Vanderpool among national winners not going to CACs

With gymnasiums in the country being closed for an extended period of time in 2020, bodybuilding and fitness athletes were unable to train like they wanted to in order to prepare for competition. It has been a frustrating time for athletes, coaches and officials of the sport in the country, eventually leading to the cancellation of the 2020 Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (BBFF) National Championships and other local competitions this year.

Athletes had to rely on private workout sessions, for the most part, and a number of them are still hoping to be selected for international competition when officials look at their bodies later this week. An official viewing is set for this Saturday at J-Line Fitness Bahamas at 10 a.m. After that, the national team will be selected, and then they will have only two weeks to prepare for international competition as the 47th Annual International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness’ (IFBB) Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships is set for December 4-6, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

One of the national winners from a year ago, women’s wellness competitor Nadia Vanderpool, said her focus is no longer on the CAC Championships, but rather fine-tuning her body for 2021 and attempting to earn a pro card. The 44-year-old mother of two came out victorious in the women’s wellness division at the nationals last year.

“My decision to skip CACs is based solely on the fact that I’m not ready physically. I actually didn’t think that the competition would happen because of the pandemic and so, I really lost focus,” she said. “With the gyms being closed for the better part of the year, we were not able to train with the intensity that we wanted to and therefore we would have been unable to present a complete package on stage. The athletes just weren’t going to be ready. It’s disappointing because I know a number of athletes, including myself, really wanted the opportunity to compete at nationals. I was looking forward to defending my title and now I won’t get that opportunity. Nationals is always a fun experience. It’s a time to really get out there and show what we have in front of Bahamians and we look forward to that.” 

Last year, Hurricane Dorian played a part in a subdued nationals at the Meliá Nassau Beach Resort. This year, COVID-19 swooped in and forced the cancellation altogether. With gyms being closed due to restrictions under the COVID-19 Emergency Powers Act, training schedules and athletes’ regimens were disrupted. Seasoned bodybuilder Charles Reckley won his third straight overall men’s bodybuilding title. Shakira Ferguson won her second national bikini title in three years, Kiat Young won in open men’s physique, Roberta Wheeler was victorious in the women’s figure division, David Dormavil took the novice men’s physique and Fania Joseph won the novice bikini title. The men’s sports spokesmodel division was won by Lincoln Knowles.

At the moment, it is understood that a number of those athletes are not seeking to represent The Bahamas at the upcoming CAC Championships.

Vanderpool, who started competing in her thirties, said that she is driven by a passion for fitness and competing, but lost the desire to compete at the CACs this year.

“I love the training aspect of it,” she said. “At the moment, I am just doing a lot of cardio and trying to keep my body toned for whenever competition comes up. My aim is to get my body in the best shape that it has ever been in because I’m really looking forward to getting back on stage and I want to go after my dream, which is to get a pro card. I want to compete internationally and go up against more competition where I will have an opportunity to excel in the sport. I just want to go out there and be a better version of myself.”

She said that her 2020 season is definitely over and is looking forward to 2021.

“Plans for 2021 are definitely to get back at it. Hopefully, the gyms will be open soon, so that I am able to incorporate weight training with my maintained cardio,” she said. “I plan to bring a better package to the stage – hopefully the best ever. Being in the wellness bikini division, my main focus is on building better glutes and legs as these are the areas that matter. The passion that I have for fitness turned into a desire to start competing, and once I started, it became an addiction. I just want to continue pushing hard and continue to improve.”

Vanderpool, who is also a certified personal trainer and sports nutritionist, encourages other women to get involved in the sport. She also conducts small group training.

As for the viewing this Saturday, athletes are expected to be assessed and evaluated, following which a national team will be selected for the 47th Annual CAC Championships. The event will have two segments – one for amateurs, and the other for the professionals. The amateurs will compete December 4 and 5 and the pros will compete on December 6.

The pro card winners from the amateur show will each have an opportunity to compete with the pros on the Sunday of the championships, making their pro debut if they choose to do so.

BBFF President Joel Stubbs said that health protocols and policies from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the IFBB will be enforced at the CAC Championships and that the organizing body, the Central American and Caribbean Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (CACBBFF), has agreed to follow all safety and travel guidelines during the weekend of the championships.

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