I imagine bodybuilding in Canada is similar to hockey in Jamaica. People know what it is and know it’s popular in another country, but they don't really know much about the sport and have little interest in understanding it. Bodybuilding up north can definitely be frustrating at times. From the beginning of my journey to my current place in the sport, I have experienced this firsthand--Canada’s passing interest in my favorite sport and passion.

As a young teen, working hard, training, eating, and making nice gains and obvious leaps in the gym were frowned upon. I always felt that all the older, more conservative members of my gym knew what I was trying to do, but failed to see the point behind it. It was as though people couldn't comprehend why I was spending all my time in the gym instead of on the hockey rink like all the other athletic youth.

Deciding that hockey wasn't for me and choosing bodybuilding as my passion came with a lot of disapproval, from my father my friends. I always felt that the sport I was pursuing was not even seen as a true “sport”. In Canada, if it's not hockey, it's not worth applauding. Even now, as a sponsored young bodybuilder, provincial level CBBF competitor, Junior Universe Champion and fitness model, I am having trouble pursuing my career due to where I live.

All the major events in this fantastic sport take place in the United States. It is very difficult for me, as a young Canadian, to cross the border for photo shoots, competitions, and appearances due to visa issues. Although I am very proud to be Canadian, and though I love my country and it's culture, I feel like my career path would be much easier if I had grown up in the U.S. I feel like I have been blessed and it is a miracle that I have come as far as I have growing up in a small town in Ontario.

With very little exposure and limited access to where the sport thrives, I have been very fortunate enough to be supported by my all-time favorite supplement company--the company whose ads I have pinned up on my wall since I was a young teen. I am now living the dream and proud to say I am a part of the Universal. Not Universal the company, but Universal the family.

This support really came at a time when I needed the boost to push on and persevere in this great sport. I have hope that someday I will be able to represent Universal as a professional IFBB Canadian bodybuilder. I hope that I will be able to break down some of the cultural misconceptions and make bodybuilding more popular in my native province.

To me, bodybuilding is a very admirable pursuit. As I mature, I want to become more of a positive role model and success story for other Canadians who feel just as I did. Just last spring, and shortly after I won the Musclemania Junior Universe Competition in Miami, a local newspaper contacted me. I was interviewed and photographed outside of my home gym, Progress Fitness. It was a proud moment for me at the time.

The very next morning the article was printed and I remember racing to the store to buy a copy. I started reading, but the more I read, the more disappointed I became. Instead of celebrating the fact that I was achieving success in the sport of bodybuilding, it focused on the fact that I no longer played hockey. The entire article was written in such a way that it made me out to be a failure in hockey. They made it sound as if I couldn't make it big on the rink so I decided to try my hand at another sport, perhaps an inferior weaker sport.

It was as if the paper had sympathy for me, and was glad to see I was at least winning in some form of athletics. They went on to discuss my best friends who are AHL hockey players and how they attended my competition, how they trained in the hot Miami weather and are ready for next season.

I was disappointed to say the least. However, to this day that article remains pinned up on my wall, beside my Universal magazine ads and bodybuilding trophies. I want to see it positively. It reminds me to continue pursuing this dream and this sport regardless of what others may think. Bodybuilding cannot be about others; you can't let your friends, family, or community affect your ambition.

In the big picture, the climate you live in or the geographical location of your home has nothing to do with developing a phenomenal physique. A 225 lb. squat is the same in Canada as it is in the United States, Russia, or Germany. And although the world around us can be very influential and at times discouraging, we must set this aside and stay true to ourselves. Regardless of where you live you must keep your focus and your self-confidence, and keep your eye on the prize.

Someday I hope to be the Canadian National Overall Champion. When that day comes, my city, province, and country may think what they want, may say what they like, may compliment or critique, but I will not let any of it change my overwhelming sense of accomplishment. That championship will be my Stanley Cup. Very few people have an understanding of the sport of bodybuilding, and living in Canada certainly amplifies this fact. I am Canadian. I am a bodybuilder. I am a Universal Athlete. I am proud to be all three and every day I try my best to represent this sport with class. 

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