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by Tim Rollans

(This appeared in the Toronto Sun in the front section on Saturday of the show)

Results  // Fitness Model Pics //  Fitness Pics // Bodybuilding Pics // Muscle Model Pics // Figure Pics

FAME WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2008 - EVENT RECAP

Perfect.  One small word with a powerful meaning.  The most accurate word to describe the whole weekend of June 13th-June 15th,otherwise known as the weekend where athletes from all around the globe came together in hopes of walking away with the top title FAME offers every two years – the FAME World Champion.  Housed under one of the most prominent event locations in Toronto, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the FAME World Championships and Pro Showdown brought out renown photographers such as Tim Rollans, Urban Stylz, Glen E Grant, Korby Banner, Joel Roberts, Neddy Nyce and Paul Buceta.  Media outlets included Naked News, Slice TV, and B2 Networks who made it possible for the world to see all the elements this weekend illustrated right in the comfort of people's homes around the world.  

The enthusiasm and connectiveness between athletes, coaches, media crew, and FAME staff was unbelievable!  Is there another word to describe it?  No.  It's just that feeling one gets when they realized that while this may not physically be their home, it's where they belong.  On stage and in interviews telling and showing the world what they worked so hard for…their Body-Proud physiques.   

The connections began at registration.  Athletes helping each other fill out the required paperwork, reuniting with old friends and fellow competitors, having friendly rivalries to see who would win, getting that number that would symbolize them the whole weekend.  To some it was a memorable number right from the beginning, to others a number they would remember as the weekend went on and for years to come.  

It was all about the Fittest Duos, the Muscle Models and the Swimsuit/Bikini Models on Friday night.  Looking at all the amazing physiques, the judges knew this would be a long weekend.  Some looked to the sky and even thanked the fact that there was a Timothy's coffee shop in the building!  They were going to need it!    Winners on Friday night included Calgary's finest Eva Sefcova and Derrick Brown for the Fittest Duo Routine, Arysta Bogner and Adam Wood took the title for Fit Duo Toned Twosome!  When it came to the Swimsuit category for the males the individual who took first place, James Minsky, said it was FAME's very own co-president Mindy Blackstien who approached James at a gym and said he had what it took and here he was in first place.  It's amazing how someone believing in another can help rise that person to the top!  In the Bikini category Luciana Pursell and Kendall Wilson took the top spot for Bikini model in the Short and Tall categories.  Friday night also presented two new FAME Pro cards for the Muscle Model categories.  Jean-Jacques Barrett won his Pro title in the Male division and Courtney Roswell became the new Muscle Model Pro in the female category.  For Courtney, not only was it a weekend packed with different categories she was in, it was also a weekend where her significant other would do something unforgettable.  On the last day of the weekend he got down on one knee as awards for the Figure category were being given out and proposed!  While she may not have won the Figure Pro title, she did win the heart of her new fiancée!  Congratulations Courtney from all of us here at FAME! 

Saturday was PRO day.  The day where the anticipation rose to its highest level and the ULTIMATE winners would get their Pro status and stay World Pro Champions for two years.  Judging kicked off at 9am and went through until 3ish.  As the athletes got lined up to out on stage, their amazing physiques made it nearly impossible for any FAME staff backstage to figure out who would take the top spot.  Perfect. That word comes up again to describe how they all looked.

After the judging was finished, the Masters and Seniors Show began.  Four athletes came into the Pro family as they earned the top spot in the Amateur division.  Judy Doughty received her Pro card for Figure Masters, Colleen Mallett took the Pro title for Fitness Model Masters, Rosaria Armenta-Gardener became the new Bikini Masters Pro and Spiros Stavropoulos took the Pro title for Bodybuilding Masters.  For the Pro Masters divisions, new world champions evolved in numerous categories. Luis Castillo became the World champion for Masters Pro Fitness Model, Laurie Dickson for the Masters Pro Female Fitness Model, Ruby Carter-Pikes took the top spot for Figure Masters.  In the Masters Pro Bodybuilding categories, Viviane Malette took the female spot and Sylvain Deschamps took the top male.  

