Illinois bodybuilders impress!

On Saturday the 2018 edition of the NPC Mid-Illinois Bodybuilding, Figure, Bikini and Physique Championships was held in the Ottawa High School auditorium.

Over 160 competitors took to the stage. The best-performing local competitor was Judson Heess, who took home the Teen Men Physique division trophy. He told MyWebTimes:

“This was my first show. It was pretty nerve-racking. You don’t know how nervous you’re going to get until you walk out on the stage.”

Though he said he is drawing from a wealth of experience.

“When I was 12 years old I had weights in my basement from when my dad weightlifted as a kid, and I guess I just got into it. I had some years downstairs, saw progress and said, ‘Well, I might as well keep going.’”

Hometown favorite Jamilia Jones scored third out of 17 entrants in the Novice Bikini division and second in the Open Bikini D class. She said that competition was born out of a larger feeling of rebirth.

“I had my daughter, I was working two jobs, stuff like that. But I got a new job and started dating my boyfriend (fellow competitor Patrick Murphy) in October, and I said, ‘All right, I want to compete,’ and he said, ‘Well, I can get you ready.’ …”

Open Men’s Physique competitor Devin Geiger of Marseilles said that there is so much more to competition than parading on stage.

“It’s more about what people don’t see — 15 weeks of hard work, dedication and heart. It’s waking up and eating the same thing, training for two to three hours, an hour of cardio. You’re sacrificing going out to eat, your friends, your family, holidays, relationships.

“But it’s so rewarding, and it reflects on the other parts of your life. … You get out what you put in.”

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