The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Dominique Wilkinson became the latest Bahamian to earn her professional card as the Bahamas finished fourth at the Central American and Caribbean Bodybuilding & Fitness Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, over the weekend.

The championships, which featured 24 countries, saw Barbados emerge as the overall champions ahead of host Dominican Republic. Trinidad & Tobago beat out the Bahamas for third.

Despite only having a 15-member team, the Bahamas made its presence felt as Wilkinson led the way to win the body fitness short class and the overall title to earn her International Federation Bodybuilding pro card.

The Bahamas also got two silver, two bronze and three fourth place finishes in its overall tally.

Lorraine LaFleur captured a silver in the women’s bodybuilding division, Bernard was a silver medallist in the men’s heavyweight, Dawnita Fry won a bronze in the body fitness tall class, Amy Sands collected a bronze in the women’s bikini short class, Jimmy Norius was fourth in men’s bantamweight, Kenny Mackey placed fourth in men’s physique short class and Tammy Stubbs was fourth in women’s masters bodybuilding.

The team, managed by Dereck Bullard, was scheduled to return home last night. Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation president Danny Sumner headed the delegation. Efforts to contact team officials proved fruitless. But at least one of the competitors when contacted, Dawnita Fry, said the team performed very well, especially Wilkinson.

“To see Dominique win her pro card was such a great experience. She earned that after years of hard work and loads of sacrifice. I was so proud to see one of my own teammates walk away with the big prize,” said Fry, of Wilkinson, who became the sixth Bahamian to earn her pro card.

For the first time this year, the IFBB offered six pro cards to the divisional winners of the championship, rather than just the overall male and female winner. Wilkinson joined Charles Kemp, Joel Stubbs, Natasha Brown, James Darling and Gena Mackey, who all secured their pro cards as previous overall champions.

Fry, now training out of Orlando, Florida, where she resides, said she was also looking at earning her pro card, but she will settle for the bronze.

“I was happy with my performance. I was a lot better than last year,” she said. “Our entire team’s performance was excellent. They all went out there and put their best foot forward in an extremely competitive field.

“This year’s competition was five times more competitive than last year and I’m so proud of our team. We all became very good friends. Danny (Sumner) is doing his best to get the athletes more exposure on the international scene. We do have our challenges in the federation, but I think it’s best we work together to build fitness in the Bahamas.”

Although she is not in the Bahamas right now, Fry said she spoke with Sumner about a few new ideas that she hopes can help to put the Bahamas on the international map for fitness.

“The Bahamas has so much talent in fitness. We just have to stay focused and most of all positive in order to make us number one. Team Bahamas will be heard louder next year, trust me,” she said.