Phenomenal! There is no other word to describe the accomplishments of local Body Fitness champion and two time CAC winner, Candice John.

A professional figure competitor under the International Federation of Bodybuilding (IFBB), John recently qualified for the 2012 Figure Olympia in Las Vegas after placing third out of 21 competitors at the IFBB Kentucky Muscle in Louisville, Kentucky . The Olympia is the biggest and most prestigious competition in the world of bodybuilding, fitness and figure, hence the lean and carved body fitness queen has etched a milestone in T&T bodybuilding history.

John, the daughter of popular political aficionado, Carlos John, was the first woman to become a figure professional in the Caribbean. Not the typical more well-known body building sport, in body fitness, hair, facial beauty, overall athletic development and the ability to present a symmetrical body are judged. It becomes a challenge for the competitor therefore to portray a physique which is not excessively muscular or lean but yet toned as a balance must be achieved between femininity and athleticism.

The preparation is equally rigorous though and John is indeed committed to the demanding regime of a strict diet, weekly gym workouts and disciplined lifestyle. The product of her hard work is evidenced in her high standings on the international circuit and her constant improvement in her world placings has gained much attention from fans and stalwarts in the sport. Her best performance for 2011 was at the Toronto Pro show, where she placed second and qualified for the 2011 Olympia but her best is yet to come as she looks forward to the 2012 Olympia. Just recently, her feats in the arena were recognised by Flex magazine in its Olympia edition where she spoke about challenges in becoming an Olympia rookie.

"After a long and competitive 2011, qualifying for Olympia 2012 was a wonderful way to finish this competition season. Now that the qualifying rules for the Olympia in 2012 have changed where only the first place athlete will now be eligible to compete on the Olympia stage, I consider myself very lucky to make it into the competition," says John.

Next year's qualification challenge excites her even more, as it means that she now has new goals to look forward to and new challenges to conquer. "I could not have reached this point without the support of my team which has remained committed to seeing me accomplish my goals. They are indeed instrumental in my overall success as I endeavour to fulfill my life plan," she adds.

For the 2012 Olympia all eyes are set on John for a great performance. She is confident that she will make her country proud as well as satisfy her desire to be the best Body Fitness athlete in the Caribbean and the world.