The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

After making an exhibition posing appearance at the Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation's Novice and Open Championships over the weekend at the Melia resort, Lorraine LaFleur is off to Africa to make her pro debut.

One of the last four competitors to earn their pro card within the last few months, LaFleur will be the lone Bahamian participating in the Arnold Classic Africa 2018.

Scheduled for the Sandton Convention Center in Johannesburg, Gauteng, the Arnold Classic returns to Africa for the third year under the vision of Arnold Schwarzenegger with a number of activities to satisfy just about everybody's appetite.

LaFleur, a former national bodybuilding champion who made the successful transition to physique where she earned her pro card in Bogota, Colombia, earlier this year, said she's looking forward to competing in Africa. "This is going to be my first time competing as a pro and I'm going all the way to Africa to do it, so it's going to be very special," said LaFleur, who has made the trek to the competition by herself.

"This is something that I've been working on for the past few months. The nationals gave me a good chance to demonstrate to the public what to expect from me and so based on what I did, I think I'm ready."

Federation president Joel Stubbs, a former Mr Olympia competitor, spent some time working with LaFleur in getting her ready to compete in the competition. "I think she's going to do very well," Stubbs said. "She is a veteran bodybuilder who has competed in a number of international events, so she knows what to do in competitions like this."

The only difference, according to Stubbs, is that LaFleur will be competing against pro bodybuilders who do this for a living. So he said she will have to be prepared to face some stiff competition. "It's not easy to compete in pro competitions, but as a pro, she has to learn to compete against the best in the world," Stubbs stated. "I think she has the ability to compete with the other women on the stage. We will see how well she does."

LaFleur, whose teenage daughter Allyssa Fox is following in her footsteps as an amateur bodybuilder, said she spent the past two decades competing to get to this point and now she's eager to go to Africa and make her presence felt. "This is my first pro show, but from what I heard and seen, I know that I can go there and be competitive," LaFleur said. "I'm just going to go there and give it my best shot."

Stubbs said that is all that they could ask for from LaFleur, whom he said has endured a great deal of ups and downs to get her pro card. He said he's confident that with the work she has put in, she will do very well."

The judging will take place today to determine what category LaFleur will be participating in when the competition gets underway on Saturday and wraps up on Sunday.