By Tendai Chisiri
Fitness Physiques Africa (FPA) presents Classic Qualifier for Southern Region Championships November 4th, with the tournament slated for April 29th at Zimbabwe College of Music in Harare.
Cathy Martin, aka “Boss Lady” is back after hosting the FPA contest in December at 7ArtsTheatre in the capital.
FPA is an independent body building and fitness Federation, which has already hosted its first event in Zimbabwe last year.This year, the federation has already scheduled two events.
Speaking in a telephone interview from her base in the United Kingdom, the Boss Lady revealed that she will come for competitions and will sit on the judges’ panel.”Possibly I might bring two judges from United Kingdom,” she said.
Her aim is to give fair platform for amateur athletes and inspire them to come forward, compete and showcase their skills, and get exposure. “I do this also to fight drug abuse among youths in the ghetto areas,” she added.
The Boss Lady is the chief executive officer of FPA and has three brands under her, BodyCathy, TransformNutrition and FitWearByCathy.
Winners will walk away with trophies, medals, certificates, supplements, and gym clothes in both competitions, while in the November championships, they will pocket prize money.
Meanwhile, 2022 FPA overall winner Wayne Masendeke’s coach Blekks Makwara aka “Ambassador Blekks” said he will enter more than 15 athletes in the qualifier.
“This year I am determined to bring in more talent. Last year I came with seven athletes and five of them were placed in top three. This year, the Fitness Academy has expanded and I’m bring in 20 athletes”, he said.
” To show that the preps are already under way, both female and male athletes are putting in the strides and are really hungry for this year’s qualifiers and championships in Fitness Physiques Africa”, he added.
Blekks Makwara is the head trainer at Royal Gym based in Hillside Harare and the founding chief executive officer of Hunger Fitness Academy.
He said it was a nostalgic experience to participate in FPA’s event last year for it being a new federation they didn’t know what to expect but it was well advertised and the ground work was thoroughly done. They felt as an academy that they can try on the platform and it turned out to be marvelous for them.
He was so excited with his athlete Masendeke who is both at Royal Gym and Hinger Fitness Academy for clinching the prestigiuos prize and lauded the Boss Lady for such an event.
“Wayne towards the end of 2022 was ever excelling in his physique with each week. It had been a long hard working year since March to get him into the type of shape and form he brought on the day”, he said.
“Indeed , we were seen as underdogs as the Hunger Fitness Academy is relatively little known but as a coach people knew me from the tv world and numerous adverts I do”, he added.
“But that was the perfect recipe for the day, we had zero to no pressure to keep and get out goals of the night and it was also the right platform for Hunger Fitness Academy to make a permanent footprint”, he said.
The major highlight of the night was when Masendeke the young 23 boy with a Greek God physique was awarded with the overall winner trophy in FPA contest on the night which saw him dominate in the junior category gracefully and effortlessly.
Masendeke had to cross over into the seniors category with legends and dinosaurs who have mastered the craft but the young man pulled up the gears and shinned again and the federation judges distinctly marked fairly and justly.He floated above the silver lining.
“Hats off to the Boss Lady for coming up with a such a platform especially Africa. She has already established her fitness federation in United Kingdom but back home had done nothing. So her coming in was timely and also for a female to establish such a federation in her home country i is commendable” said Ambassador Blekks applauding the Boss Lady.
“Also the way she has structured her federation is highly commendable. It is a platform where she is willing to expose talent and allow talent to shine so this makes the fedaration peculiar on its mandate”, he said.
He also said this year Hunger Fitness Academy is really looking to build athletes into a level of professionalism and have them a acknowlegded as professionals.
“With the inception of FPA, this will also give a platform for athletes who have been yearning for something new, something authentic and something that has a different vibe and touchy to it. So we are anticipating to see so much growth this year in a short space of time from all our athletes”, he added.
He also encouraged people to participate and take body bulding amd fitness as any other sport.” Also people have not yet realised what is and what it takes and the amount of sacrifice, time and discipline”, he said.
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