October 15, 2002

Planning Your Competitive Career

Many people do "career" planning, but how many do "competition" planning? Far too few and, as a result, many often unnecessarily limit their competitive careers. If you take fitness competition seriously, you’ll want to plan your competitive career strategy with the same kind of vigor as you would a regular career.

The Canadian Bodybuilding Federation (CBBF), Canada’s premier organization for fitness competition, has two competitive "streams" that offer contestants remarkable flexibility for advancement. Serious competitors must understand the framework in order to take advantage of it most effectively, and must not mistakenly compete in other organizations’ shows thinking that it will get them IFBB Pro status or into the IFBB World Championships.

At the national level the CBBF competitive framework culminates with the CBBF Canadian Fitness Championships and the CBBF National World Qualifier. To get there you compete in what the CBBF calls the "Canadian Championships Competitive Stream" and the "World Championships Competitive Stream."

The CBBF Canadian Fitness Championships is the top contest in the Canadian Championships Competitive Stream. It is held annually, switching cities from time to time. For example, in 2000 and 2001 the competition was held in Toronto. In 2002, it was held in Winnipeg. At the time this was written, the date and location has not been set for 2003. Competitors not only compete for the prestigious title that this event carries, but also for the IFBB Pro Card applications that are awarded here. This is the only Canadian event that directly qualifies competitors for IFBB Pro status -- so, if you have aspirations to be in the Fitness Olympia one day, this is the way to go.

In 2002, CBBF Champions Aristeas Rizos and Nathalie Tabouillet became eligible to apply for IFBB Pro status and the ability to compete in the IFBB professional ranks should they wish. In 2001 Kary Odiatu and Denise Maffioli were awarded that privilege. Qualification for this competition is usually through the provincial-level championships held around the country (but check with your governing provincial body to find out for sure).

Then there is the CBBF National World Qualifier, Canada’s national-level event that qualifies competitors for the prestigious IFBB World Amateur Fitness Championships. To get there, you compete in the World Championships Competitive Stream. The 2003 CBBF National World Qualifier will be held on July 5 in Hamilton, Ontario.

It’s important to know that the CBBF is the only Canadian organization affiliated with the IFBB and this is the only national-level event that will take you to the IFBB World Championships. I’ve talked to numerous competitors who have gone on to represent our country at the Worlds and they have told me that it’s been one of the most rewarding experiences of their competitive careers. In fact, Canadian champions Kary Odiatu and Nathalie Tabouillet have represented Canada many times. Imagine the thrill of competing against women from around the world!

Because competitors graduate from the CBBF National World Qualifier to the IFBB World Championships, it is tested for banned substances by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports (CCES) -- Canada’s only government-recognized agency for testing in amateur sports (that’s done to International Olympic Committee standards). Right now British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec are the provinces with events that qualify competitors for the CBBF National World Qualifier. The other provinces have their own rules for qualifying and again, it’s important to find out from your provincial organization just how to qualify (provincial organizations affiliated with the CBBF are listed under the "Members" section of CBBF.net).

The reason I said that the CBBF offers remarkable competitive flexibility is because you are not restricted to compete in just one of the competitions. In fact, the country’s best competitors usually compete in both competitions, providing they qualify for them properly. In the year 2002, the CBBF National World Qualifier was held on June 15 in Halifax. A week later, the CBBF Canadian Fitness Championships was held in Winnipeg. Nathalie Tabouillet won her class at the National World Qualifier, making her eligible for the 2002 IFBB World Championships, and then she won her class at the Canadian Fitness Championships and was selected for IFBB Pro Card eligibility. She now has remarkable flexibility for her future career. Likewise, many other competitors I saw there competed at both.

But don’t wait until you get to the national level to think about these things -- you must think about them now, no matter what your competitive level. Christine Stillmack is an Ontario-based competitor that we featured in October 2002. Christine only started competing recently, but she planned her competitive path well. She first qualified for the Ontario Provincial Championships at the Northern Ontario Championships. Next she won her class at the 2002 Ontario Provincial Championships (Ontario’s qualifying event for the CBBF Canadian Fitness Championships), and then she went on to win the 2002 Ontario National Qualifier (Ontario’s qualifying event for the CBBF National World Qualifier). Her competitive year in 2002 was long and difficult, but she is now eligible to compete in both national-level events in 2003. Good pre-competition planning can open options for your fitness career.

Start planning today!

...Doug Schneider
das@seriousaboutfitness.com

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