A local fitness instructor experienced a trip of a lifetime despite a short time frame to train.
Monique Cormier works locally at World's Gym in North Bay, and is a host for Radical Body Transformations.
She has been competing in body building events for years and felt the urge to get back into competition especially after the challenges COVID-19 created.
"I decided as soon as the gyms opened I was going to prepare for a show," she said, noting that more than 500 competitors took part in the world-class event.
"I really wanted to do the best that I could so we decided to go to the biggest competition in the world."
But traditionally, Cormier would train 18 to 20 weeks ahead of a competition. However, in this case, the 43-year-old had only nine weeks to prepare for one of the world's biggest events; the Amateur World Olympia 2021 which took place recently in Orlando, Florida.
The silver medallist at the 2016 Canadian Mixed Pairs Bodybuilding Championships with her husband and partner Joe,
"I was top 10 which was very exciting for such a huge competition, I could not be happier with the presentation and the package that I brought," she said.
With many of the athletes coming from Europe and the United States, she admits the challenges to train in Ontario where COVID-19 restrictions kept gyms closed until late summer, put her at a huge disadvantage at the event.
So for her to do so well, under those circumstances, made the trip very rewarding.
"It was by far, the best experience of my life as far as competing," she admitted.
"I always learn something from each competition that I do but there is such a difference when you are competing with people who have been doing it for a long time. There is just more of a welcoming feeling. People are still nervous, but they are not as nervous because it is not their first time so the backstage experience was incredible.
"More friendships were made, it was a lot more chill."
Cormier also credits coach Dave Palumbo for helping her lose close to 34 pounds during her training seasons in preparation for the event.
Now at 43, she says she is in the best shape of her life.
