The 2019 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Bodybuilding Championships which were recently held have seen Guyana’s five-time ‘Mr Guyana’ title-holder Kerwin Clarke add a gold medal to his resume after using his well-defined physique to dominate his weight class.
Kerwin Clarke and Yannick Grimes, posing with their hardware, are flanked by Emmerson Campbell (left) and Guyana’s other representative at the CAC, Darius Ramsammy
Clarke’s quest for greatness has been beset by ups and downs, but he continues to strive determinedly in the face of dogged challenges. Prior to obtaining this gold medal, he had competed in the CAC four times, and in 2016 was able to earn a silver medal, bettering the fourth place he had earned in 2015.
In 2017, Clarke suffered a major leg injury that prevented him from competing, and although he had got himself together in 2018, he could not compete because of unforeseen circumstances. He did not give up, though, knowing in himself that 2019 was his year and time to bring home the gold.
And finally, with his 175 pounds of striated muscle suspended on a stately frame, Clarke was quite easily able to obliterate the competition in the under 176-pound class of nine musclemen in the 2019 Central American and Caribbean Bodybuilding Championships.
In an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sport Clarke was asked how he feels about his performance, considering everything against which he has had to contend. His response was, “I would have invested a lot of time in the gym, dedicating the amount of time to each specific body part. Xie Xie (in Barr St, Kitty) played an important part in my meal prep, as this allowed me to be more focused, primarily on training. “I would have invested a lot of my time in training and strategising how I want to appear on stage. I feel well accomplished, as I have always had this attitude that whatever negative encounter I face, I use it as a motivation. This is what helps me to be a better individual holistically.”
Clarke was sponsored by Fitness Express; Xie Xie; Ministry of the Presidency, Department of Social Cohesion; Innovative Mining; Global Health Care; Prem’s Electrical; Attorney-at-law Sohan Poonai, and by the Guyana Olympic House Association.
