A bodybuilder from the Ultimate Fitness Iloilo (UFI) brought honor to the Ilonggo community after winning the overall championship during the 2021 International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Philippines National competition men’s classic physique category.
Spencer Umah, a graduate of the University of San Agustin (USA), said it was a tough competition, but he’s thankful to dominate one of most prestigious bodybuilding competition in the country.
Before making a name in the international stage, Umah never thought it would go this far. “One of my colleagues, Kelechi Ukasoanya, back in 2012-2013 made me attend the gym for the first time, from that time onwards, I couldn’t stop going to the gym. It became an extension of me and a part of my daily routine and lifestyle,” he explained.
Joining in the UFI under coach Lance Deocares, who happened to be one of his opponents in the 2018 competition, Umah is now doing his Masters in Medical Technology.
“My hobby back then was playing soccer. I played for my department during intramurals. Later on, I was hooked up with another sport. Bodybuilding encompasses and deals with basically all aspects of life. It taught me discipline, set goals and achieve it, and best of all, whenever life knocks you down, you get back up stronger and better,” he added.
With the win, Umah expects a new level of dedication, more challenges, more growth in and out of the gym. “All I have to say is, it is a process, don’t let anybody tell you what you can and can not do, it is always you and nobody else and humility is underrated in the sport of bodybuilding.”
Umah, who is doing the sports for 8 years already, also got several titles in Iloilo tournament. He was the Mr. Iloilo 2018 Bodybuilding Champion and Mr. Dinagyang 2018 Men’s Physique Champion.
“The great support system from my coach, my teammates, dedication, sheer will, undiluted focus and discipline are the factors which contributed to my success,” he disclosed.
Meanwhile, 26 categories were featured in the tournament. In the men’s division, Edward Alido was the champion in the bodybuilding newcomer, Joshua Tamayao in the bodybuilding juniors, Katsuaki Suzuki in the bodybuilding masters, Leidon Cruz in the bodybuilding 65-kg, Roderick Ternida in the bodybuilding 70-kg, John Homer Valmonte in the bodybuilding 75-kg, and Reynold Domalsin in the open category.IMT Sports
