Dick rebounds with CAC Classic Bodybuilding silver

AT THE start of September, Dr Duvaughn Dick found himself with work to do.

A fourth-place finish at the National Bodybuilding Championships on September 2 meant that he was not in the running to represent Jamaica at the 50th Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships in Aruba over the weekend.

But not only was he Jamaica’s only representative, the trained physiotherapist, with a decade of experience, was also a silver medallist in what was a fiercely competitive Men’s Classic Bodybuilding over 175cm class at the Aruba Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino.

Dick was bested by El Salvador’s Yuri Rodriguez for the gold medal after a callout to separate the two.

There was a second callout for places three to six, with Mexico’s Miguel Moreno grabbing bronze.

But the journey to Dick’s fourth appearance at the CAC championships, and his best placing to date, makes for interesting reading.

In fact, Dick had to ask for an exemption to represent the island based on his placing at the National Championships earlier this year. However, his request from the Jamaica Amateur Bodybuilding and Fitness Association (JABBFA) was not without merit, with Dick having copped the 2022 Classic Bodybuilding and Heavyweight title. His experience of competing in three previous CAC championships was also considered.

Still, Dick needed to get to the championships and depended on self-sponsorship, as well as support from WATA, FESCO, and Modern Power and Cooling Technology Ltd.

Dick made sure to thank those sponsors and JABBFA for the opportunity but says that more needs to be done to remove the burden of competing internationally on the individual competitors.

“The association [JABBFA], sports ministry, or Government and individuals need to help the sport be more visible to the public. There also needs to be more private-sector support so we can have more investment coming in to grow the sport and reduce the burden on the athletes trying to take it to the international level.”

Dick is hopeful that his story, his success, can help to make a difference.

“It means a great deal to me because I got a disappointing result at the National Championships, and that was a huge blow to me. I had worked so hard for the last year to make improvements to come back even better,” said the owner of Advantage Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Centre.

The silver medal gives hope to Dick for the growth of the sport and shows what can be achieved with support.

“I’m happy I got to brush it [disappointing National Championships] off and get a much better result at an international level. My silver medal in classic bodybuilding is a good result for Team Jamaica.”