Winners of 2014: Part One

Our look back at the year gone by begins with a celebration of some of the women who have fulfilled the dreams for which they have sacrificed so much and worked so hard.

IFBB Omaha Pro (Bodybuilding)
ANNE FREITAS


Her best year yet, 2014 saw Rio's freakiest Anne Freitas become the first winner of this event and then go on to her best placing at the Ms Olympia to date. She is a veritable powder keg of muscle, gushed Steve Wennerstrom in his contest report, the title of which refers to Anne as "The Brazilian Anatomy Chart". Two other South Americans won pro events before the Ms Olympia, but Anne remains the heir to Yaxeni's crown as the premier female bodybuilder from that continent.






Watch Anne's post-win interview with RxMuscle


WABBA Universe (Bodybuilding)
SILVIA MATTA


Silvia's big, curvy muscles counted against her at the NABBA Worlds in June, where she was deemed far too bodybuilder-y for the Trained Figure class and placed 5th. But those same muscular curves were the very reason the WABBA judges awarded her the Ms Universe title in Helsinki last month. What a difference a consonant makes!




Watch Silvia's ridiculously muscle sexy WABBA Universe routine


Ronnie Coleman Classic (Class A & Overall Figure)
NPC Nationals (Class C Figure)
TINA NGUYEN


Personally, I'd rather see one of Tina's own selfies (you know, one of those where's she's packed into a tight dress, or one where she's showing off her table top glutes in a thong, perhaps) than a dozen shots of her on stage, but my love for her selfies should by no means distract us from her competitive achievements in 2014. She boasts a 2 for 2 contest record this year. And while she didn't win the Overall title at the NPC Nationals (bottom four pics), she did win her class, which means Tina's an IFBB Figure pro now.






Fall in love with the Tina selfie on her Instagram


NPC Nationals (Light-Heavyweight Bodybuilding)
MIAVA NELSON


Miava Nelson is a personal trainer from Atlantic City and a former winner of Muscle Beach and New Jersey State championships. Like Tina Nguyen, "Miss Miava" won her class at the Nationals and with it her pro card. Before anything I am a lady, she says. Whether I have baby muscle or mega muscle I am a lady. Strong is sexy.






Watch Tracy Hess' interview with Miava from back in March this year


CBBF Canadian Bodybuilding Championships (Heavyweight Bodybuilding)
ROBIN HILLIS


Massive Attack! There may only have been three competitors in the Heavyweight class at the Canadian Nationals, but when those three are Robin "Triple Dee" Hillis, Caissie Liberatore and Michelle E. Russell, I think you will agree that as three-women fields go, this was one of the best (and biggest). Good to see that size (still) matters in Canada, and Robin was a worthy winner. Bodybuilding is bodybuilding. Male or female. It should be the same, she says. The complete package should win. On this occasion, it most certainly did. At 43, Ontario's most muscular is finally a pro.




Marvel at her size and cuts on her Instagram


NABBA Universe (Trained Figure Class II & Overall)
DORA RODRIGUES


And we finish today's post back in Brazil via Southport in late October, when Anne Freitas' fellow Probiotica athete, Dora Rodrigues, won her second Overall NABBA Ms Universe Figure title five years after her first. Now 33, Dora says she's been training for 19 years, and looking at her finely honed champion body, I believe her. Sadly, there are precious few pictures of the event, but at least (as always with the big NABBA shows) we have Dora in motion, which I'm sure is no small consolation.



Explore Dora's website


Six more winners in Part Two tomorrow...