Metis bodybuilder competes at championships in Edmonton

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While most people spent a leisurely Saturday morning sleeping in, more than 500 people streamed into the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton on Sept. 25 to watch the 1999 National Canadian Body Building and Ms. Fitness Championships.

The competition saw 153 athletes competing in 15 categories, including Heavy Weight - Men; Light Heavy Weight - Men; Middle Weight - Men; Bantam Weight - Men; Heavy Weight - Women; Light Weight - Women; Ms. Fitness; Masters - Women; Masters - Men; Junior Weight - Men; Couples; Unknown Weight Class; Middle Weight - Women; Light Weight - Men; and Middle Weight - Women.

The crowd that gathered before showtime milled about the 25 or so booths that displayed nutritional products, sportswear, protein drinks and supplement bars.

During the competition many of the fans in the audience whistled, applauded or called out to competitors as they walked the stage posing and flexing their muscles under bright floodlights. Bright, neon-colored, barely there, bathing suits helped offset tanned buffed bodies in front of television cameras, fans and 10 Canadian Body Building Federation judges.

Among the competitors was 27-year-old Kevin Henry, a Metis from Saskatoon.

Henry, whose father is Metis and whose mother is Swedish, grew up in Prince Albert, Sask.

For Henry, body building has been a part of his life since he was 13 years old. He attributes his success in the sport to his family.

"When I first got into the sport I got into it for the health aspect of it. You have to watch what you eat, no fries and gravy, a lot of chicken and rice," he said. "I enjoy the sport. It is a way of life. I'm not going to stop any time soon. You get your ups and your downs, like anything else you try, but you just have to keep on trying, " he said.

This is his fifth body building competition. Henry, who is a truck driver, claims that the sport not only put muscle on his 175 lb. frame, it helped boost his self-confidence and helps him to believe in himself.

"I get people coming up to me in the gym and asking me about training tips, what weights they should use and what they should do," said Henry. "I like working out. I like that it keeps me in shape. I work out five days a week," he said.

Henry, who competed in the middle weight division; placed seventh.

"I know Kevin and he's come a long way," said Saskatchewan body building president, Adam Dube.

Body builders may come in all shapes and sizes but one thing that all body builders have in common is their commitment, months of vigorous exercise and workouts.

"We were pleased to see the quality of the men and women who entered the competition," said promoter Debbie Huneault. "It was hard to pick the winners because everyone was in quality shape," she said.

While the sport of body building has continued to pique the interest of the public in Alberta, this is the first time in nine years that western Canada has hosted the championships.

According to Huneault, the sport began to take hold of the public when more and more people started to attend gyms to work out.

"At first people thought there was no way that they could look like the people in the body building magazines," said Huneault. "But now people are finding that after a few years they are in competitions," she said.

Henry is starting to plan for his next competition which will take place in Saskatchewan at the provincial finals in March of next year.