Last year Deono James shared with us his intentions and aspirations. Since then Deono has accomplished much in his quest to become a professional in the body fitness arena.
Making this dream a reality takes vision and effort. To this end, Deono in working towards professional accreditation, is very appreciative of the support he has received from Barbados Port Inc. where he is employed, as well as the help offered by others. He has been focused on eating right and training right, adjusting his diet and training regimen based on insight gained at the competitions he participated in recently.
October 21, 2017 saw Deono taking third place out of nine competitors in the Men’s Physique segment of the Ben Weider Legacy Cup held in Toronto, Canada. The competitors hailed from Bermuda, Curacao, Canada and the United States. Deono was a member of the contingent selected to represent Barbados at the 45th Caribbean and Central American (CAC) games scheduled to be held in Mexico City. Unfortunately, a series of major earthquakes occurred in Mexico City around the time for that competition and it was cancelled. April 20th – 22nd this year found Deono in Sao Paulo, Brazil for the Arnold Classic, where he advanced to the semi-finals and was among the top 15 in the Men’s Physique. This competition for him, drove home that he needed to do more work.
Deono explained that while each show had different judging criteria, the South American shows in particular look for more leanness, muscle definition and dryness. As such, he believes he needed to train more, adjust his diet a bit and put more effort into his cardio routines. For him, the Arnold Classic was a much more significant competition, not only in terms of the number of competitors but also concerning its international standing. The Arnold Classic is ranked just below Mr. Olympia, the number one show for body builders.
And it seems his efforts have paid handsomely. Right here in Barbados on Saturday May 12, 2018, Deono took first place in the tall class for the Men’s Physique in the Mr. and Mrs. Bridgetown show.
There is a marked improvement in his physique, in his confidence and in his posing, and he boasts a sense of maturity, given his experiences in the last year. Deono continues to press forward, training regularly at BPI’s gym, Portside Fitness Center and working with the coaches assigned to him.
Classified as an amateur still, his pursuit for professional status continues. The future demands travelling farther afield since Barbados falls under the International Federation of Body Building and Fitness (IFBB) and its competitions are held in Europe, Africa and as far as Australia. Deono’s next major competition will be the Barbados National Competition scheduled for June 30, 2018 and once again, he hopes to be selected to be a member of the Barbados team for the CAC games. We wish him well.
