The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

LORRAINE LaFleur can now boast of being the first Bahamian female to earn two professional bodybuilding cards.

LaFleur, competing in her third event for the year, captured the IFBB Pro League overall title at the 2023 Joe Weider’s Olympia Fitness and Performance Weekend.

Held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, LaFleur added the NPC card to her Pro Elite card she got in Bogota, Colombia, in 2018.

Opting not to go to the Caribbean Grand Prix on November 11 because she could get a chance to become the first Bahamian female to qualify for the Mr Olympia show, LaFleur won the Olando’s overall title after she took the women’s physique masters and women’s physique open divisions on Tuesday.

Having won the triple crown, she competed in on her way to earning her NPC pro card, LaFleur said she still has to win another show next year in order to qualify for Mr Olympia. The mission, she said, is on.

“This year, I was so tired and drained. I really didn’t care what the outcome was,” said LaFleur of the competition that took place on Tuesday. “I just wanted to get on the stage and get off because I was so tired.

“But it was pretty easy. I just did what I had to do. I thought I did pretty good.”

After spending the entire year training and competing, LaFleur said she was glad that she could finish off so strong. Now it’s time to celebrate and she will relish in her achievement this past year.

“This was by far my best year,” she pointed out. “This year has been my performance; the training has been the best for me and my training was by far the best.”

She attributed her success to the support she’s received from her supporting cast, including her daughter Allyssa Fox, who accompanied her in Orlando.

“I have a 6 am training crew and a 7:30 pm training crew and we all go hard,” LaFleur revealed. “They kept pushing me even when I was tired. They kept saying ‘come on Lorraine, you can do this. They really had my back this year, so I owe a lot to them.”

With the next two months to relax and enjoy the festive season, LaFleur said she intends to be right back in training as early as January in preparation for an early pro show in 2024 in order for her to secure her berth at Mr Olympic in October.

Now that she has two pro cards, LaFleur said she doesn’t have to stress herself out in terms of competition because the shows don’t clash, which enables her to participate in whatever she chooses.

“The Elite Pro doesn’t have as much competition as the NPC,” LaFleur said. “They don’t treat the athletes like the NPC. That is why I decided to switch and compete in the NPC. But I will still have a chance to compete in both competitions.”

In the meantime, she will continue to prepare for whatever show pops up on the board until she gets to the ultimate stage at Mr Olympia.