AMBASSADOR PROFILE - ALBERTA Husam Al-Salih
My name is Husam Al-Salih and I was born and raised in Baghdad , Iraq . Since a very young age , I showed interest in sports and weight training . It was at the age of 14 that a close friend and I decided to visit our neighborhood bodybuilding club .
I remember when I first laid eyes on the pictures hanging on the walls of that very gym of world class bodybuilding champions Arnold Schwarzenegger , Frank Zane and Lee Haney . I did not know their names at the time , but as an impressionable young boy seeing those photos was all the motivation I needed to register at the gym – it became my goal to be like them .
At that time there was no internet or social media , so I began looking to bodybuilding magazines to soak in as much information as I could about the world of body building . Living in Iraq in the turmoil of that time , I knew there would not be much opportunity for competitive bodybuilding in my home country but I did not let that deter me as my passion for bodybuilding was growing day by day .
Bodybuilding was not simply a sport for me – it was a refuge where I could funnel the anxiety and stress of living in a war-torn country and turn it into something positive .
My life journey brought me to Edmonton in 2010 , and of course I made it a priority to find a new gym where I could continue training . I became a member of Gold ’ s Gym , which ended up not only providing me with a place to train but also became a place that gave me sense of belonging and community . I met many great people and developed several friendships with other members , whether bodybuilding and weightlifting professionals or simply those who – like myself – had an interest or passion for bodybuilding .
It was at that time that I started to contemplate taking my training to the next level and I began thinking of bodybuilding competitively . I started tracking and following national and international bodybuilding competitions , and eventually worked up to my first competitive bodybuilding show in 2015 . Since that first show I have been competing yearly and have learned and grown so much within the sport .
Bodybuilding competitively has taught me so much more than how to lift weight – it has taught me among many things patience , discipline , perseverance , hard work ethic , endurance and humility . It has truly helped to shape the man I am today . My love of bodybuilding also carries over into my career given that I work in a fitness center and I am professionally certified in the repair and maintenance of industry-leading fitness equipment including Life Fitness , Hammersmith and Cybex .
My hope is that as an ambassador for the CPA , I can use all of my knowledge and experiences that this wonderful sport has given me to motivate and help others to reach their fitness goals and be the very best version of themselves .
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