GNC Live Well OPA Gala Championships 2014

Contest Report

A Landmark for Canadian Bodybuilding

  Now for all the Canadian Bodybuilding fans this was a must attend event. This was held at the Intercontinental Plaza Hotel and Conference Center in Toronto Ontario on November 29th. This was the 40th Anniversary of this competition and truly an OPA Bodybuilding landmark in the history of our sport in Canada. The prejudging started at 9 AM and the Finals starting at 2PM. As for any of you who have gone to OPA shows, this is not the norm as they run usually late into the night. They wanted to get the show done early so that all could attend the Gala Dinner event taking place in the evening.

Sold out Show

  This show hosted more than 200 competitors from all over Ontario. Not only was this a popular event because of the 40th Anniversary of the show, but the overall winner in each class would get an automatic entrance to compete in the CBBF National Championships. This would prevent competitors from having to qualify at the Ontario’s to get their spot at the Nationals. This would save them a ton of time thus allowing them to focus on a longer offseason to get ready for the biggest show in the nation.

  It was a sellout crowd for both the morning show and the finals with not an empty seat to be found in the house. Their were numerous sponsor looking to promote their companies to the large crowds that gathered outside the auditorium. It looked like many of the sponsors couldn’t keep up with the ravenous crowds looking to sample their wares and products.

Where’s the Beef?

  This show was attended by numerous Canadian IFBB Pro’s and they were seen all over the venue taking pics and signing autographs with their die hard fans. One very exciting moment was when the Bodybuilding men were posing down for the Overall Title, 6 IFBB Pro’s came out to pose alongside them and throw more beef around than an Alberta rodeo. The fans went crazy and loved every minute of it as this was an obvious case of Joes VS. Pros at its best. Now let’s take a look at some of the amazing shots taken by Dennis Ong of the winners in each category.

MEN’S BODYBUILDING

Junior Champion - # 144 Jason Greenfield

Masters Lightweight Champion - # 138 Dwight Nelson

Overall & Masters Heavyweight Champion - # 115 Paul Roney

Grandmaster Champion - # 149 Robby Jewers

 Bantamweight Champion - # 53 Vischnu Persad

Welterweight Champion - # 130 Ramon Fodor

Middleweight Champion - # 127 Sean Tierney

Light Heavyweight Champion - # 26 Mich Roussin

Overall & Heavyweight Champion - # 35 Phil Dunn

Super Heavyweight Champion - # 131 Stas Mazur

MEN'S PHYSIQUE

Masters Champion - # 110 Jason Baker

Short Champion - # 6 Alex Marchisello

Medium Champion - # 3 Jarrett Jacob

Medium Tall Champion - # 122 Damian Schelborn

Overall & Tall Champion - # 56 Daushon McGregor

WOMEN’S FITNESS

 Open Champion - # 135 Andrea Vogler

WOMEN’S PHYSIQUE

 Masters Champion - # 145 Georgina Olivia D’Abreo

Overall & Short Champion - # 145 Georgina Olivia D’Abreo

Tall Champion - # 48 Robin Eve

WOMEN’S FIGURE

 Masters Short Champion - # 60 Elyse Michaud

Overall & Masters Tall Champion - # 91 Sarah Lamothe

Grandmasters Champion - # 86 Teresa Ryce

Figure Short Champion - # 60 Elyse Michaud

 Figure Medium Champion - # 99 Pamela Fitzgerald

Figure Medium Tall Champion - # 79 Marta Paikin

Overall & Figure Tall Champion - # 57 Theresa Laverty

WOMEN’S BIKINI

Masters Short Champion - # 17 Tara Zaccolo

Overall & Masters Tall Champion - # 101 Katie Wilmshurst

 Overall & Bikini Short Champion - # 47 Leah Wilson

Bikini Medium Champion - # 46 Karen Prozak

 Bikini Medium Tall Champion - # 82 Bianca Gabriela

Bikini Tall Champion - # 81 Fabiana Schneider

Gala Dinner Event

  This event celebrated the 40th Anniversary of this competition and was attended by just about everyone who is somebody in the sport. All the big show promoters, sports supplement companies, and more IFBB Pro’s than you could imagine all attended this once in a lifetime event. Numerous awards were given out including one to Norm Jacobs and Jim Morris of Jamor Productions for their dedication to the sport for the last three decades. Not to be forgotten is a very special award to the OPA President Ron Hache for all the hard work he has put into this sport year after year. An amazing video presentation was hosted by Toronto’s own Teresa Bragado of Bragado Productions highlighting some of the most memorable moments of our sport over the last 40 years.

Get Ready for MD Canada in 2015!

  Well it wasn’t all awards and speeches because the dinner was amazing. Once the dinner was over it was time to rock the dance floor and you can bet you won’t see that much muscle slamming around at any local club that is for sure. All in all it was one awesome event and really could not have been done better. I would like to thank Tina Goinav and Lori Ann Redding for always having my back. Not to be forgotten is Dennis Ong for capturing shots of the athletes like no other in the biz. Lastly I would like to thank Ron Hache and Winston Roberts for always making it a memorable moment at every event. Now that the season is over for 2014, you all better get ready for next Year. MD Canada’s rookie year is over and you can bet your sweet apple bottom that we will be back bigger and stronger in the new year with more content than you can shake your lifting belt at.

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