Team MBS USA 2008

2008-11-10T22:45:00.002-05:00

Two new albums added!

Click here for Team MBS athletes Doreen, Lesley, Carryn and Ally in the WNBF/INBF World Championships

Click here for other New York, Miami and WNBF/INBF comp pics

2008-11-09T10:07:00.002-05:00

WNBF/INBF World Championships results

Congratulations to:

Doreen Nicolaou: 3rd place Women's Bodybuilding

Lesley Maxwell: 4th place Ms Fit Body Tall

And big congratulations to Doreen, Lesley, Carryn and Ally for making it all the way to New York and competing on the international stage with the best athletes in the WNBF world!

Photos are on the way...

2008-11-06T23:26:00.002-05:00

Thank you from all the girls and Jas and Mike to everyone back in Aus for your lovely messages! Time for a quick interim update, before the really exciting news ETA Sunday afternoon Australian time.

We have indeed made it safely to NY and the weather is really not that freezing after all. This city is absolutely enormous and the views going across the harbour are amazing. Coming into La Guardia airport (one of three, and not even the biggest one), you could see a line of planes stretching back through the fog, following on each other's tail to land. Got introduced to New York by a NY taxi driver and his friend who was called Michael because he dressed like Michael Jackson right down to the pointy shoes. We are staying on Staten Island, which is a free ferry ride past the Statue of Liberty to Manhattan where all the action is. The accommodation is - shall we say - eclectic. A single house that somehow managed to be converted into eight apartments, in a neighbourhood that seems to be just a little on the good side of dodgy. Mike's studio is about the size of a cupboard in a doll's house. But he seems to like it (who wouldn't, after spending a week living with six food- and shopping-mad competitors) and the alternative was wiping out the entire fundraising budget on the first night's accom in a Manhattan condo, and we have found a nice local gym so it's all good.

Aside from the gym we've seen Manhattan, been to Broadway (shiny lights, neon sign lights, sparkly lights, building-high backlit advertisements, flashing lights, tourist shops, us looking exactly like tourists, wandering down the pavement gawking up at all the buildings and lights), been downtown and to the west and east sides and about halfway uptown, been to Times Square which oddly enough is actually a street, no square in sight, shopped in Century 21 and started collecting enough baggage for an extra suitcase each, negotiated the "don't you people listen, you have to wait 17 minutes after exiting the subway before your ticket will let you in again" train system, ridden on the subway without getting mugged, become used to mentally adding about 8% tax and 15% tip to the listed price of pretty much everything, seen at least the foyer and clothing shop of the iconic Gold's Gym (suitably impressive, down to the 30-odd different protein shakes available on their cafe menu), and basically scratched the surface of the "you must do this" list.

Tomorrow is the last day before comp, wish the girls luck! The INBF/WNBF World Championships will be held on Sat (that's Sun morning in Aus) in Manhattan not far from Central Park.

2008-11-03T17:03:00.002-05:00

FAME photo albums are on the web!

Click here for: FAME Nth American Championships: Open divisions

Click here for: FAME Nth American Championships: Advanced and Pro divisions

Click here for: FAME Nth American Championships: Group shots and photoshoots

2008-11-02T02:59:00.003-05:00

FAME North American Championships: Results from day 2!

Sarah Whitby continued her winning streak on the second day of competition. After winning her Pro Card in Amateur Muscle Model on the previous day, she went on the win Pro Muscle Model. Sarah also took out Advanced Figure, earning herself a Figure Pro Card, and at the end of the show she was awarded the Best Overall Physique prize.

Anita Nicolaou and Doreen Nicolaou also succeeded in the Advanced and Pro show. Anita placed second in Advanced Figure and Doreen placed second in Advanced Bodybuilding.

Meanwhile earlier in the day Ally Johnston won Open Figure and Doreen Nicolaou won Open Masters Figure. Also in Open Figure Carryn Duff placed second, while Lesley Maxwell placed second in Open Masters Figure and third in Open Figure.

More info and photos tomorrow when it isn't 3am and I can think straight!!!

2008-10-31T23:29:00.003-04:00

FAME North American Championships

TEAM MBS results from day 1 of competition:

Congratulations Sarah Whitby, new FAME Pro! Sarah won the Muscle Model division, achieving Pro status. Anita Nicolaou followed closely in second place, while Ally Johnston placed 4th in a very large lineup of Fitness Model athletes.

More details to come after day 2 of competition...

2008-10-31T00:16:00.004-04:00

After a very long 24 hours of traveling (including the very cool new double decker Qantas A380 from Melbourne to LA, with enough empty seats for everyone to have a whole row to themselves, a workout during the stopover, then the very, very sardine-like flight from LA), we finally made it to Miami.

The FAME North American Championships kicks off tomorrow with Anita, Sarah and Ally fired up to compete in the 'Muscle Model' division. Muscle Model involves a bikini round and a theme wear round (as nicely demonstrated below by Anita!).

2008-10-27T18:09:00.008-04:00

Welcome to Team MBS USA 2008's blogspot. Here you can read updates on the team's progress and view photos almost immediately after each competition. Feel free to post your comments and messages for the team too!

Six Team MBS athletes are heading to the USA to compete at world level in the FAME North American Championships (Miami, 31 Oct-1 Nov) and the WNBF/INBF World Championships (8 Nov). Team members going: Anita, Sarah, Ally, Carryn, Doreen and Lesley (view slideshow) plus support crew Michael, Jas and Steve. The girls all train with Michael Tabban and his staff at MBS Gymnasium in Melbourne, Australia.

Anita Nicolaou (Aust. Figure & Muscle Model competitor) and Sarah Whitby (Aust. Figure & Muscle Model competitor) are experienced athletes who have already competed at world level. In 2006 Sarah placed 1st in Women Fitness Under 30 at the WFF Universe in Germany, and in 2008 Anita placed 2nd in Women Performance Over 35 at the WFF Universe (and won numerous Overall titles and 1st places at Australian contests).

Lesley Maxwell (Aust. Figure & Ms Fit Body competitor) is also an experienced athlete who so far in 2008 has picked up seven 1st places!

Carryn Duff (Aust. Figure & Ms Fit Body competitor) is new to the competition world in 2008, but already she has won and placed at Victorian and Asia-Pacific level.

Doreen Nicolaou and Ally Johnston are versatile athletes - Doreen has won in both the Women's Bodybuilding and Ms Fit Body divisions, while Ally has won in both the USA Figure and Aust. Figure/Ms Fit Body divisions.

Check out the athletes' results so far this year