At the recent FAME International Championships in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, a familiar sight took place as every competitor was introduced one by one and brought on stage at the commencement of the show. It definitely gave it the feel of a Broadway production and immediately livened up the crowd before their seats even were warm.

These athletes may not be as well known as Jay Cutler or Iris Kyle, but by individualizing them before they did their own routine put a name to the face. It gave the audience a closeness and almost family-like relationship with these men and women. A unique trait, to say the least.

By promoting natural bodybuilding and the BodyProud lifestyle, these athletes also gave the audience hope and a more realistic goal for themselves if they so choose. These physiques, while very impressive, are attainable if one dedicates his or herself to the right diet, exercise program and rest. The proof was right up there on stage under the lights.

Before the awards were given, all of the athletes were again called on stage to be given participation certificates. For many, that was as good as winning their category. A good number of them were competing for the very first time and when they first made that life-changing decision being in a show was a long-range goal. That in itself says a lot.

The top three in every category took home souvenir swords and this was another unique trait in FAME. A medal, crystal or statue is common but how many times have you seen a full-length Samuari sword and sheath being posed with at a bodybuilding contest?

Everyone was a winner at the War Memorial on November 7 – the competitors and audience alike. If you have never attended a FAME event, words cannot do it justice. You need to witness it for yourself.

The War Memorial in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida was robust with plenty of hootin’ and hollerin’ on Saturday afternoon and one can only imagine how loud it is going to get later on. The judge’s panel were very meticulous in getting every available angle and view of all the competitors and asked for the music to be turned down on more than one occasion to concentrate and get the scoring right.

Category after category were marched out and went through their routines as family, friends and fans cheered them on. Getting a good look at the costumes during the ‘theme’ rounds also resulted in rounds of applause and showed just one of the many reasons why attending a FAME show is an entirely different experience than anything else.

Some of the women’s outfits were reminiscent of a Victoria’s Secret modeling show with muscles. And it wasn’t all just for the guys in the audience. The men’s fitness rounds gave the impression of a large bachelorette party.

FRIDAY NIGHT’S FAME SHOWCASE

The weekend began with a public yet intimate evening with a room full of not only the FAME athletes, but their family, friends and support teams. Competitors came from as far as Australia and the United Kingdom and were called up to the stage to tell their personal story.

Inspiring and touching tales accompanied the positive feeling of seeing these special people in person and learning first hand why they decided to become ‘BodyProud.’ In some ways it had the feel of an AA meeting or something along those lines but instead of stating how many days they have been ‘clean,’ these people said what made them decide to make a lifestyle change and dedicate themselves to the gym.

From recovering addicts to accident victims and the physically challenged, these men and women all had their time with the microphone and it was an experience unlike any other that one would expect the night before a bodybuilding show.

In segment number two, we welcome Honnor Moore to the program. The Vancouver native has been able to overcome so much and hurdle a disability that would have taken anyone down. Her story is quite unique and inspiring, as well

Both will be competing at the 2009 FAME International Championships in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida the weekend of November 6.

MuscleSport Radio can be heard live every Tuesday from 1:00 to 2:00 PM Eastern time on www.blogtalkradio.com and all episodes are archived on Blog Talk Radio, MuscleSport Mag and iTunes.

Please feel free to join us and give us your opinion, ask a question or make a comment. Our call-in number is 347-884-8157.

UPCOMING GUESTS:

Tuesday, November 10 – Robert Griffith, defensive coach for the UFL’s California Redwoods and former NFL safety

MuscleSport Radio has enjoyed a steady flow of special guests since launching, with famous names in the bodybuilding and sports industry such as Samir Bannout, Bill Grant, Boyer Coe, Troy Brown, Ronnie Coleman, Gunter Schlierkamp, Leo Ingram, Heather Mae French, Cathy LeFrancois, Colette Nelson, Cathy LeFrancois, Dena Westerfield, Bill Romanowski, Tony Mandarich, “Leapin’” Lanny Poffo, Taylor Boyd, Steve Michalik, Dan Lurie, Emy Silvagni, Rae Holitt, Tom Terwilliger, Dan “The Beast” Severn, Kevin Levrone, Layne Norton, Randy Roach, Debi Laszewski and more.

Honnor Moore

The right move would be to pre-order your tickets and there is a simple, online system to do so. Just go to the following:

http://www.eventbee.com/event/register?eid=61632

Prices are as follows:

Friday, November 6:  Pre-judging, BodyProud Showcase at the W Hotel – $25

Saturday, November 7: Judging at the War Memorial, Grandstand Seating (General Admission) – $20, VIP Reserved Floor Seating – $25

Saturday, November 7: Finals at the War Memorial, Grandstand Seating (General Admission) – $25, VIP Reserved Floor Seating – $40

Saturday, November 7: Full Day VIP Pass – $55

Weekend Pass (Includes Friday and Saturday) – $70

SPECIAL DISCOUNT TICKET PACKAGES

Judging 10-Pack Special – $170

Finals, Reserved 10-Pack Special – $270

WHO CAN COMPETE?:
* International Athletes from all organizations
* Novice, Advanced & Pro - Details
* Juniors
Masters & Senior Athletes

DIVISIONS:
Swimsuit Model Search
Fitness Model Search
Muscle Model Search
Figure – Physique
Figure – Posing & Routine
Natural Bodybuilding
Fitness
Fit Duos
Power Dance
Physically Challenged

Starting on Friday, November 6, the 4th Annual FAME International World Championships will take place over the entire weekend with pre and post contest events being held at the W Hotel and the War Memorial Auditorium hosting the show.

MuscleSport Radio can be heard live every Tuesday from 1:00 to 2:00 PM Eastern time on www.blogtalkradio.com and all episodes are archived on Blog Talk Radio, MuscleSport Mag and iTunes.

Please feel free to join us and give us your opinion, ask a question or make a comment. Our call-in number is 347-884-8157.

MuscleSport Radio has enjoyed a steady flow of special guests since launching, with famous names in the bodybuilding and sports industry such as Samir Bannout, Bill Grant, Boyer Coe, Troy Brown, Ronnie Coleman, Gunter Schlierkamp, Leo Ingram, Heather Mae French, Cathy LeFrancois, Colette Nelson, Cathy LeFrancois, Dena Westerfield, Bill Romanowski, Tony Mandarich, “Leapin’” Lanny Poffo, Taylor Boyd, Steve Michalik, Dan Lurie, Emy Silvagni, Rae Holitt, Tom Terwilliger, Dan “The Beast” Severn, Kevin Levrone, Layne Norton, Randy Roach, Debi Laszewski and more.