Western Canadians Kelowna

May 19th, 2012 will be a day I don't think I will ever forget!  I have to say that stepping on stage to compete in the Men's Physique category was such an amazing experience.  Being a part of the Body by Brandt team was such a great time!  We had so many members of our team place in the top 5 and several taking home trophies for top 3 placings!

To be honest, I am very surprised that I was not affected by nerves nearly as much as I expected to be.  Don't get me wrong, I did have my moments of nervous energy, but I was able to keep it together and remember to hit my posing for the most part as I practiced.  Thank you to Muscle Insider Magazine for their coverage and thank you to Gus Mctavish of ProShotPhoto for their coverage of this event and the photos of on stage.  They were able to capture some great images that showcase many competitors best.  I have included some of the photos from the stage.  To see more, you can check out my Facebook page to see many of these photos, or the galeries on Muscle-Insider.

I am very happy with what I brought to the stage, but it appears as though I may have come in too lean.  I'm already making some adjustments to my physique to be ready for the BC's June 30th.

This photo is of the top 3 winners in Men's Physique.  Winner is in the middle, with second place to the left and I am on the right.

It was a tough group of guys to compete against, as you can see from the line-up of the top 5 in the final call-out in the evening show.  I want to say congratulations to all of the other competitors I had the opportunity to share the stage with and thank you for the positive energy that all of the competitors displayed towards one another.

I would be doing an injustice, if I failed to mention the fact that my wife Grace competed in the same show as I did.  Some people said we were crazy to be prepping and competing in the same show, as we would drive each other crazy.  We found completely the opposite was the case.  We were able to push each other to achieve some amazing results, as well as support each other through our challenges.  I think Grace presented an incredible physique, although it was not quite what the judges were looking for.  I don't think Grace is too disappointed with what looks like 6th place, mainly due to being too lean for what the judges were looking for.

Grace on stage with 3 of the top 5. 1st place winner is the far right.

  

I feel very fortunate to have had so many people offering support and encouragement along this journey.  A special thanks goes to our daughter Veronica and our friends Marie and Matt for making the trip to Kelowna with us.  The three of them were such a big help with all of the extras that we needed during our final preparations.

Seeing as the BC's are closer to home (Massey Theater in New Westminster), I hope we will be able to have even more family and friends come to cheer us on, as we continue our journey of competing on stage.  Keep posted for further updates on progress and more cool information and even some recipes coming soon. 

Take care, and keep working on transforming your own wellness.  Thank you for reading and please make sure to share your thoughts and comments.

Andrew

#TeamRippedFreak