Shanequa Allamby is no stranger to the big stage.
A bronze medalist at last year’s Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Championships in the fit model division, Allamby will be hoping to go one step better when she steps on stage at this weekend’s Roger Boyce Classic.
For the 28-year-old accountant, it will be her first time participating in the competition.
In an interview with Barbados TODAY, Allamby, a two-time national champion, said she was not fazed by the fact that athletes from over 28 countries would be taking part in the region’s biggest bodybuilding show, which will run from May 9 to 12 at the Wildey Gymnasium.
“I just want to go and enjoy myself and bring a better package than I had at the CAC where I came third in fit model,” she said.
Allamby, however, explained that fit model was not as popular as some of the other bodybuilding divisions.
She said she hoped to compete internationally and bring more awareness to the sport in Barbados and the Caribbean.
“I’m pushing for a pro card and to see myself on the international stage. Fit model is big in Europe, but a lot of people don’t know about it as yet. I would like to push myself a bit more to get on the international scene so more people would be aware,” she said.
Having been involved in the sport of bodybuilding since 2012, when as a student of the Lester Vaughn and Lodge School she took part in the Tiger Malt Bodybuilding competition, Allamby, who trains at Beyond Limits Gym, admitted that preparation for the upcoming show had been challenging.
“Training has been different when compared to last year. This time around I worked on the areas that needed to be improved and increased the intensity on the areas that I think needed work,” she explained.
“I’ve been training with my coach Khalil Marshall four days a week, from Sunday to Wednesday. It usually consists of an hour working out and then an hour of cardio after every workout.”
She said her diet had been adjusted to mainly low carbs for the past two months as part of efforts to be in ‘tip top’ shape for the international competition.
Allamby said she was more focused than ever, having only returned in 2023 from a self-imposed 7-year break from the sport.
“I took a break between 2016 and 2023. It was just that the sport had some things going on in it and I just wasn’t about it, so I took a personal decision to step back,” she disclosed.
However, with the possibility of gaining a pro-card at this weekend’s show, Allamby said she was excited at what she believes will be a promising career.
