by Cam Stewart
NOrthern News Services

NNSL (Oct 01/97) - Northern bodybuilding history was made Sept. 6 as Yellowknife bodybuilder Warren Whitford took to the stage at the Canadian Bodybuilding Championships, in Montreal, Que.

"It was my first-ever national," said Whitford in a recent interview.

The Yellowknife bodybuilder was the lone territorial representative in the 113-participant event and one of close to 20 competitors in the men's middleweight category.

Whitford was turned on to bodybuilding at the young age of 17 and soon got hooked on the sport.

"I really enjoyed it," said Whitford. "I always wanted to have a six-pack," he laughed, patting his rippling stomach muscles.

Now 29, Whitford has come a long way since his early training days. More importantly, he's never sacrificed his morals to get bigger quicker. His path on the road to personal success has been a clean one.

"Never in my life have I used steroids."

Competing at the national level includes making personal sacrifices. Whitford says he put in extensive workout hours preparing for the national event, the biggest of his four competitions this year.

"I've been training really hard since last December. I've been doing it steadily for the past two years." Though he didn't place in the top five in his category, for the first time this season, Whitford received much praise from the judges. One judge impressed with Whitford was Armand Huneault, a man who saw Whitford win earlier this year at a competition in Edmonton.

"Warren looked great at his first nationals. I think he has a great bodybuilding future," said Huneault.

The goal is expansion

According to Roxanne Nuefeld of the Alberta Bodybuilding Association, there is potential for sport expansion in the NWT.

In a recent conversation with Whitford at the Montreal competition, Nuefeld said the sport has the potential to expand North.

Whitford has taken that advice and is currently looking at the possibility of developing a Territorial Bodybuilding Association if interest is there.

"It's still in the planning phase, but I want a bodybuilding association. Not one just for Yellowknife, but for all of the NWT."

Whitford encourages anyone interested in the sport to contact him.

"You don't have to be a competitive bodybuilder to join. I'm just looking for interested people to get an organisation together."

Whitford is going to take some time off from the sport after his hectic year. He will resume training in a few months with hopes of competing at a major competition in Fraser Valley, B.C. in 1998. At this point in his life, turning pro is still not in the cards.

"I want to keep it as a hobby...it's more fun that way."