Opportunities abound for Kittitian at National Bodybuilding Competition

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: THE Ultimate Fitness Events (UFE) Canadian national bodybuilding and fitness competition was held last weekend, and even though Kittitian Gavin Skerritt did not finish in the top three he did receive several options to further his love for physical fitness.

Skerritt qualified for the national competition in Hamilton, Ontario by winning the light-heavyweight division at a UFE competition three weeks earlier.

“Since we last spoke, to be honest I wasn’t really going to do the competition. It was just that the opportunity was there and the more I thought about it, I couldn’t let it go by. It was an even bigger opportunity to represent my country,” he told SKNVibes.

The competition was the first time Skerritt had entered two events nearly back-to-back, but that did not stop him from training hard in the limited time available.

“In terms of training, the only difference was that I got a lot stronger and my body required more food. I spoke to a doctor and I was told that even though I wasn’t gaining more weight, my body was operating at optimal performance. I was basically using up all of the food I ate like an hour after I ate it.”

Skerritt was truly living up to the nickname his friends know him by, ‘Gavinous Ravenous’, and was in the “best condition of my life” by the time he headed to the November 14 national event.

Sponsorship for the UFE national competition was given to Skerritt from his supporters, and he also received a posing oil formulated specifically for him Dr. Sheldon Joseph, a Trinidadian scientist and owner of Rejuven8 Labs. The special oil is currently slated to hit the market in mid-2010.

Upon arriving at the event, Skerritt realized that he would be facing the biggest challenge of his bodybuilding career.

“All the other competitors were seasoned veterans of the sport. These guys were elite. They are Canada’s best natural athletes. Just to be among that group was an achievement in my eyes. They looked a lot better than the competition I faced the first time,” he said.

The events were “more intense” this time around as well, and the athletes were required to hold their poses for extended periods of time for the judges.

Though the national competition was eventually won by a fully professional bodybuilder, Skerritt said that he received many rewards from his participation.

“One of my goals was to get my picture and name in Inside Fitness magazine, which is the number one fitness magazine in Canada. It seems as if I have now accomplished that,” he said.

Additionally, the Kittitian received offers from multiple trainers to take him under their wing and showcase him at more bodybuilding events if he chooses to continue his career.

With several opportunities before him, Skerritt described himself as being at a crossroads, one branch of which may see him beginning a new career as a personal trainer with the help of his wife. The pair’s general aim is to assist the public in improving their lives through basic healthy living.

“Apart from competition, I have a desire to enter personal training as a profession. It is a very realistic for me to get into this field. My wife is a massage therapist and she is also an instructor at a college. Once we team up, we could do outreach programmes not just into Canada, but also into the Caribbean.”

Skerritt said he could not release the finer details of his plans at this time, but indicated that the people of St. Kitts-Nevis would definitely be hearing more from him in the future.