| Focus August 1, 2004
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Doug Schneider with
champions Mindi O'Brien (top) and Chantal Dicaire.
(photos July 2004 by D. Dave Paul) |
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Winners' Circle: The 2004 Canadian
Fitness Champions
July was the month for fitness and figure
competition in Canada. On July 3, the CBBF Canadian Fitness and Figure Championships were
held in Brantford, Ontario, and on July 24, the CBBF National World Qualifier was held in
London, Ontario. The Canadian Championships qualify competitors for IFBB Pro Card status,
while the National World Qualifier qualifies competitors for the IFBB World Championships
– the former a route to becoming a professional, the latter a route to compete
against the best amateurs in the world. Both are prestigious events, and this year they
featured some outstanding first-place finishers. I’ll start with the first-place
winners of the CBBF Canadian Fitness Championships.
Dominating the Short fitness class was Quebec’s Myriam
Capes – a newcomer to the national-level fitness scene. In the first round, which
is a physique round, Myriam didn’t really stand out as the winner. But in the second
round, the routine round, she blew the audience and judges away with a dynamic and
spirited routine that showcased good choreography and outstanding gymnastics moves. It
was, in my opinion, one of the top-two routines of the show. Myriam couldn’t take the
Overall title this year, but she was certainly a popular winner of her class. Next year
she’ll be one of the competitors to beat in the Overall, I’m sure. Wow,
what a debut!
On the other end of the spectrum was the Tall class where
Ontario’s Jennifer Reece came away with a victory. I liked Jennifer’s
routine, which was inspired by the movie Kill Bill: Vol. 1. Dressed in a yellow
jumpsuit, styled after the one that Uma "The Bride" Thurman wore in the film
(which is actually the same as the one Bruce Lee wore in Game of Death –
filmmaker Quentin Tarantino likes to pay homage to other films in his own films), Reece
looked polished onstage and pulled off a good routine that impressed the audience and, of
course, the judges. I could see by the look on her face that she was thrilled to win her
class.
While Capes and Reece were good, the day belonged to
Ontario fitness veteran Mindi O’Brien, who not only dominated her
class with unanimous first-place votes, but the entire show, too. Everyone was
talking about her. I can’t remember how many times throughout the day I heard
"You have to watch Mindi!" No wonder – she was a sight to see, and she was
as perfect onstage as any competitor I’ve seen in recent years. Coming away from a
disappointing third-place finish in Montreal last year, Mindi reinvented herself for this
show and was the odds-on winner when she walked onstage for the physique round in her
white bikini. She looked incredible, and her routine that followed was just as impressive.
Mindi has always been known for putting on excellent
routines that comprise outstanding strength-type moves and flips that no other Canadian
competitor can come close to matching. But I’ve also noticed that, while she does
those moves so well, she also does them so effortlessly that she makes it look too easy
– as if it’s not difficult at all! Hardly the case, but sometimes that point
gets lost on judges. So, over the winter months when I had a chance to talk to Mindi I
asked her, point blank, "Next time you do a routine you have to let the audience and
judges know exactly how difficult it is. Bang them over the head with it if you have to.
Don’t make it look difficult, just make sure they know what you’re doing is
difficult." I can only guess that she took that to heart, because in Brantford she
let loose with a uniquely styled, sure-footed routine that had simply dazzling moves that
you couldn’t help but watch and be amazed by. She won – easily, with first-place
votes in every round, including the Overall title. Mindi took it all, and she got
her IFBB Pro Card to boot. Next stop for Mindi: the Southwest USA Pro Cop on August 6,
2004.
Three weeks after the CBBF Canadian Fitness Championships,
the CBBF National World Qualifier was held in London, just an hour or so away from
Brantford. Like the Canadian Fitness Championships, the Qualifier produced its own set of
stars who have bright futures ahead of them.
Winning the Short class was Nathalie Tabouillet
of Quebec – Nathalie’s won more national-levels than I can remember. In fact,
she’s such an icon on the Canadian fitness scene that one competitor said to me,
"I’m happy just to finish second to Nathalie."
Nathalie is a polished competitor who makes no mistakes
onstage. From her posing to her routines she’s hard to fault, and obviously, by the
number of contest wins she’s had, she’s hard to beat, too. (She actually
received the opportunity for professional status in 2002, but turned it down to continue
competing at the highest levels of the amateur ranks.) What was impressive about Nathalie
this year, though, was that she had improved, I believe, over previous years. In 2003
Nathalie wasn’t as impressive as she was in 2002, but this year she came back even
better. Great job, Nathalie!
The Tall class consisted of only two competitors, and it
was close. I watched this class with interest, knowing it was a tight race, to see
who’d come out on top. Manitoba’s Christina Mehling emerged the
winner over Ontario’s Janice Rodney, and now has a national-level title under her
training belt. Christina has a nice shape and good onstage presence, which I think might
have helped her edge her way into the lead spot.
For me, the Medium class was where all the action was. Last
year’s winner, Chantal Dicaire, dominated it once again. She was as
impressive in this event as Mindi was at the Canadians. But, before I go on, I must own up
to something: For Chantal’s 2004 season I personally trained her – overseeing
her entire workout and nutritional program, and even training with her from time to time
(believe me, that last part certainly wasn’t easy). We wanted her to make an even
bigger improvement in 2004 than she did in 2003. I say this openly, before I make any
remarks about the way she looked, since obviously I am somewhat biased.
But as biased as I am in this case, I can say without
question that Chantal looked wonderful onstage, and was much better in London than she was
in 2003 when she won her class and the Overall title (there was no Overall title given at
the 2004 Qualifier). And it’s not just me saying that. When Chantal walked onstage, MuscleMag’s
Garry Bartlett turned to me and said, "I can’t believe how much she’s
improved over the last two years." "She’s five pounds heavier," I said
to Garry, "with even better shape and definition." He agreed. Another show
veteran remarked, "Chantal looks like a professional up there, even though it’s
an amateur show." Indeed, she did.
Gone are the days when Chantal would have to settle for
runner-up positions – labeled as Canada’s second, third, or even fourth best.
With back-to-back national level wins, Chantal’s gone from being an also-ran to a
bona fide star on the Canadian fitness scene. Her secret: dedication, perseverance, and
hard work. Well, that and the fact that she now has the physique, confidence, presence,
charisma, and ability to compete with Canada’s, and even the world’s, best. Her Matrix-styled
routine that she did this year – all her doing, none of that was mine – was
definitely one of the highlights of the event. Chantal’s goal for the remainder of
2004: top-five at the IFBB World Fitness Championships in Spain this September. I know
she can do it.
Next month I’ll talk about the six figure winners at
these two events.
...Doug Schneider
das@seriousaboutfitness.com |
