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Created: 01 August 2013 01 August 2013

Karine Pilon is featured on our cover this month – she was the Tier 1 Elite muscular physique (aka figure) winner at the 2013 Physique Canada National Classic, which was held on June 22 in the main theater at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, located in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. Along with her picture is the accompanying caption: “World-Championships Qualified.” Indeed, Karine is.

But Karine is not the only one who is qualified. As I write this article, Physique Canada’s president, Brian Robitaille, is sending official letters to all of Physique Canada’s Tier 1 Elite competitors, inviting them to represent Canada at the prestigious 2013 WBPF World Championships, to be held November 13-17 in Budaors, Hungary. Physique Canada is the only Canadian physique organization that can send a national team to this incredible international event.

So what is going to the world championships like? If there’s someone who knows best, it’s Brian Robitaille, since he represented Canada at the world level in the year 2000 in Malaysia. Brian is shown in the pictures above and below with fellow teammates Thomas Hernandez and Remi Zuri. I know a thing about it as well because I accompanied Brian and the team that year to Malaysia to assist them and to provide media coverage. I shot those photos of the three. I’ve also been to several other world- and international-level events.

Although I’ve never been to the Olympics, I have seen enough coverage of the games to know that it’s fair to say that going to the WBPF World Championships is something like going to the Olympics. Competitors arrive from all over the world (the WBPF’s current international roster includes approximately 100 member countries now) and the caliber is sky-high. To win, or even be competitive at the international level, you have to be good – really good! One of the best Canadians ever at that level is Denis Pedneault, a Physique Canada Tier 1 Elite athlete who is one of those who will be receiving an invitation. Denis was ranked fourth in the world in his weight class (bantamweight) three years ago.

But it’s not all about winning. Part of the allure of going to world level is the experience of it all, as well as the memories that the athletes take home with them. I know that when Brian went, it made a lasting impact on him that he still talks about today. That’s also why he’s so keen on the WBPF organization, as well as Physique Canada’s ability to send athletes to their competition – he wants Canadian athletes to enjoy the same kind of experience he had almost 13 years ago. If I were in his shoes, I’d feel the same way – not only have I seen the positive, lasting impact that such an event had on Brian, but I’ve also seen the effect it has had on all the competitors I’ve known over the years who at one time or another competed internationally.

If competing at the international level in such a prestigious event is appealing to you, but you don’t know how to go about it, rest assured that it’s not hard to learn. Simply know this: Physique Canada is the nation’s only sporting federation that can get you there, and their competitive tier structure is set up specifically to ensure that if you have what it takes, you can get there. In fact, there’s still time this year to qualify since all Tier 1 Elite competitors are eligible. See PhysiqueCanada.ca for more details on how you can qualify, and congratulations in advance to all of the Physique Canada Tier 1 Elite athletes who will be on Team Canada this year!

Doug Schneider
SeriousAboutMuscle.com Founder and Publisher