Well I am finally back from the IFBB Amateur World Championships in Korea. I can tell you it was a great and eye opening experience. Let me start of first by saying Thank you to the NPC and Jim Manion for funding and sending a team to Korea to compete. Secondly Thank you to Chris Faildo�??s family and friends that came from everywhere as far as Chicago and Hawaii to lend us support.
Third thank you to my teammates, Paul Coats, Shiloe Steinmetz Kelli Pettiford and Chris Faildo , as there were no egos on who was the best from the US. We all got along really well from helping each other backstage to just hanging out at baskin robbins and dunkin donuts, of course after everything was over. This was truly a great experience.
I can tell you now this wasn�??t all what I expected. Going into the World Championships my expectations were very high as well am sure my teammates, until we got there and saw what we were up against. Now when I say we the US team are natural. Trust me we are. Unless 90% f the countries came up with some scientifically engineered protein or something that shuttles the amount of carbs directly into the muscle we don�??t know about yet naturally. I don�??t think so people. I can tell we saw our fair share of growth guts .
I personally talked to two athletes that were on GH and insulin. They told me it can�??t be tested so they won �??t get caught. I thought for a moment this was suppose to be a drug tested show, a natural to say. Yeah right!! When you have athletes eating loaves of bread 12 potato�??s , bacon and other crap in one sitting right before your eyes and putting it down within minutes, I don�??t know about you but it would make very bloated for days. Not these guys!! It made them harder. I guess you have to see it to believe it.
I guess now I believe that an organization will have there fair share of drug users whether 1 or 30 they will be there. My placing wasn�??t what I had expected. I no one to blame but myself. Now does that mean I will start using everything in the book? Or even anything close? Hell No. My satisfaction comes from beating people that are on something. So back to the drawing board I go. With almost a year off and time to grow and reassess myself. I will be back bigger stronger harder on 2008 for the Team Universe.
This experience has taught me a lot. On handling adversity and disappointment. I have a new mentor. His name is Chris Faildo. This man is a true champion. Watching him conduct himself was very inspiring. Going into the night show we were all certain he was in the top 6 for the finals, but when we all got to the arena his name was not on the list. Were there tears shed? Of course , not just for him but I guess we shed tears in our own way for not even placing in the top 6. After a few moments I watched something that I will never forget to this day.
Chris wiped the tears lifted his head up and went around and shook all of his competitors hands to wish them luck with a smile on his face. Now that�??s a true champion!! After we got back to the hotel and changed and ate, we were all down in the lobby and the competitors were just coming back from the competition with there trophies in hands and even then Chris congratulated and shook there hands with a smile on his face. That was very inspiring. He could have easily turned the other cheek and blew them off. True Champion.
Also to his family and friends I say thank you for a wonderful week. The people that he surrounds himself with are a true blessing. If you are ever in Hawaii. Look him up at gold�??s gym in Oahu. I know I am, I am heading there in March and April!!! Thank you for everyone�??s encouraging words and a special thank you to Chris Faildo for the talk and Big E you da man!! I am still laughing bro!!!
SORRY I HAVE BEEN GONE SO LONG BACK FOR GOOD NOW!!!