Guyanese Nicholas Albert and Hannah Rampersaud have copped the prized International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) Pro Card, having competed at the Roger Boyce IFBB Pro Classic at the weekend in Barbados.
Having a Pro Card means one can embark on a career as a professional bodybuilder, earning a decent income by competing and winning.
The Guyana Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation highlighted that Albert competed against five other athletes from Grenada, Mexico, Suriname, Barbados and Guadeloupe in the Men’s Bodybuilding Senior category (up to 90kgs) and emerged winner.
He then progressed to the overall segment against a combination of category winners and comfortably secured first place for the elusive Pro Card.
The Federation added that Albert, 22, is the “youngest athlete to win a Pro Card in the Caribbean and Central America region” and joins Sylvon Bruce Whatley, who in 2018 became the first male Guyanese bodybuilder to acquire professional status in the sport.
Rampersaud, competing in the Women’s Wellness Senior division, won her individual category and placed second overall, which allowed her to secure the Pro Card.
Rampersaud is now the third Guyanese female to elevate to professional status in the sport, joining Laura Cravalle in 1979 and Rosanna Fung in 2022.
Rosanna Fung
Additionally, Fung, competing in her third professional competition since capturing pro status at the Central American and Caribbean Championships, placed third in the highly competitive Women’s Wellness category.
This specific category was stacked with 10 other athletes from countries such as the Czech Republic, Mexico, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Paraguay.
The other medal for Guyana came from Julio Sinclair’s efforts in the Heavyweight division (over 90kg). He had to settle for silver after narrowly missing out on gold.