Ramirez for ‘Muscle Show’ | Local Sports

VENEZUELAN Víctor Ramírez will be guest poser at the NPC Trinidad and Tobago Muscleshow Regional Championship, taking place on Saturday at the Lord Kitchener Auditorium of the National Academy of the Performing Arts (NAPA), Port of Spain, starting at 5pm

Ramírez is an IFBB Pro and two-time qualifier for the men’s Mr. Olympia competition. He is preparing for the upcoming Mr. Olympia, which will be held in October.

During his stay in Trinidad, the top Venezuelan athlete will give a posing clinic for current and future athletes and coaches during the registration exercise tomorrow, a day before the T&T Muscleshow.

According to organizers, the NPC Trinidad and Tobago Muscleshow Regional Championship is the first official NPC Worldwide/IFBB Pro League event to be held in Trinidad and Tobago.

The biggest draw for competitors is the chance to compete in the Mr. Olympia South America 2024, which will take place from September 13 to 15 at Hotel City Center, Rosario, Argentina.

A total of 27 Pro Cards are at stake at Mr. Olympia South America, and the region’s top athletes are expected to participate.

The organizers stated that the two eventual winners of the T&T Muscleshow will receive a flight ticket and entry fee to participate in Mr. Olympia South America.

During the T&T Muscleshow competitions are held in the categories bikini, wellness and figures; male body; female body; bodybuilding and classic body.

An international NPC/IFBB Pro League panel of judges has been confirmed for the Muscleshow. The panel will be led by Fernando Loreiro, an IFBB Pro League & Mr. Olympia judge, and Pablo Rodríguez, an NPC International judge.

The event is being co-promoted by Dr. Trishanti Rocke and Alfredo Monger, both former competitors. Rocke is one of Trinidad and Tobago’s best ever fitness athletes, having previously been a consistent performer at T&T National Junior and Senior Champions for over a decade.

She first earned pro card qualification in IFBB PRO competition after winning the overall championship in the Figure category at the 2012 Caribbean & Central (CAC) Championships in Puerto Rico. However, due to administrative issues, it took a while before she finally turned pro.

Her co-promoter, Alfredo Monger, is a Mr. Olympia and IFBB certified coach who has also competed as an athlete for over ten years in Trinidad and Tobago, Curacao, Latin America and the USA.

Monger trains both Rocke and local NPC T&T athlete Shazim Mohammed, who placed in his Men’s Physique class at the NPC Colombia Pro Qualifier.

And in 2023, he finished first in the Men’s Physique and Classic Physique categories and won the title of Overall Champion in Men’s Physique at the Centre Podium Legion’s Sports Fest IFBB Pro/NPC competition in Reno, Nevada, USA.

Now in her early 40s, Rocke is a board certified physician specializing in diagnostic radiology at a public institution and still resides in T&T. She also continues to compete actively as an IFBB pro league athlete.

Also in October 2023, she finished eighth at the Legion Sports Fest Pro Championship in the Women’s Fitness category.

Rocke said her inspiration to become a local show promoter was shaped by the terrifying experiences she had while trying to turn professional, as well as the inspiration of other competitors.

Current seven-time Ms. Olympia, Cyd Gillon, also promotes two of her own NPC/IFBB pro shows.

“I thought, why not, we need this more here in Trinidad and Tobago than in the US where there are multiple NPC shows every weekend in every state,” Rocke said, adding that co-promoter Monger had also played a major role.

“He (Monger) has been instrumental in building the international connections and maintaining the relationships that have led to us being recognised as the official local T&T representative for the NPC South America/Latin America and by extension the NPC Worldwide.”

In a recent interview, Susana Hadad, president of the Trinidad and Tobago BodyBuilders Federation (TTBBF), indicated that the consequences for local athletes competing in the NPC show are severe, due to its affiliation with a competing international organization.

However, Rocke is pushing ahead with his plans to establish the NPC in T&T and the rest of the region.

“I think there is room for everyone who loves bodybuilding and wants to be healthy and fit, and I hope to see the local calendar filled with bodybuilding and fitness events throughout the year, regardless of affiliation,” she said. “We also have another NPC T&T regional qualifier scheduled for November 23, 2024, and will be adding more events to the bodybuilding calendar in 2025 as the community inevitably grows.”

The NPC will definitely flourish in Trinidad and Tobago and throughout the Caribbean as it is the only route to the Mr. Olympia,” Rocke said, adding, “Now that we have the rights to hold the NPC regional competitions in Trinidad and Tobago, it is much more affordable for athletes locally and regionally to compete here for a fraction of the cost and in local currency.”

Ticket prices are $250 (General Admission), $300 (VIP Silver), $350 (VIP Gold), and $400 (Coach/Backstage Pass). Children under 10 are admitted free. Tickets are available at various ticket outlets nationwide and also at the NAPA Ticket booth.