By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net    

Judah Forbes, Alexander Kemp, Orick Nesbitt, Jackie Cleare and Denica Thompson came back to lead the list of team members for The Bahamas at the 52nd Central American and Caribbean Bodybuilding Championships in St Lucia.

Federation president Wellington Sears declared that “bodybuilding is back” after they were not able to host last year’s nationals because of the lack of competitors. 

He announced that just about all of the competitors on stage on Saturday night at the University of the Bahamas Auditorium will be given the opportunity to compete at the CAC Championships, scheduled for September 24-28 at the Rodney Bay, Gros Islet, St Lucia.

Despite the decline in contestants, Sears said they were still happy with the turnout with two competitors from Andros in the newly formed Southern Association and three from Grand Bahama from the Northern Bahamas division. The rest came from New Providence.

Forbes, competing in the toughest division in the men’s physique open against four other competitors, said he didn’t make up his mind to compete until the end of April and he asked God to guide him each step of the way.

“I was on stage with a lot of novice competitors who gave me a run for my money. It reminded me that you should never be comfortable. Nothing is given to you. So you have to go out there and take it,” said Forbes, the 32-year-old director of media and production at Eyewitness News. “I just need to work on my posing, making sure I land them so I can keep it tight on stage.”

Kemp, also competing out of New Providence, participated in four events, winning the men’s fitness open and the men’s fitness model, while placing second in the men’s physique open and the men’s fitness challenge. 

He’s hoping to improve on the pair of silver medals he got in the men’s fitness and fitness model at last year’s CAC Championships in Guyana. 

“It was good to go out there and compete again,” said the 31-year-old, a locksmith who also serves as a personal trainer and men’s development coach. 

“You learn new methods and it helps to increase your chance of getting better. But I noticed that I need to work on my conditioning and become tighter when I go to CAC this year.”

Cleare, also back for a CAC encore after she made her debut in Guyana, said it was an amazing feeling for her to get back on stage to prepare for this year’s CAC.

“It was an amazing feeling. I felt really good and I could see the improvement in my physique since October last year. That is always the goal and the first focal point for me,” said the 42-year-old CEO and founder of Executive Advisory. “I’m excited to be able to go and represent the Bahamas again. I have to work on posing because my physique is able to compete.”Shante Rahming, representing Andros as she competed against Cleare, was particularly pleased to make her debut on stage considering she just switched from running track this year for Huntley P. Christie High School in North Andros. 

“I had two weeks to get in shape. It was great. I love competing. I felt I could have had more time to prepare, but having been competing in track, I wasn’t prepared as I should have been,” said Rahming, a long jumper who competes in both the 100/200m but has aspirations to compete in the heptathlon during her final year in school. “I have to work on my stomach with a different diet plan and develop my routine on stage.”

Thompson, a Grand Bahamian who just missed out on the gold two years ago, was the lone competitor in the women’s wellness category. But she didn’t let that deter her from going on stage and putting on a show. “I feel like I’m in a better state of mind, I’m more focused and I’m just ready to give it my best at this year’s CAC in St Lucia,” said Thompson, a 32-year-old Immigration Officer. “I have eight weeks to go, so I’m looking to bring a much better package on stage.”

Nesbitt, the CEO at Nesbitt Fitness in Grand Bahama, was the lone competitor entered in the men’s bodybuilding masters category. He’s expected to be one of the leading contenders for a medal for Team Bahamas.

For the first time this year, there was a junior fitness category with St Augustine’s College and Red-Line Athletics’ middle distance runner Kelvin ‘the Dreamer’ Francis, who is coached by Cerio Rolle, winning the title over four other youngsters.

“It was good and the competition was good, but my mindset was to come here to win and that was what I did,” said Francis, whose belief that if you dream hard enough and put in enough willpower, you can achieve. “The competition was good, but as a trek athlete, I know I could dominate the competition.”

Based on what he saw, Sears said he’s looking forward to Team Bahamas making its presence felt at the CAC Championships in St Lucia

Here’s a look at the final results:

Women’s Wellness - Denica Thompson.

Women’s Bikini Open - 1. Jackie Cleare. 2. Shantae Rahming.  

Women’s Junior Bikini - 1. Shantae Rahming. 

Men’s Fitness Open - Alexander Kemp.

Men’s Fitness Model - 1. Alexander Kemp. 2. Mardochee Irevs. 

Men’s Classic Bodybuilding - 1. Khalid Ross. 2. Kyle King. 

Men’s Bodybuilding Masters - Orick Nesbitt.

Men’s Physique Open - 1. Judah Forbes. 2. Ryan Payne. 3. Alexander Kemp. 4. Khalid Ross. 5. George Wilson. 

Men’s Fitness Challenge - 1. Elgin Gibson Jr - 312 points. 2. Alexander Kemp - 287 pts.

Junior Men’s Fitness Challenge - 1. Kelvin Francis - 273 points. 2. Frederick Johnson - 250 pts. 3. Anthony Sands - 172 pts. 4. Arthur Marshall - 170 pts.