March 2008 Newsletter

Florida NPC Schedule News
The current schedule for the 2008 season of Florida NPC competitions is available at www.FloridaNPC.org.
(April & May)
-Panhandle Showdown~ April 5~ Pensacola, www.PanhandleShowdown.com
- Southern USA Bodybuilding & Shannon Dey Figure & Fitness Classic. Plus! Panama City Bodybuilding & Figure ~April 19~ Panama City www.SouthernUSAClassic.com & www.ShannonDey.net
-Gateway Classic ~Apri 26 ~ Lake City www.FutureFitnessFL.com
-Superior Classic ~May 10 ~ Hialeah www.SuperiorClassic.com
-Gulf Coast Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Championship ~May 24~ Ft. Myers www.GulfCoastChampionships.com
-West Palm Beach Bodybuilding & Anna Level Fitness & Figure ~May 31~ Palm Beach Gardens.

Growing Our Sport & Industry
As most everyone in this industry appreciates it takes a great deal of time, money, and energy to produce the quality of shows seen in the Florida NPC. There are more shows here each year than even California. We all benefit from those who train to compete, volunteer, and provide sponsorships as these competitions.

Active participation is certainly welcome by promoters of NPC competitions. Volunteering to expedite or otherwise work a show is a terrific way to network with area athletes, promoters, and officials. Consider being a vendor and a marketing partner if you are a personal trainer, or own a gym, nutrition store, or any business that could benefit from exposure to a sizeable audience as can be expected at NPC shows. By spreading the word about the various competitions you benefit the competing athletes, the promoters, vendors, and sport generally.

It would be appreciated if you share competition information through your network on contacts on myspace.com, Facebook.com, bodyspace.com, message boards, even youtube.com along with postings on your own websites and blogs. It doesn’t hurt to ask your local television, radio, and newspaper staffs to cover these events.

The overwhelming majority of Florida NPC shows have websites with a wealth of information about upcoming competitions. Contact the promoters directly with any questions you might have as they surely welcome your participation, interest, and support.

Chat With Patrick Sporer, NPC West Florida District Chair & NPC Southern USA Promoter

Along with having the whitest sandy beaches in the country Panama City is home to a strong bodybuilding, fitness, and figure competition tradition. NPC West Florida District Chair Patrick Sporer has been the leader there first promoting the Northwest Florida Bodybuilding Championship in ’79 that later moved and morphed into the All South to be replaced by the Southern USA Bodybuilding, Shannon Dey Fitness & Figure, Panama City Classic.

Patrick made his bodybuilding debut in Korea during his military stint overseas influenced by the likes of Arnold, Frank Zane, and so many more. “I won that show,” Patrick noted. “It was a Korean-American competition. Once you do that you get that fever, that taste.” After departing the military he visited the California Mecca’s of bodybuilding and then headed to Panama City. A short time later he opened his own gym in ’79. “It took off,” Sporer said referring to the growth and popularity of his hardcore bodybuilding gym. “Again it was 1979, 1980 bodybuilding and fitness took off like crazy across the country. The gym became very successful.” His Northwest Florida Bodybuilding Championship was also a great success that sold out that first year to the surprise of many.

Patrick won numerous titles before retiring from competition in the early 1980s. He redoubled his focus on building his business. “I had developed a good reputation in my particular area,” Sporer said. “That’s when I decided now I want to be an official.” What followed is Patrick became a judge followed by his taking over the chairmanship in West Florida in the mid-80s, a position he has held ever since. His leadership in the NPC and as a show promoter provides a crucial service for athletes particularly those in the long stretch of panhandle real estate.

With this being the 26th year of the Panama City signature show participants can expect every part of their experience to be top shelf. The event venue being the Marina Civic Center is first rate. There is comfortable and ample seating, concessions and wet bar facilities, vendor areas, dressing rooms, and plenty of parking. Plus, participants are encouraged to make a weekend of it with the Sterling Reef host resort offering specially priced packages for their two and three bedroom beachfront kitchen-equipped condominiums.

Early weigh-ins on Friday afternoon from 4-7pm should help move the prejudging along on Saturday morning. Then the evening show begins at 5:30pm and is expected to be complete in approximately four hours allowing everyone time to celebrate the occasion and their time on the “Emerald Coast.”

