The verdict is in – the 2012 SAF Summer Spectacular on June 16 was the best SAF show ever! The event was held in the main theater at the beautiful Canadian Museum of Civilization, which is located in Gatineau, Quebec, just a stone's throw from Parliament Hill in Ottawa. This amazing venue is a fitting location to showcase the SAF organization and, of course, the incredible group of women who showed up to compete there.

SAF's star on this day was Michelle MacDonald, who went into the event as the defending champion in the SAF Summer Elite Pro Challenge competition. Michelle not only won the SAF Summer Elite Pro Challenge again, which had ten SAF Elite Pro competitors in total, but she also won the SAF Masters Elite Pro Championship (for SAF Elite Pro competitors over the age of 35), in which she was the runner-up last year. Michelle also won the Elite-level awards for Best in Themewear and Best in Bikini. It was a clean sweep for Michelle, as well as proof that you can continue to improve with age when you take a proper approach to diet and exercise – at 41 years of age, Michelle was the oldest competitor in the SAF Elite Pro line-up. Rounding out the top three in the SAF Elite Pro Challenge were Kim Chartrand (second) and Nadine Young (third). These three competitors are all now qualified for the SAF Elite Pro Championship this fall. Following Michelle in the SAF Masters Elite Pro Championship were Brigitte Dompierre-Gatchell (second) and Lucie Rezankova (third).

Laura Dalton and Meaghan Kersteton were the respective winners in the open Swimsuit Model and Fitness Model categories. It was the first SAF competition for both women. Laura also won the award for Best in Bikini in the Swimsuit Model category. Rounding out the top three in each category were Caroline Mailhot (second) and Alyssa Kirk (third) in Swimsuit Model, and Crystal Kenny (second) and Sarah Van Heukelom (third) in Fitness Model. Crystal Kenny won Best in Themewear and Sarah Van Heukelom won Best in Bikini awards in the Fitness Model categories. All six women are now qualified to compete as SAF Elite Pros.

From left to right: Alyssa Kirk, Caroline Mailhot, Laura Dalton, Nadine Young, Kim Chartrand, Michelle MacDonald, Brigitte Dompierre-Gatchell, Lucie Rezankova, Crystal Kenny, Meaghan Kesterton, and Sarah Van Heukelom

The 2012 SAF Summer Spectacular had two age-related awards for the open-division competitors: Best Over 35 and, for the first time, Fab Over 45. These proved to be incredibly popular with the competitors and the audience alike. Best Over 35 had 11 competitors and Fab Over 45 had five. Alison Wall won Best Over 35 and Anne-Marie Brugger won Fab Over 45. Alison and Anne-Marie took home trophies and cash prizes for their accomplishments.

The 2012 SAF Summer Spectacular was . . . well . . . spectacular. There's really no other word for it – and that has mostly to do with the incredible competitors who entered in this best-ever SAF event. Next competition: the SAF Fall Spectacular on October 20, 2012, in the same location. We hope to see you there!

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