Forget the more than one hour late start and late finish.
Forget the no-show of Romell Harewood, the absence of the traditional sponsors, the obviously reduced number of trophies, the irate relatives whose children did not get a chance to display their fitness skills.
Forget the long delays in cuing up the music which resulted in some performers having to execute their posing routines without accompaniment.
And please forget that after the countdown of runners-up in the Tiny Tots division reached third place, the trophies had to be taken back after it was realized that the wrong list of competitors was being used.
Remember the displays by Kezza Goodman-Hinds, the Mr Schoolboy and Miss Body Fitness showdowns.
Remember the smile of pint-sized Ashley Alkins, the award given to Darcy Beckles and the awesome display by Lynden Belgrave.
Overall, the National Sports Council’s Mr Schoolboy and Miss Body Fitness Championships held on Friday at the Lester Vaughan Secondary School was a success.
All of the hype about Harewood of Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic (SJPP) finally winning the Mr Schoolboy title in his third try was forgotten when the big boys started their routines.
Jamar Griffith of the Barbados Community College was a crowd favourite and Daniel Boyce of the SJPP displayed great energy.
But, from early it was noticeable that the battle was between UWI’s Jeffrey Gay Jr who did his individual routine without music, eventual champion Michard Pierre of The Lodge School, and Shaquille Lavine of the Metropolitan.
Pierre displayed a remarkably chiseled body and a total package featuring impressive legs, back, and abs. In addition to the overall title he won the Most Muscular award.
He had to hold off a smoking challenge from a literal dark horse, second-placed Lavine whose physique showed potential.
Gay copped the Best Poser award but his Achilles heel was his weak legs.
The Senior Girls Miss Body Fitness – Body Figure was also a three-way battle, with Shanice Reece of St Lucy being the only person in the hall who was shocked when she was announced as the winner.
With remarkable composure she showcased tight, well toned legs, thighs, chest and buttocks to edge out second-placed Rebecca Charles of St James Secondary and Rashida Gill of the Lodge School (third).
With more toning, the bespectacled Charles would have caused greater problems for Reece.
However, while Gill might have been superior to the popular Davida Holder-O’Neal of St James Secondary, she could not match the form of Charles or Reece.
There were only two competitors in the Upper Junior Girls division, and the pint-sized Ashley Alkins of Garrison Secondary showed good form and an endearing smile to defeat the much bigger Rylissa-Amor Thomas.
In the Upper Juniors 12-to-15 Girls’ Body Fitness, Janine Mayers of Queen’s College defeated Akeera Stoute.
Wilkie Cumberbatch dominated most of the junior events with the majority of competitors as well as the better performances.
However, they had to step aside in the Junior Boys’ 9-to-11, with Goodman-Hinds of Bay Primary stepping up an age group but still being superior in body and poses.
The same occurred in the Boys’ Tiny Tots 6-to-8, with Urijah Belle of Ellerton, spurred on by his dad Mr Bridgetown Stevenson Belle, blowing away the field.
Unfortunately, many of the younger contestants turned up late and registered late, which delayed the start and affected the cuing of the music.
The decision to cancel the fitness routines for the juniors was made by the organizers, teachers and coaches.
Many parents and grandparents expressed disappointment when their children and wards were not allowed to display the routine “they had been practising for weeks”.
However, the display by Mr Olympia qualifier Belgrave calmed the rumbles and awed the audience.
More than $1 000 was collected and presented to Belgrave to assist with expenses towards the international competition.
