RICARDO HAREWOOD
JUNIOR MR. T&T
BODY BUILDING CHAMPION
By Marlise Andrews
Midweek Sports
July 12, 2000
Page 5
Ricardo
Harewood has a lot to be happy for. In addition to the fact, that he can now enjoy his favourite food
- chocolate, Harewood is now the Junior Mr. Trinidad and Tobago bodybuilding
champion.
He
gained his title at the Malta Carib National Junior Body Building
Championships, which were held on June 25 at St Mary's College Centenary
Hall. In the women's category, Keisha
Charles was the overall winner.
Harewood
also won in the light/heavyweight division.
He beat a field of over 40 competitors for the overall title.
As
expected, the 30-year-old bodybuilder was absolutely elated at his success and
piled praises on Lawrence "The Beast" Marshall who had assisted him
in the three months leading up to the competition.
"I
must say a special thanks to Marshall whose advice went a long way in my
results," he beamed.
The
Diego Martin resident has been involved in fitness for the past 13 years. He started weight training at 17 and smiled
as he recalled his days as a "meagre" teenager.
"Although
I was always active and involved in sport, I never trained with weights so I
never had the kind of muscle definition that I do now. When I got involved in the sport I had no
idea that it would take me this far," he said.
A
field officer with Eastern Credit Union, Harewood announced his arrival on the
competitive scene in 1997 when he placed second in the Junior Light heavy
weight championship and won the Senior middleweight title.
One
year later, he improved on that performance, winning the Junior heavy weight
division category.
Harewood
kept away from competition in 1999, and used the year to work on his weak
areas. "Even though I won specific
categories, I did not win the overall title so I used 1999 to see where
improvements could be made."
The
three months leading up to the competition were especially rigorous for
him. "My diet became progressively
stricter as competition time drew nearer.
For the last couple of weeks, I had no carbohydrates at all. I only had lean meat and vegetables."
His
daily routine included seven to eight meals a day, workouts every morning and
evening and a large dose of determination.
"What really got me through was the desire to win. It was a goal I wanted to achieve,"
Ricardo explained.
Although
he was handsomely rewarded for his success, Harewood does not want people to
come into the field just for monetary benefit.
His ultimate goal is to win the Central American/Caribbean Bodybuilding
championship.
However,
he would not be taking part this year but instead would use the Senior
Nationals next year as a stepping-stone.
According
to Harewood, the sport of bodybuilding is now beginning to gain international
recognition. He believes that it is
impossible to forge forward in any sport without weight training.
His
biggest fan is his eight-year-old daughter Rene, whom he said was elated at her
father's success.
She
was present at the competition and gave her undying support to her father as he
went through his routine.
To anyone
who is thinking of becoming involved in bodybuilding, Ricardo advises that one
should be patient and understand one's body.
He believes
commitment is the key to success and added one needs to know what one wants and
work diligently towards an ultimate goal.
To those
who simply want to keep fit, he says, "You must adapt a healthy lifestyle
and go that extra mile to make yourself look and feel great and live
longer."
Until
the Senor championships next year, Ricardo will be taking it easy and basking
in the glory of his accomplishment.