Brampton - There are no shortcuts to success for natural pro bodybuilder Ian Walling and he aims to inspire that in other athletes as they strive to new athletic heights, naturally.
Walling will host the Ian Walling-FAME Centrals-Natural Bodybuilding Show in Brampton on April 12, bringing athletes to the stage of the Lester B. Pearson Theatre. It's not Walling's first hosting endeavour and probably not his last.
Walling can't wait for GTA athletes to hit the stage in the natural bodybuilding (male and female), figure (female), muscle model (male and female) and bikini (female) categories. There's even a category for the physically challenged. He says it will prove that the industry is changing and that the steroid stereotype the industry has endured is on its way out.
The World Natural Sports Organization (WNSO) and organizations like FAME are prime reasons that the industry is changing, says Walling. Since 1997, WNSO, one of the largest drug-free fitness organizations in the world, has welcomed over 3,000 competitors to stages across Canada, the U.S. and internationally to compete in Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness, Figure, Fitness Model, Muscle Model and Swimsuit Model search categories.
WNSO welcomes any athlete who chooses to take the higher road when it comes to training and nutrition, with no anabolic steroids to shortcut the journey, says Walling.
FAME too wants to elevate the industry and to do so, it recently changed its mandate to "encourage everyone to join the Body-Proud Phenomenon and take charge of their physique, thoughts and energy," says FAME producer Mindy Blackstien, explaining why the FAME Expo Marketplace and Educational Symposium are free to the public during the FAME weekend.
"We want people to understand the reasons for being Body-Proud are in fact important for happy, healthy living and positive personal growth," confirms FAME president Jeffrey Kippel.
The Fitness and Model Expo (FAME) follows WNSO sanctions when screening athletes and it's the athletes' drug-free status, plus their show results, that will advance them up the six-level tier system. Successful regional candidates, like those at the April 12th show, will qualify for the FAME World Championship and PRO Showdown to be held in Toronto, June 13 to 15 at the John Basset Theatre, Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
Athletes competing in the FAME Centrals-All-Natural Bodybuilding Show will go through a physique-screening process to assess and determine the athlete's suitability to compete in his or her registered events. "We have realized that, passing polygraph examination or urinalysis test is possible despite the current or past use of banned substances. In our continuing efforts to ensure a fair and level playing field for all athletes, we have instituted the Physique Screening Panel," Walling explains.
For Walling, it was a no-brainer: no shortcuts and no drugs, just a lot of hard work in the gym, planning meals and maintaining a positive attitude. In an industry with the steroid stereotype so engrained in the culture, it was not an easy feat to maintain that positivity.
"A lot of people told me what I could not do. I was stubborn and shot them down by trying even harder," says Walling, whose efforts were well-rewarded with title after title, the latest being recognized as FAME's first natural pro bodybuilder.
Walling has received a lot of accolades since his first foray into the bodybuilding scene in 1984, a task he took up to help him with his other sports interests of hockey, soccer and martial arts. "The training and the nutrition made me stronger and more agile. It felt like it was the right thing to do for my body and my sports," he says.
There is no doubt that the journey was long, and it had many lessons learned along the way to the Mr. Natural Universe title in 1998. And then there were the naysayers: the people who said he couldn't achieve what he wanted without drugs, that it was too much work and he wouldn't see the results.
In each award and title he received, Walling made them eat their words, in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2005. He says the titles mean more because he attained them naturally (see Walling's Wall of Fame).
"Kids starting out in bodybuilding want it tomorrow. There is no quick fix. It takes a lot of patience and a lot of learning about all aspects of fitness and nutrition," says Walling, as well as about your own mindset."You have to be mentally and emotionally strong, especially when there are negative people and situations to influence you. My greatest achievements were ten-fold because I attained them naturally."
He credits the WNSO for its dedication in promoting the natural way to a new school of athletes. "The WNSO has done a lot for natural bodybuilding. There was a lack of sponsors when I was competing," he says, but adds that it's not the case now. "Bodybuilders of today are famous, they're stars.
Now he works to inspire the same dedication and focus in others, proof soon to be apparent on the FAME stage on April 12.
"It's my way of giving back to the sport and promoting the idea of bodybuilding without drugs.
"It means so much to me to be able to stand on stage with these athletes and present them with their plaques. I hope it means more to them than just another plaque. It's a tremendous accomplishment and I am deeply honoured to recognize these athletes," says Walling.
Ian Walling's FAME Centrals-Natural Bodybuilding Show will take place on April 12, from nine a.m. to 11 p.m. at the Lester B. Pearson Theatre in Brampton. Tickets are $15 for daytime judging (nine a.m. start) or $40 for VIP, and $25 for night-time judging (seven p.m. start) or $40 for VIP. Add $5 at the door.
Visit www.FAMEworldtour.com or www.worldnaturalsports.com for more information.
Walling Wall of Fame
2005 FAME World Championship, Pro Muscle Class - 2nd Place
2002 Musclemania World Championship, Pro Class - 1st Place
2001 Musclemania World Championship, Pro Class - 3rd Place
2001 Musclemania Super Bodies Championship, Pro Class - 4th Place
2000 Musclemania World Championship, Pro Class - 5th Place
2000 WNSO World Championship, Pro Class - Overall Winner
2000 IFBB Canadian Naturals - 2nd Place
1999 MuscleMania Worlds, Pro Class - 5th Place
1999 WNSO World Championship - 1st Place
1999 IFBB Canadian Naturals - 2nd Place
1999 Musclemania Canada - Overall Winner
1999 IFBB Ontario Naturals - Overall Winner
1998 Mr. Natural Universe
1998 Natural Olympia, Gold Medalist
Linda Erskine, former editor of The Brampton Bulletin, loves a good interview, getting into the meat of a story and serving it piping hot to her readers. A lifetime resident of Brampton, Linda has edited fiction and non-fiction books, newspapers, magazines, a handful of resumes and a lot of cover letters. She credits her parents for her love of the dictionary and impromptu spelling bees.