I think it’s safe to say that we simply create some seriously formidable athletes down under!
I don’t know if there is something in the water, if it’s the vegemite we eat as kids or it’s the amazing weather we consistently enjoy all year round – but we never cease to shake the foundations on an international stage when it comes to presenting first class physiques.
It feels like only weeks since I last took pen to paper for the inaugural publication of the Inspire Magazine, reciting what it means to be part of this global phenomenon, and recounting the purely inspirational Aussie domination from last years 10th Anniversary WBFF World Championships in Toronto.
Since then, I have proudly supported and lead, two outstanding Aussie teams cross Tasman for two separate ProAm events. BOTH of which saw us rejoicing in yet more successes and resulting in a rather “Cheshire cat” like grin on the big man, Mr Ari Hamalainen, himself. I can quietly say that our great figurehead, and World no 1 Promoter, couldn’t be more proud of what he is contributing to when it comes to the Aussie achievements globally. Our platform for greatness starts here after all.
Firstly, in December of 2016, our team dominated (despite the freezing sub zero temperatures that our Aussie blood is NOT built for) at the Atlantic City show where we welcomed Jared Hustler into our Pro Family (finally!) with his second place in the Male Muscle Model category seeing him awarded the coveted status that he has been fighting so hard to achieve the past few years. We celebrated (arguably) one of our most naturally sassy Bikini Pro’s, Tasha Mackenzie, debut to the World Pro Stage despite a multitude of personal setbacks along the way. We proudly witnessed one of our most active and aspiring amateur bikini divas, Tahlia Christou, improve greatly from her October Gold Coast placing to successfully gain a second placing against an incredibly tough line-up. And then we partied like it was 1999 after Giorgia Piscina and myself were both crowned PRO champions in our respective Bikini & Fitness divisions haha…. Gigi and I had worked hard to improve upon her World’s package, meticulously analysing feedback and planning an entire prep focused on bringing in the shape required to win that title, and ultimately ensure she ended the year on a high. Mission accomplished! Whilst for me, it was a comeback that I could only have dreamed of, after the significant injury I had sustained in 2015. And one that my partner and I simply couldn’t be more proud of.