With the exception of the Arctic Pro in Anchorage, Alaska, Vancouver is, I suppose, about as distant a location for British competitors in the IFBB Pro League as it's possible to find. Nevertheless, two of our pros did indeed make the long trip to one of the world's "most liveable" cities for the 8th and 9th July - one making her pro debut in the Fitness division; the other competing in the Physique division.
CARLY THORNTON
6th, Physique
Carly, as always seems to be the case, emerged from her off-season looking better than ever - seven days out and she looked ripped and ready. It's nearly two years since she became the first British Physique pro, winning her pro card just before Rosanna Harte did, and having made her debut in Toronto last year, finishing a creditable 8th in a high-class field, she arrived all smiles in Vancouver for her second pro show.
She was captured by NPC News Online beautiful and proud backstage, where she was busy making friends. This is what I love, she told her Instagram followers as she flexed with Patricia Gosselin, connecting with new friends. Her placing seems irrelevant to her, but for the record she came 6th out of 13 in a line-up packed with some of the best Canadian Physique talent such as Jodi Boam and FMS fave Zoa Linsey.
A few days later she was "making the most of the tan with a summer dress". We can't help wishing she could/would do more than one show per year, but guess we'll have to make the most of Carly in contest shape while we can. I'm already looking forward to seeing how much bigger and better this national treasure will get for next year.
EMMA PAVELEY
Winner, Fitness
From fingers crossed for her pro debut ("five years' worth of work") to I'M GOING TO THE OLYMPIA!!!! I JUST FRIGGIN' WON!!!!!! (her capitals and excamation mark count!) Emma Paveley made British female muscle history in Vancouver.
She became, quite unexpectedly I think, our first ever IFBB pro Fitness winner - and on her professional debut too. And it's not like she had a line-up lacking in pedigree to beat, either. Emma finished ahead of the considerably more experienced Sara Kovach, Ryall Graber (who won in Chicago in the same month), and Fiona Harris, all of whom have made multiple Arnold and Olympia appearances.
Sadly - for Emma as much as for us, she's promised to post something as soon as she finds it - there's nothing of her winning routine available to date, so we will have to make do with one of Emma's moves from her final pre-Vancouver practice and another of her getting the feel of the stage. If her past routines are anything to go by (she's featured on the blog many times since we first met her at the World Fitness Championships in 2014), the lack of images/footage is a real shame.
She'll definitely be on the Olympia stream though. Her dream coming true.
Congratulations to both Carly and Emma!
No comments:
Post a Comment