The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
IF there was a year that belonged to the Body Works Gym bodybuilders, it was certainly 2019.
Body Works Gym bodybuilders were outstanding in 2019, which saw them put up their best whenever they took to the stage.
Kylie MacDonald, Ndumiso Dlodlo, Zibusiso Khumalo, Lovemore Munyamana and Prechard “Carter” Hoko were those who put up their best in 2019.
Kylie MacDonald on stage at the national championships.
MacDonald was the most outstanding of them all as she won five of the six competitions she entered. The 27-year-old had an exceptional time on stage in her first year of seriously competing in bodybuilding.
She won the women’s bikini fitness at the PPC Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Open Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships held in Bulawayo in April. A week later, she bagged the women’s bikini fitness at the Designer Physique in Gaborone, Botswana in what was her first competition outside the country.
At the end of May, MacDonald won the women’s fitness at the Muscle and Fitness Open Classic held in Gweru.
MacDonald claimed two accolades at the Zimbabwe National Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships staged in Harare. She took home the women’s body fitness and finished second in the bikini fitness.
Her biggest achievement came at the Ultimate Nabba/ WFF South African Amateur Championships held at the University of Pretoria at the beginning of October. MacDonald won the women’s bikini model under 163cm and went on to win the overall Bikini Model title. The win saw her qualify for the 2019 WFF World Championships Pro-Am that was held in November in Mexico. She, however, did not travel to Mexico due to financial constraints.
MacDonald, upon reflecting on her achievements for 2019 is really pleased of what she accomplished.
“This past year has been a very good year for me in bodybuilding with the titles I have won in just a year, I am really proud of myself for how hard I have worked, every title I have was on my checklist for 2019 and I checked them all,’’ MacDonald said.
She is looking forward to more success in 2020 where her desire is to take part in additional competitions than she did in 2019. MacDonald picked out the Zimbabwe National Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships as the best out of the competitions she entered in 2019 because it is where she managed to show those who underrated her that she had the talent.
“I am really looking forward to see what 2020 is going to bring for me because 2019 has been good and I’m hoping this year will be even better for me in bodybuilding and hopefully do many more competitions as I have done. Out of all the competitions I did in 2019, my best by far were the Zimbabwe nationals as I showed people who underestimated me what my body was capable of and I did surprise them,’’ she said.
Ndumiso Dlodlo
Hoko started off the year by winning men’s physique at the Novice Zimbabwe Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships staged in Harare at the end of March. He won the men’s physique under 172cm at the ZITF Open Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships. At the Designer Physique in Botswana, Hoko was the runner-up in the men’s physique. A bronze medal went Hoko’s way at the Muscle and Fitness Open Classic where he competed in the men’s bodybuilding.
Another silver medal followed for Hoko at the Marume Classic where he took part in the men’s physique. Hoko bagged two accolades at the Manicaland Classic as he won gold in bodybuilding Under-80kg and took silver in men’s physique.
At Zimbabwe National Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships Harare, Hoko was the first runner-up in the men’s physique Under-172cm.
Hoko clinched two gold medals at the Ultimate Nabba/ WFF South African Amateur Championships where he won the Novice Bodybuilding and Men’s Bermuda Under-175cm.
The 29-year-old is excited by what he achieved in 2019, with the lesson he learnt during that year being that hard work certainly pays off.
“I just feel overwhelmingly happy and encouraged at the same time considering that 2019 was my first year in bodybuilding, I’ve realised that when you put in the hard work everything is possible and when God is in it, it’s possible as well.
“I’ve learnt so much in 2019 as far as bodybuilding is concerned, I’ve learnt that you don’t need to give up, everyday is a day to give all your best when training, never compare yourself with anyone but try your level best, be a better person than you were the previous day, chase your own goals,’’ Hoko said.
Lovemore Munyamana
Munyamana continues to show the youngsters how it is done as he is still going strong in the sport at the age of 35.
He started off by winning the gold in the men’s middleweight at PPC ZITF Open Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships and went on to lose out to Dlodlo for the men’s overall title.
At the Designer Physique, Munyamana bagged the men senior bodybuilding and also won the overall men’s title. Munyamana was the runner-up in the senior men bodybuilding at the Muscle and Fitness Open Classic. He took silver at the Zimbabwe National Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships where he entered the men’s middleweight.
At the Ultimate Nabba/ WFF South African Amateur Championships, Munyamana was the first runner-up in the men’s super-body.
South Africa-based Dlodlo, like he has done over the years entered a couple of competitions locally. In April, he landed his fourth title at the PPC ZITF Open Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships. He won the senior men’s bodybuilding at the Muscle and Fitness Open Classic where he also walked away with the men’s overall title.
At the national championships, Dlodlo surrendered his national title as he finished second in the men’s light heavyweight division which was won by Edward Mutero. This meant that Dlodlo could not go on to defend the title he had won for two years, with Nigel “Spartan” Maphosa claiming the ultimate crown on the night.
Khumalo overcame a bad start to 2019 which had seen him finish fourth in the junior men at the PPC ZITF Open Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships. The 21-year-old went on to win junior men at the Designer Physique, did the same at Muscle and Fitness Classic. At the Marume Classic, Khumalo was second at the Marume Classic prior to being the best junior at the Manicaland Classic.
Khumalo excelled at the Zimbabwe National Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships where he took first place in the junior men physique and was second in the junior men’s bodybuilding category.
At the Ultimate Nabba/ WFF South African Amateur Championships, Khumalo won the junior men’s physique and settled for second spot in the junior men bodybuilding.
All these achievements must have made Body Works Gym director, Nathan Greenland a proud man. Greenland assisted the athletes with their preparations and personally drove his bodybuilders to most of these competitions.
@Mdawini_29