Excitement continued to rise as the evening Pro Show kicked off.  The photographers and other media outlets anxiously scrambled around the find the right place to shoot the top athletes, the theatre packed with family and friends of the athletes.  Everyone in the theatre all wondered who would take the top spot in each category.  After three hours or so, that question was finally answered.  Rising star cover model Diana Chaloux took the top spot for Fitness Model Female.  Not only was her physique in prime condition, the story to how she got there was amazing.  She lost over 50 pounds to get on stage!  After working on a cruise ship and gaining weight she knew she wanted to feel better about herself and Body-Proud she was!  Her face was gleaming when her name was called out.  She is now the new World Champion!  Kendall Wood also wowed the crowd with his physique and personality on and off stage.  Taking the top spot for Fitness Model Male, the first thing he did when his name was called out was smile ear to ear and then immediately shake hands with all the other competitors.  Amazing attitude, amazing physique and well-deserved winner. Kendall Wood is the new Fitness Model Male World Pro Champion!

In the figure category Susan Braumberger couldn't have picked a better routine outfit than the Wonder Woman one she had on!  She was Wonder Woman in everyone's eyes!  Her positivity backstage and her great attitude, not to mention a great physique,  and the AMAZING strength and flexibility moves she was able to do on the bosu ball (we actually heard gasps from the audience) made her the new World Champion Figure Pro!   

We move on the Amelie Verret, a Fitness Pro athlete who truly showed the world what perseverance can do.  After performing her routine in the judging round, Amelie sustained a rotator cuff injury in the shoulder she did most of her strength moves on.  Did she give up at the evening show?  No. Rotator cuff injury and all, she showed the world what a true champion she is by doing her routine perfectly!  She is our new World Champion Fitness Pro!

Michael McFarlane took the top spot for World Champion Muscle Model Male.  His firefighter suit would make anyone want to call the fire department just to have a peak at him!  Perfect outfit for a perfect winner!  Isabelle Galarneau took the top spot for Female Muscle Model Pro with her outstanding physique and great stage presence! 

In the Bodybuilding category, a category that took the judges over an hour to decide which physique looked the best, Calgary's Derrick Brown took the top spot.  Perfectly symmetrical with great stage presence Derrick showed the world what a true champion is!  At 48 years Derrick is our oldest Pro, who despite not competing since his overall win in 2004 proves that once you have it you 'have it'.  In fact, it was Derrick whose physique, posing style and stage presentation first caught the attention of last year's champ, Renaldo Gairy who went on to study and model himself after our new World Champion!

Sunday housed the FAME World Amateur Championships and gave away seven new Pro cards to athletes in numerous categories. Coming all the way from the Czech Republic, Jan Palenicek took the title for Junior Bodybuilder. While flying 24 hours to get to Canada may be tiresome for most people, the trek to Canada paid off for newly turned Bodybuilding Pro Ryan Laos.  Michelle Goodall took the top spot for the Female Bodybuilding category. Lenka Borotova, a Fitness athlete from the Czech Republic, showed Canada what true strength really meant when she performed her Grease-lightning inspired routine.  She paraded the stage with flips, strength moves on one arm, great dance moves and an overall positive routine, it was of no doubt to everyone there that she deserved the top spot!  She was given the new Fitness Pro card!

In the Fitness Model categories, Nicole Carvalho not only joins the FAME Pro family but also her own family of Pros as well. She took the top spot for the short division.  In the tall class, Nadja Scantamburlo wowed the judges with her intensifying beauty as she graced the stage! When it came to the male Fitness Models, Garfield Wilson took the top spot, finally receiving the award he was working so hard towards!  When his name was announced he looked ecstatic jumping high into the air and screaming out in joy  

Eva Sefcova wowed the judges with her physique and outstanding figure routine earning her another Pro card, this time in Figure.  But while her win may be memorable for her, it wasn't the only thing Eva would take with her this weekend.  On Saturday night during the Pro Show awards, James Scott got told the audience and the world what fitness had brought him, a beautiful girlfriend who would one day become his wife.  With that, he got down on one knee and had the audience cheering and crying at the same time! Congratulations on your engagement from all the FAME staff!

The FAME World Championships and Pro Showdown was more than just a fitness show, it was a show of memories, a show of reunitement and a show of athletes that really were Body-Proud.  Whether or not an award was taken home every single athlete achieved their goal.  Through hard dieting, even harder training, and lots of mental focus, these athletes defined to the world what true Body-Proudness is!  Congratulations to every single athlete who graced the stage.  You are really an inspiration to the world…and define what PERFECT actually can be.