January 1, 2004

Reflecting on the 2003 Canadian Fitness Champions, and Looking Forward to 2004
Special guest editorial by Doug Schneider, SeriousAboutFitness.com chief photographer and publisher

I believe I am the only writer/photographer who attended all three national-level competitions in Canada this year, so that gives me a unique perspective. I suspect, though, that this statement will surprise some people, not because I was there, but because I said three competitions. Three? Most think there were only two in 2003, but there were three. In May, the CBBF Canadian Fitness & Figure Championships were held in Edmonton; at the beginning of July, Hamilton hosted the CBBF National World Qualifier; and in September, the first-ever CBBF National Selection for the Slovakian Grand Prix was held just outside Montreal. That last competition was open to all Canadian competitors, which is why I consider it another national event, although this year it seemed that only one competitor outside Quebec knew about it.

I’ll start with the 2003 Canadian Championships in Edmonton, the only national-level event that qualifies competitors for IFBB professional status.

Unlike previous years, there was absolutely no controversy about who won this contest. Overall winner, Janie Keith from Winnipeg, may not have been a unanimous first-place finisher in the physique round, but her routine simply blew every other competitor away. With a western-flavored theme, Janie showed dazzling choreography, exhibited high energy, and performed difficult moves that no other competitors that day could match. I was backstage as Janie did her routine, standing right beside another top-place finisher, and we both watched through a gap in the curtain. When Janie’s routine finished, the competitor turned to me and said, "She’ll win, and she deserves it." Janie took home not only the Overall title but an IFBB Pro Card as well. She deserved them both, and I’m sure every member of the audience and every competitor thought so too.

The next competition was the CBBF National World Qualifier in Hamilton -- the annual drug-tested event that qualifies our Canadian bodybuilding, fitness, and figure athletes for the annual IFBB World Championships.

In Edmonton, Quebec’s Chantal Dicaire had placed third behind Lucie Bergeron and Janie Keith, but she took everything she learned from that competition and improved her physique and routine for the Qualifer. As a result, Chantal was polished in her presentation, flamboyant during her routine, and confident onstage without ever being cocky. She looked gorgeous and every bit a champion, and that’s precisely what the judges made her. Her dream came true when she won not only the Medium class, but the Overall title too, defeating multiple-Qualifier-winner Nathalie Tabouillet, who won the Short category again that night. Chantal went on to place an amazing ninth at the 2003 IFBB World Fitness Championships, and has her sights set on a top-five placing at the Worlds in 2004.

The annual Slovakian Grand Prix is an amateur event held in, not surprisingly, the country of Slovakia. Although Canada had sent athletes in previous years, until 2003 there was no formal competition to qualify to go there. Thanks to the efforts of the Benoit Brodeur of Quebec, all that has changed. The 2003 CBBF Selection for the Slovakian Grand Prix was open to all Canadian competitors, and the winners of each class received an all-expense-paid trip to Slovakia to represent Canada.

Because 2003 was the first year for this event, there were only a modest number of competitors; however, the caliber of the competition was extremely high, particularly in fitness, and the show went down as one of the most enjoyable events I’d been to this year. The fitness winner for the inaugural CBBF Selection for the Slovakian Grand Prix was Quebec’s Lucie Bergeron -- one of Canada’s fastest-rising fitness stars.

Lucie’s background is bodybuilding, and in 2000 she stormed to the top of that sport when she won the Heavyweight class at the Canadian BodyBuilding Championships. Shortly after, though, she turned to fitness. In 2002 she won the Quebec Provincial Championships, and in 2003 she made her national debut at the Canadian Fitness & Figure Championships in Edmonton where she placed second to Janie Keith -- an amazing accomplishment for anyone’s first crack at a national title. The Slovakian Grand Prix qualifier was only her second national-level competition, but she won it, defeating veteran competitor Nathalie Tabouillet and CBBF returnee Mindi O’Brien.

So with her win at the Slovakian qualifier, Lucie is undoubtedly one of the competitors to watch in 2004. Indeed, I believe that if she continues to improve she could well be good enough to take the Canadian Fitness Championships in 2004. However, there are other formidable competitors too, so 2004 won’t be a cakewalk for anyone. Here are my early favorites for the 2004 competition season.

2002 CBBF Canadian Medium-Class Fitness Champion, Sandra Wickham, had a few bumps and bruises after she slid to fourth place in her class this year in Edmonton. Sandra, though, is one of the most-positive and persistent competitors I’ve met. Although she was initially down after her defeat in Edmonton, she came back and competed in the 2003 CBBF National World Qualifier and took second, just behind Chantal Dicaire. That’s the kind of spirit that champions are made of. In 2004 she promises to be back and better than ever -- I believe it.

Another competitor who I know has the potential to crack any of the top positions in a national event is Ontario’s Christine Stillmack. Christine absolutely destroyed her competition in Ontario in the 2002 season, and in Edmonton in 2003, in her first shot at a national title, she placed only fifth. Why? One reason: she blew her routine. I could tell while watching her perform that it was not going the way it should. Indeed, backstage she confirmed that to me. If she had done a routine I know she’s capable of, she may not have won that day -- nobody was going to beat Janie Keith in Edmonton -- but she would definitely have been top-three material. After the show I told Christine, "If you came here and did your best and got fifth, that’s a problem; but you didn’t do your best, not even close to it, so you’ve got nowhere to go but up." If Christine can pull together the same physique conditioning in 2004 that she had in 2003, but improve both her posing and her routine, watch out!

Finally, there’s CBBF returnee Mindi O’Brien. Like Christine, Mindi burned up the Ontario scene in 1999 and 2000 and even went national one time, but then she went on a three-year competitive stint with another fitness organization. She did extremely well with that organization, but Mindi knows where the real action is, and in 2003 she returned to the CBBF with one goal: to win the CBBF Canadian Fitness Championships and earn an IFBB Pro Card. And she’s got all the qualities that can put her there.

Mindi is a rare and gifted competitor, capable of putting together a professional-level routine. Her strength-type moves and her skills are dazzling. Watch her once, and I’ll guarantee that you’ll want to "rewind" just to see some of those moves she does again. Frankly, when she competed in the Slovakian qualifier in 2003 she placed third, but I had her in second -- easily. Nevertheless, Mindi wasn’t perfect in Montreal, and she knows that there are still areas where she can improve, but if she comes in and delivers all she is capable of, she can reach the top spot for sure.

Undoubtedly there are some competitors I missed, and I apologize, but what I do know is that in 2004 our three national-level competitions are going to be exciting, featuring athletes who are truly top caliber. Don’t miss them -- see CBBF.net for contest dates and locations, and make sure to attend.

...Doug Schneider
das@seriousaboutfitness.com

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