UFE North American Championships 2008
This was the first year hosting the UFE National Championships and it was a fantastic event! The day started off with an Open show that served as a last qualifier for those looking to qualify for UFE’s Elite division. Later in the evening, UFE’s best competitors that have qualified from all of our previous shows took to the stage to compete among top competitors from other organizations including NGA, FAS-Net, OPA, CBBF, WBFF, IDFA, NPC, MuscleMania and more. Competitors came from across Canada and the US to do battle on the stage and determine the Ultimate Champions in each of UFE’s 7 categories. In all, $50,000 in cash and prizes was awarded on the spot, including $7000 in cash alone! Other prizes included 1 year supplement contracts from MVP Nutrition, our title sponsor, and photoshoots with the likes of Glen Grant and Korby Banner for submission to various industry magazines. In addition to the prize purse awarded, Paul Dillett, President of the WBFF, awarded Pro status within the WBFF to our Female Fitness Model and Figure Ultimate Champions!
UFE was also proud to host the first ever Inside Fitness Magazine Model Search as part of the UFE National Championships. This was an event that was conceptualized only weeks before the event and included the additional lure of a guaranteed feature in Inside Fitness Magazine for the Female Fitness Model Search winner as well as a test shoot for the cover. We had a very deserving winner in Vanda Hadarean and we look forward to seeing her (quite possibly on the cover) in an upcoming issue of Inside Fitness Magazine. The IFM Model Search was a great success for its first time around and as we promote it into 2009 we look to draw dozens of competitors from every corner of Canada and the US to vie for their shot at fitness stardom. Canadians took home all of the first place hardware, but as word spreads and more Americans come to challenge for the title, we look forward to more competition from our friends south of the border. UFE’s top competitors faired well too, taking home 3 first prize awards while the best of MuscleMania, Ms. Fitness World, SAF and OPA took home the other 4 Ultimate Championships.
All in all, the event was a great success! The calibre of the competitors shocked everyone in attendence as everyone who came to compete was great looking and brought physiques that meant business! We had representatives in attendance from various industry magazines and a great crowd that helped fill the venue with positive energy. Now that UFE has established an event that is second to none in the Candian fitness industry, we look to an even bigger and better 2009!
Now, let’s take a look at the results of this fantastic event!
Men’s Bodybuilding
Congratulations to the following competitors that qualified in the Open show to compete as UFE Elite competitors!
Ramon Fodor
Rob DeLuca
David Smith
Elite Division
2008 Ultimate Champion: Andre Rzazewski (Canada – MuscleMania)
1st Runner-Up: Rob DeLuca
2nd Runner-Up: Dwight Nelson
4th: Daniel Champagne
5th: Richard Seguin
Women’s Bodybuilding
Congratulations to the following competitors that qualified in the Open show to compete as UFE Elite competitors!
Donna O’Quinn
Maria Melo
Elite Division
2008 Ultimate Champion: Krista Shaus (Canada – UFE)
1st Runner-Up: Sue Cornwell
2nd Runner-Up: Kim Emmons
4th: Maria Melo
5th: Tonie Morie
Figure Category
Congratulations to the following competitors that qualified in the Open show to compete as UFE Elite competitors!
Jennifer Ortbach
Sandra Andrade
Michelle Hannan
Emily Nevil
Zara Pineda-Boorder
Elite Division
2008 Ultimate Champion: Chantal Milot (Canada – OPA)
1st Runner-Up: Sandra Lombardo
2nd Runner-Up: Laurie Dickson
4th: Tami Gray
5th: Jennifer Ortbach
Fitness
Elite Division
2008 Ultimate Champion: Vanda Hadarean (Canada – Ms. Fitness World)
1st Runner-Up: Liana Saadi
Male Fitness Model
Congratulations to the following competitors that qualified in the Open show to compete as UFE Elite competitors!
Matt Trudeau
Elite Division
2008 Ultimate Champion: Michael McFarlane (Canada – UFE)
1st Runner-Up: Tim Lochhead
2nd Runner-Up: Matt Trudeau
4th: Nathane Jackson
5th: Andrew Somerville
Female Fitness Model
Congratulations to the following competitors that qualified in the Open show to compete as UFE Elite competitors!
Tanya Platt
Jennifer Ortbach
Sandra Andrade
Sophie Haddad
Maria Tatarova
Emily Nevil
Nadia Clarke Cordick
Michelle Hannan
Shannon Mathieson
Elite Division
2008 Ultimate Champion and IFM Model Search Winner: Vanda Hadarean (Canada – SAF)
1st Runner-Up: Michelle DeMaria
2nd Runner-Up: Erin Bailey
4th: Melissa Francis
5th: Louise Winders
Bikini Category
Congratulations to the following competitors that qualified in the Open show to compete as UFE Elite competitors!
Abby Gray
Zara Pineda-Boorder
Shannon Mathieson
Elite Division
2008 Ultimate Champion: Erin Bailey (Canada – UFE)
1st Runner-Up: Michelle DeMaria
2nd Runner-Up: Louise Winders
4th: Abby Gray
For loads of additional pictures that caught all the action, you can become a part of our “UFE Presents: The UFE National Championships” Facebook group!