Global Gossip

Please join Christine Lanois "16 Weeks with Sick Kids - Let’s Make A Difference"!  

She is fund raising in support of SickKids and would be honored if you would join her.

Here is a note from Christine Lanois.

To raise funds for SickKids, here’s what I plan to do:

Healthier Children. A Better World. "16 Weeks with Sick Kids - Let’s Make A Difference"

"Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success."

The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is Canada’s most research-intensive hospital and one of the world’s largest and most respected paediatric academic health sciences centre. Children in every nation of the world have benefited from their patient care innovations, preventative medicine practices and strategies, research discoveries and partnerships. The Hospital for Sick Kids makes a difference but needs our help……………..

My name is CHRISTINE LANOIS. I am a Single Mom; Registered Nurse and an Elite Athlete. I am now preparing for the IFBB North American Championships in Cleveland, Ohio Aug 29th, 2009 as a Canadian Figure/Fitness Competitor. My main purpose for this competition is to make a difference and I promise you I will. My journey to the IFBB will be for all those children in need at The Hospital for Sick Kids; but I can’t do it lone ……………I need your help…….the children need our support………!

My VISION is hoping to raise $50,000.00.  Research cost money; funding from major orgnizations are not sufficient that’s why people like me and you can choose to make a difference.  My goal is to challenge every athlete; trainer/coach; self care workers; parents etc.  The children are our future and therefore their health and wellbeing should be priority in our order of business.

Make a donation now right here.

For more info on SickKids go to www.sickkidsfoundation.com/fundraise/

It was his love for fitness that made him step on stage for the first time this past June. It was his perseverance that has allowed him to rise in the industry at an exponential rate. While most will agree Fitness Model Obi Obadike is new to the industry, the amount he has accomplished within that time has been nothing less than extraordinary!

His path into the fitness scene was a debatable one. Having been involved in track most of his life, Obadike focused intently on becoming just that…an elite track athlete. And while he broke school records in the 100 and 200-metre runs at Cal State University of Fullerton in Southern California, his repeated hamstring injuries prevented him from competing in the 2000 Olympic trials. This forced Obadike to look in other directions. He proceeded to enter the world of sports modelling.
To date, Obadike has been in over eight national sports commercials and in over 15 national sports ad campaigns. His most notable commercial was the famous Gatorade Commercial called the “The Winning Formula”. Not only was this commercial considered one of the greatest Gatorade ads, Obadike beat out over 100 athletes and fitness models to attain a spot in it!
Gatorade Commercial

After having over a decade of success as a sports model, Obadike felt a desire to make his mark in the fitness industry.  He noticed various covers of fitness magazines showing off chiselled physiques and offering exercise tips. What he also noticed, however, was that there was a minute amount of fitness models that were African American. Right then his mind was set…show the world that not only can he get a winning physique but he can also defy the norm set forth by magazines!

He sought the advice of fitness legend Clark Bartram on how to attain success in fitness modelling.  It was Bartram’s mentoring and confidence that helped give Obadike the motivation and energy to believe he could succeed.  

He began his training in March and stepped on stage in June at the FAME World Championships placing runner up in the Pro-Fitness Model Division. Obadike then went on to compete at the WBFF Show in Mississauga, Ontario where he was the strong contender to win the fitness model World title this past September but due to flight complications missed prejudging and, therefore, missed his chance for a placing.

Despite this obstacle, Obadike has accomplished things most fitness competitors could only do after numerous years in the industry. In only 7 months his passion and persistence has led him to:

–Grace the covers of not one, but two, fitness covers!
–Be interviewed on the Greg Mantell Talk Show twice this year!
Greg Mantell Interview
–Be named the most ripped fitness model and athlete in the planet by Critical Bench.com where he has a big interview in regards to this honour at the start of Jan of 09.
–Be the first African-American male fitness model to be in an international supplement ad for Dymatize Nutrition

–Be the Bodybuilding.com wallpaper of the week
–Be interviewed on the Big Nation Radio
–Be included in the first African-American male and female fitness model couple on a U.S. fitness cover for Max Sports and Fitness (Sept issue)

–Be included in the first African-American male and female fitness model couple on a Canadian fitness cover for Inside Fitness (Next Month’s issue)

While Obadike says genetics do play a part in the fitness scene, working out and eating right is critical for success, as is great stage presence and an ability to show off your unique personality.

Obadike says although he has worked very hard this year, he believes that success cannot be attained by just one person. “You can’t do it alone and many good people have been influential in my success such as Paul Dillett, the former IFBB great Pro-Bodybuilder and President of the WBFF.

