CANADIAN PHYSIQUE ALLIANCE May/June Issue | Page 29

Chelsea Boissonneault
I started my path in the bodybuilding world
in 2005. I met Jean-Luc, my husband, who
had won his class at The Natural Canada's and
competed in Spain at World's at the age of 21.
He was coaching a few women and I went to
watch one show and thought it seemed so
crazy at the time. Then shortly after I decided
to try it as well and I competed at my first show
in 2006 with the OPA (now CPA). I did not do
very well. At the time there were only three
women’s categories. I am smaller and have no
coordination so I did not fit into fitness, figure
or women's bodybuilding. I tried hard though
and made my way to Nationals in 2011 in figure
where I found out after I was pregnant on stage
(that's why I looked so bloated lol!). Bikini was
being introduced and after our daughter was
born I decided to come back to the stage. I
knew I belonged in bikini not figure. I won my
class and overall at the OPA Cobourg Naturals
a little over a year after having my baby and on
my 33rd birthday! I have competed on provincial
and national stages in 2013. I took a break
before competing again and in 2015 and 2019 I
competed in Master's.
My husband and I opened our first personal
training studio the year I started competing. We have coached hundreds of athletes and
encouraged more and more to step on stage. Then in 2010, I became the promoter for the OPA
Ottawa Championships. We then added the OPA Ottawa Classic in 2011 which is a natural drug
tested event. I have promoted both these shows every year since and the 2020 CPA Ottawa Classic
will be my 20th show to date.
When I took over the shows we added a very key aspect to our contests. We included (I say we as
this was my husband’s idea, he helps me with marketing and more) was to add storytelling to the
show. Generally, the audience is friends and family of those on stage and only the competitor's
name and number are announced. We wanted the athletes to be able to add to that with a very
short video clip. We put up a huge screen on stage and competitors enter to their video clip telling
the audience why they are competing or something else if they prefer. Over the years we have
added more and more prizes including a trip to Las Vegas to The Olympia. This is to help the
winner to be able to compete at the Amateur Olympia which is one of the biggest amateur stages.
Being an athlete and a businessperson, I feel that I am able to put on shows that the athletes enjoy.
We want athletes to keep returning to compete and at the same time want to make the show run
well as a whole. I appreciate the athletes who choose our shows. We also appreciate the coaches
who support our shows. Without the coaches and their competitors, it wouldn't work. We honour
coaches who bring three or more competitors with free tickets and swag. We also offer a top coach
award. This award goes to the coach who brings the most quality not quantity of athletes. We do
this in a fair way using the judge’s scores and creating an average score.
I love bodybuilding and especially the CPA. We put on amazing shows with amazing quality
athletes give them access to the most opportunities available to them.