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Created: 01 June 2015 01 June 2015

As I sat down to write this, I paused for a moment because I could hardly believe that almost a year has passed since last year’s Physique Canada National Classic. It was held on June 14, 2014, and was one of the organization’s most unforgettable events. It was there that Simon Proteau, who is featured on our cover this month as well as in the photo at the top of this article, won Tier 1 Pro men’s bodybuilding. Edith Syjuco took the title in Tier 1 Pro women’s athletic physique, and Nadia Moussa won the crown in Tier 1 Pro women’s muscular physique after 12 years away from the competitive stage. It’s all so clear to me as if it happened just yesterday.

Nadia Moussa

It’s also clear that for me the most memorable part of the event was Nadia Moussa’s return to the stage after being away for so long, and for a couple of reasons. One was that I was impressed to see her return to the stage at all, because when I saw her retire from fitness competitions in 2002, I thought she’d never be back. After all, when most people leave the competitive life, they are never seen again. Therefore, when she did return, it was something of a shock. Another thing was that she didn’t just return to the stage in some normal fashion. No, Nadia did it in grand style – she eclipsed her previous best form by a long shot, and showcased to the audience what a world-class physique looks like. Nadia’s was the comeback of comebacks – and it will be really hard for anyone to top what she did.

Edith Syjuco

The second most memorable thing last year was watching Edith Syjuco win the Tier 1 Pro women’s athletic physique category. It was the second time Edith had won the category (the first was at the 2013 Canadian Championships), so it made her a two-time winner at that level. But more important was the fact that she’d also won the pro division of the SAF Summer Spectacular event earlier that same day. As a result, Edith went home a big, big winner on June 14, and, of course, I was very happy for her – as well as very glad to witness it all.

What will be the highlights at the 2015 Physique Canada National Classic, which is going to be held on June 13? Frankly, I have no idea – and that’s the way I like it.

Right now I don’t know who is entering, let alone what kind of shape they will be in. I also don’t know if someone is making a comeback, and I certainly don’t know if anyone the caliber of Nadia Moussa will be on that stage. Perhaps veteran competitors like Simon, Edith, and Nadia will be the stars of the show again, or maybe a bunch of new-to-the-organization competitors will be the ones who stand out and take home the trophies. Or perhaps it will be a mixture of old and new. Right now it’s anyone’s guess what will happen, so that leaves me with a clean slate for when I attend the show; as a result, what comes out of it that day will be nothing but a complete surprise. And I don’t mind surprises.

What I do know for sure, however, is that I will be there – front row and center! – covering it all and reporting in this space on July 1 about what happened at the event. So, see you again in a month – or, perhaps, at the National Classic itself.

Doug Schneider
SeriousAboutMuscle.com Founder and Publisher