IFBB Pro Fitness Athlete Shannon Dey has truly earned her nickname as the blonde bombshell. Shannon’s husband, Rob Rossetti, made his mark on the fitness industry years ago with his “Baggy Boys” loose fitting bottoms fashion statement. Otherwise, there is little or no slack in the schedule of this dynamic duo of the fitness industry. Shannon first made her mark cheerleading in the NFL where for five years she fittingly performed as the tall thin beauty she was prior to packing on the muscle and taking the fitness industry by storm. Shannon moved up the NPC ranks earning her IFBB pro-card and undoubtedly maintains one of the busiest guest posing schedules of her era. As if that wasn’t enough she competes in the professional circuit while running her own chain of Club Boom fitness facilities across Florida and Georgia, conducts seminars as part of her business and for the NPC. Plus, she runs Southern Muscle Plus magazine that she owns along with husband Rob.

Oh, and lest we forget Shannon also partners with Patrick Sporer for their co-promotion of the Southern USA Bodybuilding, Shannon Dey Fitness & Figure, and Panama City Classic. Obviously, Shannon goes after what she wants and welcomes challenges.

As for what motivates her to compete and guest pose, “I do it because I love to perform,” Shannon said. “I have a ball when I perform. I think a lot of girls are afraid to get into fitness because they think, “oh, I’m not a gymnast. I don’t have a gymnast background.” Well, I didn’t have a gymnast background either. I won the fitness routine at nationals and didn’t do one flip. So you don’t have to be a gymnast. Give it a try. Have some fun. Challenge yourself and see what you can do.”

Shannon partners with Rob to produce Southern Muscle Plus, which has seen major changes since their purchase of the publication last year.
SMP went to a full color glossy format in 2008, which may be one of the first changes the readers of the publication notice. Shannon emphasizes that “we are tailoring the magazine toward the competitor.” Both Shannon and Rob having competitive backgrounds supports this premise Shannon suggests. “If you look through the magazine you might see yourself where you didn’t expect that you would like the backdrop of our calendar section is pictures of athletes,” Shannon said. “If we talk about a particular show we will throw in extra pictures of athletes. We are trying to make it where everybody that competes gets to see themselves as much as we can.”

A notable change aside from being a color glossy magazine is the cover. Instead of having level five competitions overall winners on the cover the format has moved to featuring a single athlete. “We’ve gotten mixed reviews on that to be quite honest,” Shannon said. There was always the group of overall winners on the cover, but when I took the magazine to the Olympia when we first purchased it a lot of my national advertisers said that they would like to see a change in the cover. They said that they wanted to see a change in the to make it more so that people would want to pick it up. They support the magazine wholeheartedly and I listen to them, but I tell you what, it will always be an athlete. We will never use models. It will always be an athlete from the Southeast.

With all her commitments Shannon continues to enjoy hosting her monthly Boom Fitness Camps for NPC & IFBB athletes and as Chair for Fitness & Figure in the Florida NPC hosts seminars around the state for still more athletes. Shannon loves the sport and is very approachable and down to earth Patrick Sporer, Northwest Florida District Chair notes. Plus, Peter Potter, Vice Chairman for the NPC regularly sings Shannon’s praises pointing out that she is a terrific spokesperson for the sport and does a terrific job of marketing the NPC and IFBB. Check her out at www.ShannonDey.net and be sure to see her perform at her signature show the Southern USA Bodybuilding, Shannon Dey Fitness & Figure, Panama City Classic on April 19; more details at www.SouthernUSAclassic.com.

Gina Ostarly Is GO Fitness

Gina Ostarly is a fitting role model for many young ladies in the fitness industry. Having competed in NPC fitness and figure for over a decade she continues to step on stage in excellent shape while balancing an extremely busy schedule that includes being a mother to three children ages 21, 19, and 16. "All the kids are good including Walter," Gina said with a laugh. "He is really my forth child." Gina’s husband Walter works side by side with his lovely wife running their GO (Gina Ostarly) Fitness Personal Training Studio in Stuart, Florida and doing all the things that accompany his charmed life as a highly successful professional photographer of fitness models.

