Discipline: check. Drive: check. Goals: check. Determination: check. BODY: CHECK, CHECK, CHECK! Among us walks the genetically gifted, who commands admiration and attention as soon as he enters a room. At 62 and well over 230 pounds, he is on track to being perhaps the next professional bodybuilder that our little country produces. Born in Nassau, raised in the peaceful settlement of Pirates Well on the southern island of Mayaguana, and now a bonafide Grand Bahamian, this man is no doubt a big contender for the Mr. Bahamas crown. Massive, impressive, the biggest man who will be on stage come competition time, he is Bernard Davis. At first look, it is easy to assume this man knew he was destined for the world of bodybuilding. Not so. Though he had always been physically fit and kept himself in great shape through a healthy diet and structured exercise, it was not until the observations of others were brought to his attention that he even entertained the idea that he could make inroads in this sport. According to Bernard, Robert Harris was the first to recognize his potential to be a bodybuilder, but B. disagreed and shot him down. Next up was Baldwin Darling, who also took a stab at encouraging this young man to explore his obvious bodybuilding destiny. He, too, was ignored. It would be several years before someone else made an attempt at nudging Mr. Davis forward. In June, 2011, Bernard was encouraged and invited to attend the Northern Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships. It was a smart move made by a wily individual who not only knew how to recognize talent, but also more importantly was skilled in sparking interest in the sport and bringing that talent out: Glen Stubbs. As Glen had anticipated, though Bernard had been previously reluctant, after seeing that show a spark was lit within him; he decided at that point that he would give competitive bodybuilding a try. After working hard over the next twelve months, he competed for the first time at the 2012 Bahamas Nationals, and won both the Super heavyweight Division and the Novice titles. A contender was born. Blessed with dense, well formed muscles and the desire to always be at his best, Bernard has worked consistently over the ensuing years to improve his package. In a world where the best bodybuilders tend to be of average to below average height, he exists in a class where the taller men, though with more difficulty to undergo in obtaining needed mass, once attained can present undeniably the most beautiful bodies on stage. He looks at pros like Ronnie Coleman, Cedric McMillan and of course, our very own Joel Stubbs for inspiration. This super heavyweight holds the greatest admiration for Joel, himself a humble, hard working, down-to-Earth gentleman, who Bernard says is one of the easiest persons in the world to talk to. In fact, at B.s inaugural international competition at last years CACs, Joel was instrumental in helping the big guy fine tune his presentation, giving him expert tips on his posing, bringing out his own, massive back (imagine that, from the guy with THE largest back in professional bodybuilding!), and helping him to bronze his skin to better display his physique to the audience. It resulted in a second place finish in the super heavyweight division, an accomplishment that opened Bernards eyes to the fact that yes, he too had the potential to become a professional bodybuilder. Though skilled at lifting the iron and chiseling an astounding body, Mr. Davis has another, little known flip-side to him. We associate his sport with gym work and a rigid, strictly healthy food regimen. True, true. But who doesnt get the urge for sweets? And what kind of touch would it take to produce delicate, delicious baked goods? This massive man also has a fine touch; he is a trained pastry chef, and built those skills following receiving a scholarship at the end of his final year in high school to attend the Bahamas Hotel Training College. By the age of twenty years, Bernard was responsible for baking pastries for all three areas of the Princess Properties: the Casino, the Towers, and the Country Club. Talk about skills! Though he has not lost this careful touch, these days he prefers to generate skills to help him balance work, diet and weight training, all of which will help him attain goals he badly wants to achieve: to be the very best he can be, and to become the next Bahamian Bodybuilding Professional. All that beef, and still mixed in with sweet, youve got to come see Big Bernard Davis on stage at the end of this week. Think he was big before? Yall aint seen nothing yet! Magnificent, honed, defined---this is one guy youve got to see to believe! Its gonna be one helluva fight come competition night! Situation just got real! -with Rufus Davis
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 23:38:11 +0000
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