Body Builder Alvin Andre is The Daily Herald’s Sportsman of the Year for 2017.
The “come-back story” is probably the most celebrated of all sports stories. Winning championships, breaking records and/or even the tale of the underdog going up against a Goliath – these all make great copy for the sports pages, but it is the comeback that stirs the imagination and warms the heart.
It takes determination, hard work and most importantly a belief in one’s self to achieve the comeback. Whether returning from injury or seeking to compete at a high level after a long hiatus, the idea of the comeback is every seasoned athlete’s dream. The words, “I can” become the mantra.
This past summer Alvin Andre competed in the International Federation of Body Builders’ “Wings of Strength Pro Show” in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Andre placed seventh in the Master’s Class and 16th in the Men’s division, out of 22 competitors. “I didn’t get the results I expected but enjoyed the experience,” said Andre. The results are not that impressive until you realise that he is returning to the sport he loves after a six-year hiatus from competition.
Andre is a down-to-earth pragmatic athlete who places his family above his sport. He earned his Body Building Pro Card in 2011 at the Central American and Caribbean Championship in El Salvador. He was at the peak of his sport. The top dog. Ready to take on the world and win.
While he wanted to compete with the new card at the pro level, he had work to do. “I was building my house,” said Andre. “I didn’t have time to compete.” Now the house is nearly done and Andre returned to the bodybuilding stage at the age of 40.
“My wife Juliana has supported me through all this,” said Andre. The happy couple celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary July 23, just a week before Andre travelled to Chicago.
Andre does not know how many shows he has left. Chicago may have been his last. But at 5-foot-11 and 260 pounds the smiling giant has not given up on himself or the sport.
Andre loves children. He realises they are the future and enjoys working with and talking to them. Prior to leaving for Chicago, Andre stopped by the St. Maarten Little League’s Player Development compound, where young baseball players practise and get homework help. He told the youths that he had attended high school in St. Peters and said, “growing up I was not much of a sports person. I tried volleyball and basketball. They just weren’t for me.”
But then one day he noticed the gym above the school. “I walked in there and tried lifting.” He liked it and so began his career as a bodybuilder.
He told the children, bodybuilding, like most sports, is not an easy thing to get into or to excel at. “You can do anything you want,” he told the children ranging in age from six to 12. “But you have to work hard to reach your goals.” He went on to talk about discipline, respecting God, parents and teachers. He repeated the need for hard work and told the group to believe in themselves.
The children were mesmerised by the large man. “Who wants to touch my muscles?’ asked Andre. Up jumped several of the children. One proclaimed the bicep to be hard as a rock. “I got abs,” said a six-year-old pulling off his shirt. Andre chuckled and good naturedly lifted his shirt. “I am going to give you a treat.” The giant pulled off his shirt and started flexing and posing.
“You need help [to excel in sports – Ed.],” said Andre. “I was fortunate.” He went on to recall how an older bodybuilder “took me under his wing and taught me. He mentored me and helped guide me.”
Later Andre admitted he was nervous heading back on stage. The night before the show he was at the gym. “I stayed a little longer than usually to get last minute prep for the show,” said Andre.
The 40-year old had been working hard in preparation for the big day. He would spend upwards of 90 minutes to two hours in the gym every day, “according to the body part being trained.” Then there is the matter of nutrition. It takes a lot of food to maintain the 260 pounds of muscle. “Bodybuilding is expensive, and sponsors are hard to find,” said Andre before Hurricane Irma passed in September.
Andre hopes and prays that things on the island improve. He plans to remain active in the sport and give back by helping the up-and-coming athletes, but the dream of returning to the stage is not dead yet. “I would like to do it again,” said Andre.
In the true spirit of the comeback he concluded, “I will be in better condition if I do.”
