics in the Selkirk Auditorium at St. Patrick High School to compete in the 2017 Thunder Bay Physique Championships, the culmination of more than a year of hard work.

She said she was glad to see the sport, which peaked in the city about a decade-and-a-half ago, return last year and is even more excited this time around.

Having the competition is just one more motivation to keep going, Goulet-Kiddie said.

“I’ve always been involved in fitness. I gave up a lot of volunteerism and got into body building. It’s something I’ve found has been really wonderful in my life and I plan to continue on with it,” she said.

Fellow competitor Frances Adamo said she’s been strength training all of her adult life and likes the idea of being able to compete against other women.

“I just find the challenge is setting your limits and the discipline, seeing what you can do with your body, proper nutrition and training,” Adamo said.

“It’s very gratifying, a great feeling and great to be on stage here today.”

Discipline is perhaps the biggest challenge of all for body builders and those competing in physique competitions.

Organizer Darryl Landry, who decided to resurrect the championships after moving back to Thunder Bay a couple of years ago, said hitting the gym and lifting weights is only about 20 per cent of being successful at the sport.

“The other 80 per cent is about sleeping and eating and just a good lifestyle,” he said. “That’s what we’re promoting.”

It’s popular, if ticket sales are any indication.

The event sold out last year and about 500 are expected to attend the 2017 version, which had to move to a bigger venue to meet the public’s demand for tickets.

It’s great to see, said competitor Rylan Forrest, who was back on stage following a six-year break after he got married and his kids were born.

The 33-year-old said it wasn’t easy starting over – although he never stopped lifting and managed to stay in shape while away from competition.

“It’s always been at the back of my mind to want to do it again and this show came up and my wife was behind me 100 per cent and said, ‘Go for it.’ I hooked up with a great coach. If I don’t do it now I’ll probably never do it. Why not do a show at home?”

Forrest said he’s encouraged by the turnout and thinks it’s a good sign of things to come.

“I think it’s going to bring it back to days of old, when body building was really big here and you had a lot of big guys here who went on to make names for themselves in the city,” he said.

The competition continues Saturday evening.



Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories too. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time. Twitter: @LeithDunick
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