The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Lakeisha Miller returned from Toronto, Canada and the Ben Weider Legacy Cup over the weekend as the Masters Women's Physique champion and the ninth Bahamian to earn her professional bodybuilding card.

"It feels great to know that I have advanced to the next level to the professional ranks," said Miller, who also became the first Bahamian female to win as a physique competitor.

"I'm glad that I was able to go out there and make some waves in the sport for the Bahamas."

On a bet with former bodybuilder Lynette McKinney, Miller got started in the sport about 10 years ago. She took a break for about three years and returned in 2014. Even though she was hoping that she would have prevailed before, she admitted that this is her time to shine.

"Nothing happens before your time," she stated. "I simply waited on God and he came through for me. I trained hard and waited on my time and this was my time to shine."

In Toronto, Miller said she had her hands full at the championships, but she was grateful for the support she got from the Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation and president Joel Stubbs, who serves as her personal coach.

"Individually each athlete had to pay their way to Canada, but the federation took care of the boarding and other expenses which worked in our favour," she stressed.

"The competition was tough because I'm tall. There was seven of us, in the masters there were four. So the competition was really stiff."

The 5-foot-9 personal fitness trainer at Better Bodies said she hopes to return to Toronto next year to make her pro debut and then go to Tampa, Florida.

"There are a few shows coming up. I want to enter every show that I possibly can once I can find the right sponsorship because I want to be able to qualify to compete in Mr Olympia. That is the goal."

With the right sponsor, hard work and dedication, Miller said she's confident that she can achieve her goal. She admitted that she has an awesome coach in Stubbs, who will ensure that she remains dedicated and committed.

"Joel Stubbs is just phenomenal. He's also an IBF pro. He made his waves and I love the way he gives back to bodybuilding," she said. "Just his passion has made the difference as a God-fearing man."

Stubbs, the third Bahamian to earn his pro card in 2003 following in the footsteps in Charles and Natasha 'Down Town' Brown, said Miller deserve her place in history.

She trailed the rest of the field that included Gena Mackey in 2007 in Bermuda, James 'Jay' Darling in 2011 in El Salvador and Dominique Wilkinson in 2013 in the Dominican Republic and Dawn Charlton in 2015 also at home.

"For the most part, everybody know that she stays in the trenches and she work and work and work," h pointed out. "She went to many championships in the Caribbean and we're seen some disappointing finishes.

"We thought she should have place higher and at some points, we thought she should have eon, but she placed third and fourth and fifth. It was all about what the judges see fit and that is how they placed her."

At the beginning of her journey, Stubbs said Miller was competing at a fitness competitor, but after making the trip to Aruba for the CAC Championships, they decided to let her make the change to physique because of her size.

"I guess that was something outside of her element that she wasn't comfortable with," he said. "But I think if we had gone into physique when we felt she should have done, she would have gone pro a long time ago.

"After Aruba when she was placed low, she was really depressed, but she knew that was the time for her to go to physique and sh asked me to teach her everything and we got right back into it and now here we are standing as a pro competitor."

As they regroup, Stubbs said they will have to play their cards right in determining where she should go back into fitness or stay in physique.

Whatever decision is made, Stubbs said Miller will definitely represent the country to the best of her ability.

To those Bahamians who aspire to follow in her footsteps, Miller said said it takes a lot of hard work and dedication.

"You have to have discipline. If you don't have the discipline, this sport is not for you," she pointed out. "You have to have tough skin because you can't never give up. You have to keep pushing. At the end of the day, you will receive what you deserve."

Before she left for Toronto, Miller said people recognized her as a "popular fitness competitor with a body as a stallion and they want my body."

Now that she's back at a pro competitor, she said it's been a whirlwind with people congratulating her and encouraging her.

"I'm truly blessed and I appreciate the love of the Bahamian people and the support of the Bahamian people," she summed up.

"Without the support in this sport, it's hard. So I'm truly blessed to have been afforded the opportunity to go and represent the Bahamas and to beat out all of those competitors to bring home the pro card."

And although the competition is over and done with, Miller said she haven't had any major celebrations. But she admitted that she ate a burger with some fries.

"But I'm back on my nutritional diet because this is where the work really begins," she proclaimed. "This is where the big girls are so I have to be ready for that.

"Every time I step on the stage, I try to perfect me. I try to bring the best physique possible. My coach know that if he give me the a deadline, I will bring the physique that he require."

And that has what has propelled her to the next level as a pro physique competitor.