2009 NPC Team Universe

Well, I did it!  I accomplished another major goal by winning the welterweight class at the Team Universe last weekend!  My final amateur contest will be the IFBB World Championships in Qatar the first week of November.  Next year I will take my pro card and compete as an IFBB Pro in the under 202 class. 

New York was a blast!  It’s fun to get to see alot of my old friends from the WNBF….now ex-WNBF pros.  Wendell Floyd got his pro card by winning the men’s bodybuilding overall title.  Angela Mraz got her IFBB Pro card by placing 2nd in her class in the open division Figure and also winning the Masters Figure overall.  Also competing in the show were Marlon Hospedales and Robert Brown in the heavyweight class.  There were more former WNBF’ers  but those are the ones that come to mind immediately.  I also had a nice conversation with former WNBF Chairman, Steve Downs.  Steve is now the marketing director for MHP and is loving his new job!  Steve told me that he was sorry for how things went down with my suspension 3 years ago.  From our conversation I got the impression that he didn’t agree with suspending athletes for appearing in other magazines, but he had to go along with it because it was his job.  I’m guessing that the suspension of (4-time WNBF World Figure Champion) Angela Mraz this year was the last straw for Steve.  He resigned his position at Chelo Publishing and the WNBF about a month later.  It was nice to talk to Steve.  I’ve always liked the guy!

I have to thank my girlfriend and biggest fan, Diana Hurley for helping live my dreams this year.  The trip to NYC for the Team Universe was my birthday present from Diana.  At the beginning of the year I was trying to decide whether to compete in the North American or the Team U.  Financially I couldn’t afford to do both.  So Diana gave me the NYC trip for my birthday so that I  could do both!  She’s also gotten my butt out of bed to do cardio…usually at 5am for the past 6 weeks to make sure that I was ready.  And, she dieted right along with me all summer and is in really great shape!  Next weekend we are headed to Raliegh, NC so that Diana can do a photo shoot with my good friend (and extraordinary photographer) Lisa Brewer.  The weekend after that we’ll travel to Chicago to attend Diana’s 25th class reunion while she’s in the best shape of her life!  Coincidence???  I don’t think so!!!!  :-)