Contact: Anthony Ferguson
www.fergusonfitness.com
276-685-1799
2007 NPC Mountain Pride Bodybuilding & Figure Championships in Marion, VA
July 21st, 2007 @ 6:30 pm
Marion Senior High School
Local fitness professional and bodybuilding competitor brings 1st ever bodybuilding and figure competition to the region.
MARION - July 21st, 2007 - Smyth County native Anthony Ferguson started competing in bodybuilding as a teenager in 1994. As a United States Marine, he developed tremendous dedication and discipline to being fit, eating clean and living a fitness lifestyle - a way of life that he has stayed dedicated to over the last 13 years. He has continued to compete in bodybuilding and work as a personal trainer with the mission of getting people excited about their fitness and setting and reaching goals. Now he is bringing the sport he loves to Marion and promoting his first bodybuilding competition.
The 2007 NPC Mountain Pride Bodybuilding and Figure Competition is slated for Saturday, July 21st at Marion Senior High School in Marion. The morning pre-judging will start at 10:00 am Saturday morning and the evening finals will be held at 6:30 pm Saturday night. The show will feature several local competitors as well as competitors from at least 6 other surrounding states. The 2007 Mountain Pride competition is sanctioned by the National Physique Committee (NPC), the premier amateur bodybuilding and fitness organization in the country. The NPC is the amateur arm of the International Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB), the world's strongest professional bodybuilding organization. To be able to compete in the IFBB and become a professional, athletes must win an NPC qualifying show. As an NPC-sanctioned event, the 2007 Mountain Pride competition is advertised regionally and nationally to all NPC-registered competitors.
Ferguson has had the goal to promote a bodybuilding competition locally for several years since he moved back from California in 2002. After competing in several shows and working in the fitness industry for the last several years, Ferguson is turning his dream into a reality with a clear vision of how a bodybuilding show should go. "The Mountain Pride competition will be a great experience for the competitors because I compete in shows and know what I've always wanted as a competitor" said Ferguson. I want to make this a memorable experience for the competitors and make them want to come back year after year and recommend the show to other competitors." Not only that, I want to make it a great experience for competitors' family members, friends and audience members as well because they sacrifice almost as much as the competitors themselves."
Not everyone can adhere to such a strict lifestyle but all can benefit and become motivated by incorporating some of the basic practices of eating better and making time to workout. Many competitors found they loved the lifestyle after reaching too high of a bodyweight or an accident that required weight and cardiovascular training to improve their life and body image. Ferguson adds "I have the utmost respect for all of our competitors because I know how much training and preparation goes into getting ready to compete. There is the stereotype of bodybuilders just being big, dumb guys and I am on a mission to disprove that. Most of the athletes I talk to are hard-working business and industry professionals, dedicated husbands, wives, mothers and fathers, and many are leaders in their communities."
A portion of the show's proceeds will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project, which provides programs and services to severely injured service members during the time between active duty and transition to civilian life. "Our servicemen and women pay a high price to keep us safe and protect our freedom and way of life. I wanted to honor their sacrifice," Ferguson explained.
The show is being promoted all over Marion and the surrounding areas. From National mail-outs, display posters and thousands of flyers have been posted or delivered. "We really want to get lots of people into the show so the competitors will have people cheering them on, making the night a memorable one so people will come back again year after year'" states Ferguson. "Not only that, my hope is that audience members will be inspired by the hard work, dedication, and incredible physiques of our competitors and pursue their own fitness and healthy lifestyle goals."
The show will have something for everyone. MCs Ben Barker and Donnie Brooks will keep the audience entertained and direct the competitors through the competition. IFBB Figure Pro Cheri Lewis and up and coming NPC athlete Curtis Bryant will be our special guests. Bryant is set to guest pose for the event. The evening show will also feature a live rock performance by Smash 13, a Christian rock band from Highlands Fellowship in Abingdon. Several of the show sponsors will be on site Saturday as part of the show exposition. FootRX of Abingdon and Sportzfit of Roanoke will be on site selling athletic shoes and clothing. Europa Sports, a nutritional supplement dealer, will be there as well with protein bars, shakes and other products and supplements. One the premier sponsors, the United States Marine Corps, will be in attendance all day Saturday and will display one of their vehicles and provide information to those interested in enlisting. Bodybuilding.com is also a premier sponsor - it's the largest website in bodybuilding! Local radio station Z103 will be live on location throughout the day. And, the Tuscan Italian Grill will be on site selling pizza by the slice. Tickets are on sale now to the general public. Call Anthony at 276-685-1799 to reserve tickets at the door or get more information.
