BODYBUILDERS and fitness athletes representing the island at the 44th Central American and Caribbean Championships (CAC) in the Dominican Republic will be seeking to continue the country’s proud international legacy in the muscle sport.
The bodybuilders have won the overall team title on 31 occasions and are seeking to add another over the weekend.
Among those seeking to do themselves and the country proud are first-timer Lynette Thompson, a body fitness competitor, Melissa Burrowes (defending champion in bikini fitness), and Marlon Dottin, the 2014 CAC champion in men’s physique competition.
These three competitors spoke of their ambitions as they received sponsorship support from Sagicor General Insurance to attend the region’s premier amateur bodybuilding championships.
“This is my first time on the CAC team, but I expect to be on top of my game and produce something to remember. I thank Sagicor for their support and that has also been a form of motivation for me to want to do well,” said Lynette Thompson, whose sister Dionne is the CAC defending tall-class champion.
Thompson, a school teacher, came back to the sport recently after a six-year break and has made the national team after a second-place finish at the Barbados National Championships.
Bikini fitness champion Melissa Burrowes is a veteran of sorts at the CAC Championships and will defend her 160cm division after capturing a gold medal at last year’s event in The Bahamas.
“I’m looking forward to the championships and I want to win again. It is a great sense of pride to be on the Barbados team and I want to do well and contribute to the overall team performance,” said Burrowes, who is contesting her fourth CAC Championships.
Dottin, who is competing in the 170cm and under division in the men’s physique, is making a return to the national team after missing last year through injury.
He is also a previous champion, having won in 2014 in St Maarten, and said he too was seeking another gold medal.
“I am aiming to win my division, but I know it will be very competitive. The Hispanic competitors tend to be well prepared and I am working to be on top of my game,” said Dottin.
This is the fourth year that Sagicor General Insurance has assisted the bodybuilders in attending the CAC Championships, and assistant vice-president of marketing, Roger Spencer, said his company was proud to do so.
“We support a range of sports as well as sportsmen and women in their particular endeavours, and we are happy to be able to assist our talented bodybuilders and fitness competitors to attend the major CAC Championships,” said Spencer. (PR)