“The WBFF is such a great organization that is really revolutionalizing the fitness and bodybuilding industry. I will always be grateful to Paul Dillett and the WBFF who were influential in helping me attain my second fitness cover.”

Obadike not only has a physique that will make your mouth drop, his personality will make your heart melt. His genuine love for fitness is evident as a featured writer for www.clarkbartram.com where he offers free fitness video blogs and articles to the public. He says it’s an opportunity to help give back to the community while educating people on how to stay fit and eat right.  

Obi Obadike Sprinting

Education is something that Obadike isn’t lacking as he has a B.A. Degree in Communications, B.S. Degree in Computer Networking in which he graduated with honors.  He is two months away from finishing his Masters Degree in which he hopes to graduate with honors in Information Systems.

“You can have great abs, a great face, money in the bank and all the knowledge in the world but if you don’t have the ability to use that to help somebody then it means absolutely nothing.”

Obadike also hopes to help revolutionize the fitness industry by using his success as a catalyst to help aid in more diversity on fitness covers. He wants to be the person that can help create opportunities for African-American fitness models and other minorities that have aspirations to be on a fitness cover but may be discouraged from doing so.

“Believe in yourself. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it.”

It’s a motto that has definitely worked for this fitness model. He showed the world that while he may not have fit into the stereotypical norm in the fitness modelling industry, sometimes it’s better to create your own path and let the world follow you. And that is what we will be doing, following an athlete who is sure to set the path for continued success with his future endeavours!

His next stop….the MVP Quest in Hamilton, Ontario November 22nd for the title of the Ultimate Fitness Champion.

Take a hard, chiselled body with an attractive face and good marketability and you’ve got a potential for a cover model… add on charisma, charm, good sportsmanship, a great attitude and love for fitness and that can only give you FAME World Pro Fitness Model Champion Kendall Wood!

Having had severe bouts of asthma throughout his childhood, it was a challenge for Kendall to even be able to run a block let alone work out for hours on end.  With over 1000 visits to the hospital and a doctor telling him he may not live much longer, Kendall had no choice but to figure out how to become stronger than what his asthma was.

And so he did…in baby steps.  

Having moved down to Georgia for university, Kendall began lifting weights, playing football and basketball.  While he was getting healthier, he had to overcome more obstacles like surgeries in both shoulders, a ruptured patella tendon and, therefore, two surgeries on his knee.  These limitations only made Kendall work harder to achieve a healthier life.  In 2006 Kendall entered his first Fitness Model Search competition sponsored by Hardbody.  Out of a 22-city tour, this Harlem native made it in the final 15.  During that weekend, Kendall met FAME Pro Zac Titus who encouraged him to keep on competing.  Not ten minutes later did he meet the first ever FAME Pro Bodybuilder Ian Walling who also said he had what it took to become a Pro.  Those two meetings confirmed the fitness life Kendall knew he was meant to have.

Having decided to train himself for another fitness show, Kendall entered his first FAME competition winning Pro status in the FAME North American Championships November 2006.  After a whirlwind of more competitions, Kendall also won the Muscle Model division making him the first ever competitor to gain Pro status in both categories.  Finally, this past June, Kendall won the FAME World Pro Title for the Fitness Model category.

Having been backstage at the event I knew Kendall had what it took to be the World Champion.  It wasn’t even so much his physique (although obviously that had a lot to do with it!), it was the way he conveyed himself to the audience, the way he interacted with people backstage, the way he showed not only the competitors but also the staff and spectators what it meant to be truly Body-Proud and confident.  

Kendall has graced the cover of the July edition of Maximum Fitness magazine, and is starting up his online training at www.fitsciences.net

He is also currently working directly with the FAME organization on a show he’ll be hosting next year.  You can sign up for the FAME newsletter at www.fameworldtour.com to be the first to get the info on his show date!  

When I asked him what his increased popularity has done for him he humbly said, “If being popular can help somebody out there and also help me in a win-win situation then it’s worth it but popularity alone is meaningless.”

It’s funny how most people can attempt to read into another person’s story and end up being totally wrong.  Looking at Kendall most would think he’s got it all and it all came easy.  He may have it all now but listening to his story of how he got to where he is, that’s the motivating part - to know that someone went through endless amounts of obstacles in order to follow their dream.  That’s what Kendall did and not only has he won the hearts of his fellow competitors and fitness enthusiasts, he also won World status!  Way to go Kendall!!!!

To find out more about FAME World Champion Kendall Wood you can visit his website at www.fitsciences.net

Fitness professional, personal trainer and radio talk show host are just three elements that describe newly turned FAME Pro Melissa Tucker.

