“The passion I have about fitness is causing my dreams to line up…and one day VERY SOON, I will be a top competitor.”

Burlington, North Carolina resident Andrea White does not mince words. She has her sights set and her mind made up, so who are we to doubt her? Since her younger days, perfection has been something she has demanded from herself. “Whether it be track and field or cross country, finishing on top of my event was the only way I felt like a winner, so that was the ranking place that I strived for.”

Utilizing many different activities to get her body in the condition she wanted, White even studied dance in order to tone her overall figure. But nothing gave her more of a thrill than being able to squeeze out extra reps in the gym. “I’ve often found myself the only woman at the pull-up bar or jumping in on a set to squat with the ‘big boys,’” she said proudly.

It was at a community recreation center where White reached out to the weight room coach and asked him about fitness competitions. “I was so pumped up with the information that he was giving me that I worked extra hard in the gym to further push myself.” White did not personally know anyone who entered these type of competitions so she did her own research by reading magazines and going online.

While she was doing the background work, White – who now trains at The Rush – was asked to assist at the rec center’s boot camp, which led her to start her own outdoor fitness program entitled “Just Do It for Christ Athletics.” She was able to feel the satisfaction when she and her athletes entered a 10K Road Race and were able to bring home trophies.

This is something that she hopes becomes common in her life as she prepares for her first competition. White does not have a trainer and is self-taught, and that will make the success even sweeter tasting. “I’ve learned through dedication and consistency that you can get started and make it through just about any journey,” she commented, “but to go that extra mile, it has to be in your heart.”

From the humble beginnings with the idea of just staying fit morphed into inspiring others to get in shape and now the possibilities are endless. “My dreams of reaching the stage in the best shape of my life are moments away,” said White.

And we’ll all be there to watch when she does.

‘This is Your Magazine’ is merely one of the reasons why MuscleSport Mag is far and wide better than any other publication out there. What other media outlet features the up and coming athlete, the same as if he or she was a professional in their industry? This is the place to get your face and story out there, and who knows what opportunities may arise from that type of exposure?

In 2008, Badell, 36, finished second at the Iron Man Pro, sixth at the Arnold Classic and 10th at the Olympia. So far this year, he has only competed once and placed 11th at the Arnold. This is a man who won the Iron Man in ’05 and the San Francisco Pro in ’06. Badell has also finished third at the 2004 and 2005 Mr. Olympias, so he has done well against the big boys in his career.

In his 11th year competing, the 5’8″, 240-pound Badell may not have many chances left at winning quality shows such as the Atlantic City. His experience and size will be pluses for him against a line-up that he should be able to handle. He must come in to the contest in top condition and having since March to prepare, there is no excuse if he does not.

2009 Atlantic City Pro IFBB Championships
Friday & Saturday, September 11&12th
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Promoted by
Stokley Palmer & Ron Goldstein

Men’s Open

1 Almohsinawi, Khalid (Netherlands)

2 Anthony, Melvin (USA)

3 Apperson, Lee (USA)

6 Chacon, Marcos (SPAIN)

7 Cohen, Simon (UNITED KINGDOM)

8 Dexter, Oscar (Tahiti)

15 Ojex, Bola (Nigeria)

16 Pelletier, Jocelyn (Canada)

17 Piotrkowicz, Robert (Poland)

23 Alves, Troy

In my view, Strongman is a combination of the discipline of Bodybuilding, power and technique of Powerlifting and essence and age of Highland Games.  Blend them together with heavy implements, shaken rigorously with several years of training and “BAM” you have a well rounded Strongman.  However there is one ingredient that only the athlete can bring.  That is the special blend of heart, passion, and mental fortitude to endure.

By the way, a great strongman may not come from any of the backgrounds described above.  He/she may appear from the woodwork with an immense dedication to the sport and a 110% attitude applied to every training session and competition.  Beneath this lies a positive outlook, true sportsmanship and a healthy competitive appetite.

You may find Strongman competitions most anywhere;  community fairs,  part of Celtic festivals, stand-alone competitions, and often as an extension of large bodybuilding events.  In Europe, strongman sports are HUGE!  European strongman stand shoulder-to-shoulder with many football and hockey players here in North America.  Some are even sponsored well by their respective governments…. I wish I was!

Personally I am a fan of ‘Olde-time Strongman’ including guys like Louis Cyr, Eugen Sandow, and Paul Anderson.  These men were phenomenal!  Strong from morning to night.  I like the fact that we are stronger than 95% of the general population.  We can walk into a gym in our street clothes bang off 5-6 plates for reps in a deadlift without the use of belts, wraps or straps. We can throw up some stones on the platform, and pound out some heavy hammer curls quicker than the guy warming up to do his circuit training routine while sipping on his low fat Chai Latte, rocking  to ABBA and checking e-mails on his Blackberry.  Not saying anything’s wrong with ABBA…. merely that I have a different opinion of what a training routine should be.

I believe in grass roots and novice competitions.  We need to build up the new athlete bases to be able to produce top-ranking international athletes.  Competitions should be challenging for the athlete but fun!  I want them to come back next year or to the next level of event.  My hope is that  athletes will  feel well recognized for their efforts even if they do not win.  It takes a lot of courage to stand up in front a big crowd and perform. It requires strength to be composed when you fail.  It takes a Strongman to encourage and push their fellow Strongman to succeed even if it means they get beaten.   All these elements make up the incredible sport of Strongman!

Yours in Strength,

Robin Wright

Robin Wright, rwright@bceaa.org, Kamloops, BC Canada

Founder and Director of the British Columbia Extreme Athletics Association www.bceaa.org

Special thanks to my webmaster Diane Roberts: www.sbwebstudio.ca

Justin Cuzzetto: Reflex Nutrition, Kamloops, www.reflexnutrition.com

The City of Kamloops, BC, Canada Tournament Capital of Canada, www.kamloops.ca

and many more sponsors who have helped and are helping make the BCEAA strong in its continued success.

Taking nothing away from the three that finished ahead of him, Samuel had to look at them and feel as if he may have missed a golden opportunity to win his second show of the year. Evan Centopani won his first pro show right out of the gate, Dennis James was the runner-up in Manhattan and finished two places behind Samuel at the Arnold Classic in March and Markus Ruhl had not competed in two years. 

If Samuel came in shape, he very well could have won this show. As it was, he was lucky to finish ahead of Hidetada Yamagashi and may have only on reputation. 

It doesn’t get any easier come September with a stacked line-up at the Mr. Olympia. Samuel, 34, needs to do better than last year’s seventh place finish but will find it hard. Yes, he has had a good year with the early win, a fifth place at the Arnold and a runner-up position at the Australia Pro Grand Prix, but that’s what makes his New York Pro result even more frustrating. 

Samuel has shown that he can hang with the big boys and  a force to be reckoned with in the ‘second tier’ shows. His next few times on the stage will go a long way in determining his legacy.