BY NEIL FERNANDEZ
MY JOURNEY AND MY FAMILY
BY NEIL FERNANDEZ
Many of us have equated body building to a journey requiring planning , patience , persistence and the ability to overcome setbacks and challenges . Ours is exactly that .
My name is Neil Fernandes and in 2010 my wife Veronica and our three children moved to the USA from Canada so I could pursue a degree at university . We sold everything and moved to Michigan . After 3 years of classes I successfully graduated and immediately started a nonprofit to help at-risk teens called “ Rise Above ”. We had great success and quickly found favor with our community and students .
Sadly , in 2016 the Matriarch of our family , my mother in law Sue , was diagnosed with cancer . This devastated me , she was everything to me . So as we watched her deteriorate and ultimately pass away my wife Veronica and I decided to do what we could to take better care of our bodies . So , in early 2017 we joined a local gym .
Veronica and I have always been athletic , having played many sports at a competitive level . This competitiveness flowed down to our three children and in particular to our two boys who have played high level club and University soccer most of their lives . So the gym felt good and quickly became a daily part of our lives and conversations . Suddenly our dinner table talks were about workouts , supplements and diet . We began doing research and learning all we could about building muscle and improving the science of working out . It was exciting ! We started losing weight and in particular body fat . People at our son ’ s soccer games suddenly noticed physical and emotional changes in Veronica and me . Asking questions about “ what are you guys doing ?” Soon our youngest was asking if he could come to the gym as well and was given a membership in 2020 .
It wasn ’ t long before we all realized we had a passion for this sport . In 2021 Veronica and I decided to try and compete in an online competition put on by Seth at Ax & Sledge . I started out at 16.5 % BF and 200 lbs . By the time the final week had arrived I was a solid 7 % BF and about 168lbs . I looked and felt great . Veronica had very similar results and she looked incredible . It was soon after this , in 2022 that we , as a couple , decided to try and do a regional NPC competition .
Being completely new to the competition side of things we had no clue how to get started . We tried emailing IFBB pro ’ s , local NPC shows , and others … with no luck . Then , in late 2022 we were dealt a crushing blow . Due to an error in the filing of some immigration paperwork , our immigration status was being revoked , and we would have to leave the USA and return to Canada . So , in February 2023 we packed up a van load of our belongings and returned to Windsor Ontario , our birthplace .
Immediately after arriving we contacted the CPA and quickly received a response and directions on how to join and get into our first shows . Without hesitation I started to prep and was on the stage for the first time three months later in late May 2023 at the Fouad Abiad Open Championships where I placed second in