By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

TARRAN Knowles became the latest Bahamian bodybuilder to earn his professional card.

Knowles achieved the honour at the recent IFBB Montreal Pro Qualifier in Laval, Quebec, Canada on June 9. He competed in the Men’s Physique Open Class Division en route to gaining the highly regarded title.

“Heading into the competition it was just about staying focused. Knowing what I had to go through to get here - my downfalls, my injuries, my setbacks. I just went into a state of focus during my training. The thing about competition is you can’t worry about who is out there and who is competing, you have to maintain and sustain what you have to do and what you need to bring in order to produce the results you want,” Knowles said.

“It has been a long process but it has been rewarding. It’s overwhelming to finally achieve this and it is difficult to process, but I really want to highlight being focused, maintaining my drive and my thankfulness to the people praying for me everyday.”

The veteran bodybuilder added that the pro card status opens the door to a myriad of new opportunities in the sport as his career continues to progress.

“Being awarded this status gives way to getting government subvention, being able to receive a payout with a top five finish, you can receive endorsement deals with supplements or apparel as it relates to becoming a brand ambassador, so the possible rewards are almost endless,” he said.

“The focus gets more intense and this is a passion for me so I just want to inspire, encourage and invest in training. The discipline you attain in bodybuilding translates and makes you even more prepared for the real world. You’re so focused on your goals that anything that appears as a distraction doesn’t matter and it really creates a different level of focus.”

Knowles currently trains at Macfit360 where he also serves as a personal trainer and TRX qualified instructor. He looks to bring that same dedicated focus to others pursuing a health and wellness lifestyle.

“With your passion you have to bring a role model mindset. At the end of the day you have to remember that you are a representation of your best self. So once you bring that to the table knowing that responsibility is on you, your drive and focus will follow,” he said. “You have to show and bring that mindset that what you do can be used as a positive. I have to live an exemplary life. If I tell you to jog, I have to jog as well, If I tell you to eat well and practice these habits I need to do that as well within the health and wellness range to motivate, inspire and keep each other accountable.”

Recent highlights in Knowles’ bodybuilding and fitness career also includes a first place finish in the Men’s Physique Short Class at the 2018 Mr and Miss American Bodybuilding Championships in Bogota, Colombia, second in the Men’s Open at the 2018 IFBB Elite Pro in Montreal, Canada, and fourth in the Men’s Physique A Class in the 45th Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships in Mexico.

In 2012 the Men’s Physique was officially launched as a new IFBB sport discipline and has proven to be a very popular category. They perform two rounds of quarter turns, wearing board shorts of their choice. The final round (Round 2) begins with a short individual onstage presentation of each competitor. It is aimed at men who do weight training, keep fit and eat a healthy balanced diet, but who prefer to develop a less muscular, yet athletic and aesthetically pleasing physique.