The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Jimmy Norius and Tarran Knowles can now hold the distinction of being the first two Bahamians to earn their professional bodybuilding cards from two different organisations.

The pair added their latest honours at the IFBB Professional League in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania last week where Norius’ wife Serena Salis Decius- Norius fell short in her bid to secure her first pro card.

Norius, who clinched his IFBB Elite pro card in 2018, captured the men’s Classic and Men’s Physique as the overall champion. He said he wasn’t surprised when he went on stage and they placed him in the middle and surrendered all of the other competitors around him for their comparisons.

“When I stepped on stage, they took one look at me and put me in centre stage,” Norius said.

“They looked at everybody else to determine who got second, third, fourth and fifth.

“I’m an old dog, so I knew I had the performance to win it,” said the 49-year-old Norius.

“I just wanted to get my pro card on this site because this would give me a chance to compete in so many more events than I would with my IBFF Elite card.”

Eventually, Norius said he will have to make a decision on which of the cards he will keep.

He noted that he would be writing to the IBFF Elite to indicate to them that he would like to relinquish the card and focus on his IBFF League card.

This was the second event in the month that Knowles has competed in. On August 3 at the Tim

Gardner Tampa Extravaganza in Tampa, Florida, Knowles took the overall title after he took the men’s physique category. He followed that up with his pair of pro cards in the masters over-35 and over-40 Men’s Physique categories..

“I felt really good about it considering that I took a different approach,” said Knowles, a 41-year-old employee at Royal Bank of Canada and a personal trainer at Empire Fitness Center.

“The journey for me was more of a silent one, so you wouldn’t have heard about Tampa because I didn’t announce that I was going to it, nor to Pittsburgh. It was more personal. I allowed my silence to speak for my performances. I just did what I had to do.”

Knowles, who has been competing in the sport since 2014, won his first pro card in 2019 in Montreal, Canada with his IBFF Elite card. He said he’s thrilled to be a dual pro card holder.

“I still haven’t absorbed it yet. I think it’s a surreal feeling,” he said.

“I can actually get the respect because the Pro League is taken at a more serious pace than the Pro Elite.

“It’s humbling, being able to work so hard for so long and to finally achieve these accomplishments.

“In staying grounded with God, he has made it all possible. It’s made me realise that anything is possible.”

Like Norius, Knowles is looking forward to relinquishing his Pro Elite card and just concentrating on his Pro League card.

He said he is just waiting on his American coach to advise him on when he will make his pro debut so that he can get properly prepared for the competition.

As for Decius-Norius, she said she will be more inspired as she moves forward.

“My performance was very good. I was in the middle of the pack on stage and I liked the way my body looked and the way I was able to perform,” she said.

“I did everything to win. Unfortunately, I didn’t win, but I will be ready for the next show,” said the 39-year-old Decius-Norius.

“I know I am in great shape and the lady who beat me, she deserved it. I know her.

“I competed against her before, so I know what I have to do to get my pro card.”

Her husband and coach Jimmy Norius said he was pleased with his wife’s improvement.

“She just got out on getting her pro card by one point. We asked the chief judge why and he told us what she needed to do, so we will get her ready for the Caribbean Grand Prix at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island on November 11.

As for Decius-Norius, she was proud of her husband’s performance, as well as Knowles.

“I saw him go on stage two times and he was right in the middle of the stage, so I knew that he was going to perform very well,” she said. “I was even pleased to see how well Tarran performed. He did very well as well. I am proud of both of them.”