CANADIAN PHYSIQUE ALLIANCE May/June Issue | Page 40

I trained hard for a year and did my first show in 2013 and have been competing ever since. When I first committed to bodybuilding, I was all in. I wanted to be the biggest freakiest guy up on stage, my views on the sport over the years has changed. I always felt like I had to be the biggest toughest guy in the room, over the years that has changed . I stopped pretending who I felt I needed to be, dropped my ego and became who I was meant to be. Now, bodybuilding to me is a practice of self mastery. An opportunity to present yourself in a way that’s unique, to be vulnerable, and to be creative. I continue to compete now in the Classic Physique division. I feel bodybuilding is an art and Classic is the best division to display something beautiful, artistic and creative. The CPA is the best league to compete in as an amateur athlete in Canada. If you want to progress and take things to the next level the CPA is the route to go. Also, it has the highest calibre of athlete this country has to offer, which makes the competition challenging, competitive and exciting. I have competed in 4 shows to date. My training regime is very unorthodox and unusual, so it depends on the day. I don’t follow a plan or structure, I train what feels right that day. I am big on mind/muscle connection and I enjoy training every muscle group with that in mind, but the days I get most excited for is shoulder day and back day. Inspiring other people is what brings me the most joy out of everything that I do. I practice Yoga, Taekwondo, Bodybuilding, Acroyoga and am always open to learning and trying new things. The fact that I practice so many different disciplines helps me reach different groups of individuals. I show them that with hard work and consistency anything is possible. Few bodybuilders can grab their hands behind their back, let alone drop down into the splits, or back bend into a full bridge, or survive two hours of high intensity martial arts training and yet I’ve been able to thrive doing it all. Most of all, I want to inspire people to believe in themselves. I want them to believe that anything is possible as long as you believe in yourself. I want to inspire people to let their guard down, be vulnerable, be passionate and to pursue what ever it is that brings them joy in life with everything you have. In short, I hope to inspire people to become a better version of themselves and to live a life full of gratitude and harmony. My advice for anyone thinking of competing; DON’T DO IT! Hahaha, kidding. One thing bodybuilding has taught me is that I am strong enough (mentally) to do anything I want in this world. That is a pretty powerful thing. If your looking to compete and to do it right, there is going to be a lot of sacrifice and a lot of suffering. It is not easy, but for me it is one of the best senses of accomplishment I’ve ever had. I’ve won countless amounts of fights. Won prestigious medals nationally and internationally in taekwondo. Nothing compares to the feeling of stepping on that stage knowing you gave 100% effort day in day out to get there. My biggest piece of advice to a rookie coming into the sport, if your going to do it – commit. Win lose or draw, commit to that shit and give it everything you’ve got and don’t quit no matter how hard it gets. It’s going to get hard, really hard. Don’t stop when it gets hard, stop when you reach your goal. Hopefully, when the world gets back on its feet after this Pandemic, my intention is to compete at the 2020 Flex Lewis Canadian Classic and the Gladiator Showdown. I am currently a Believe supplement team athlete as well as a Suits by V athlete. Both my sponsors are amazing, involved and supportive. I am grateful for everything they have done to help me out this year. I was to compete April 11th but it is cancelled due to the Covid19 virus. I plan on continuing to work as hard as I can over the next 7 months to go for the Classic 40