She savors her time competing in the NPC even though it hasn’t yielded a pro-car as of yet. “My initial reason to compete was because I thought it would be fun,” Gina said. “And I started in fitness and it was an outlet for me. I’d grown up dancing and had dance recitals so a fitness event for me was the closest thing I could get back to that. So for me it was for pure fun. Then after a year or so you do think wow my goal is to get a pro-card. That is all you think about. I realized one day that I was competing because I love competing.”

Known for her strong fitness ethic amongst clients, friends, and associates it shows in her description of competition life. “I think I actually like the whole process of getting ready for a show more than actually stepping on stage,” Gina said. “I like having the goal and the challenge and all the preparation. If you have ever wanted to compete you should just try it at least once. You can’t compete with the only thought in your head that I’m competing because I want to be a pro. There are so many girls that compete now and everyone cannot be a pro. So you really have to compete because you love competing or its not going to be the best experience for you.” What a pro-attitude from a lady who is truly the envy of so many whether their active in the sport or who merely catch a glimpse of her on the street in daily life.

A slogan she uses regularly to describe herself is “The New Forty” as she recently reached that age that suits her so well. “Turning forty and looking the way I do wasn’t planned,” Gina said. “When I was thirty I didn’t say I was going to do all this so that when I’m forty I look this way. When I was thirty after having children I chose to take care of myself, exercise and not put on 20-30 pounds. I didn’t wake up forty and look in the mirror and go oh geez what am I going to do now? In the fitness magazines a lot of times the stories are about people that lost 50-70 pounds. And I think that is fantastic. I think that anyone that has put on a tremendous amount of weight and makes the commitment and has the discipline and takes off that weight that it is great, but why not start before you put on 20-30-40 pounds and just take care of yourself the whole time? Then you don’t find yourself in that position feeling miserable and wondering how you are going to do it and if you can do it.”

Truly that is a message for all ages. Take care of yourself today regardless of your age. Find out about The New Forty” and all Gina has going on at www.ginaostarly.com.

Dexter Jackson Ahead In Polls Heading for the Big Score In Vegas!

Those that follow the sport of bodybuilding often refer to IFBB Pro bodybuilder Dexter Jackson as the Mayor of Jackson-ville. Dexter makes no bones about living here. However, in this election season it would seem appropriate to note that it appears Mayor Jackon’s title may be upgraded to President or even King Jackson later this year! Yesterday Mayor Jackson won the IFBB Pro New Zealand Show, following the top spot in the Australian Pro the prior week and his third Arnold Classic a week prior to that! Last year in an interview with Mayor Jackson about his inaugural Dexter Jackson Classic NPC bodybuilding, fitness, and figure show this humble elite athlete noted he was ranked within the top five of the sport. No more! Look out Olympia titleholder Jay Cutler as Dexter Jackson is certainly considered the leading challenger to your incumbency with a campaign war chest demonstrating his viability for office. The safe money in Vegas this year will be on Dexter!

While Jay Cutler’s mass is ballyhooed his conditioning has been off for a number of years now and Dexter has come in larger this year with the same sort of rock hard, grainy definition and symmetry that has long been his trademark. Size does matter, but just as the judging standard in female bodybuilding has moved to favor those with a more appealing overall package the same may occur onstage this year with the men. The sport of bodybuilding, fitness, and figure is after all a business and the International Federation of Bodybuilding and affiliate amateur division the National Physique Committee has led the way best providing for mainstream mass appeal promotion of the sport. Dexter Jackson has the total package and is sweeping the show titles across the globe heading for the big score in Vegas later this year. Surely there are others in the race that will take the spot in the future such as Phil Heath, Toney Freeman, Kai Green, and Branch Warren, but this year is shaping up to be the year for “The Blade” Dexter Jackson.

All kidding aside we love Dexter in Jacskonville even more so that he is loved around the world. Expect great things from him this year as he brings the best overall package in professional bodybuilding to a stage near you! The Blade is scheduled to do numerous guest appearances this year and has his own signature promotion the Dexter Jackson Classic with a Pro-Figure component added this year. This truly is the year for "The Blade" Dexter Jackson!