Add on her new “Fitlicious” line of products and anyone can imagine the hectic lifestyle she leads.  To Melissa, however, it’s her passion.

Her new “Fitlicious” line stemmed from her love of food.  She knew that in order to balance her life she needed to somehow turn her passion for food and mesh it right with her love of fitness.  Being a certified personal trainer, Melissa knew that 70% of the results from fitness came from clean nutrition.  She played around with recipes trying to concont some way of coming up with lean recipes but still keeping the meals interesting and tasteful. She even went as far as going to culinary school and getting her certificate in order to successfully accomplish this goal!

Melissa created recipes using equations and other newly founded knowledge from her culinary school.  The outcome?  “Fitlicious”

“Fitlicious” is a line of products that reapproaches the way fitness is normally approached.  The products make fitness and health fun, sexy and approachable. Her “Fitlicious” food prescription cookbook, the first product to kick off the “Fitlicious” line, shows illustrations focussing more on the motivation to stay fit rather than how good the food looks when you make it.  Her theory: most people are very visual and it’s the celebration of a fit body combined with food that equals “Fitlicious”.

The cookbook also focuses on the macronutrient ratios and helps anyone of any size and goal measure out the right amounts to help them achieve their end result.

In addition to the cookbook, Melissa is focussing on creating an apparel line, “Fitlicious” bootcamps, workout DVD’s, and various photoshoots to help women and men of any age, size, and goal embrace what they have and help develop what they can become.  Her goal with this specific project will be to develop a book of physiques to show that every body type is art and will break away from the ideal most are seeing in the media today.

Aside from her new products, Melissa will be the co-emcee, along with FAME president Jeffrey Kippel, for the FAME World Championships this upcoming June 13th-June 15th.  She will also keep focussing on her competition career and will have her PRO debut in Miami this fall.  

“Goals should be ever-evolving.  Start with baby steps, then take longer steps until you stride” is Melissa’s philosophy, and it’s a philosophy that has taken Melissa from a newbie, to a personal trainer, to a culinary chef, to now an entrepreneur and a new FAME Pro.  One that not only shines on the outside with her chiselled physique but also one who took it upon herself to not only show people she is Body-Proud but to also help others get to that sense of contentment as well.

If anyone wants to check out Melissa Tucker live at the FAME World Championships check out www.FAMEworldtour.com

You can also visit her website at www.melissatucker.com

Editor’s Note: Melissa’s back was recently featured on Bodybuilding.com as a Wallpaper of the Week!

After being offered the Gossip girl columnist position for the Canadian sector of athletes, I knew my dream had come true.  Come on!  Working alongside high-calibre athletes in FAME events and now I get to write about their upcoming fitness careers and dive a little bit into their personal ones?  This is a dream position for anyone in the fitness field!

I received the initial email from Richard Barnet that started off my blogging journey and after many days pondering over what piece of news I can kick off the Canadian section with, I knew the one I’m about to tell you took the top spot!  

I’m talking about the highly anticipated, largest fitness event that is happening ONLY 14 days from now…

The 2008 FAME World Championships and Pro Showdown!!!

This event not only brings top athletes from all over the world including a huge team from Australia, it also promotes the new mantra FAME is launching to the public…and that is to be BODY-PROUD!  This goes beyond having an outstanding physique…it is an internal self-awareness factor that slowly exudes to what we continuously see and say “Oh my god, I want her abs” or “How can I get as big as him?”  The BODY-PROUD phenomenon goes beyond diligently training and eating clean.  It’s an internal satisfaction and positive belief that you can do whatever you put your mind to.  

To promote this lifestyle, there will also be a Marketplace Expo in the Convention Centre where the three-day fitness event will be held.  Not only is this expo free to the public for the first time in FAME history, highly reputable fitness speakers, authors and physicians will be on hand to help anyone and everyone get the path started to becoming body-proud themselves by offering all natural tips for the mind, body and soul.  

Now onto all the competition hungry people that visit Bodybuilding.com everyday.  Huge names will be competing in order to earn the top title FAME offers every two years.  Julie Marsland, Diana Chaloux, Paula Ryff, Marzia Prince, Nicole Costa, Rob Riches, Annette Milbers, Renaldo Gairy, Kendall Wood, Ava Cowan, Larry Vinette and bodybuilding.com’s own Kris Gethin are just some of the athletes that will showcase their bodies on stage and be having meet and greets with the public.  

So stay tuned for more developments to come and make sure you check out  the FAME website, www.FAMEworldtour.com to get the latest scoop on this event that is sure to make history.