—, 7 26 - North Shore News — Sunday, July 2, 2000 SPORTS Mother of three wins first pro fitness tourney Jan-Christian Sorensen Contributing Writer A North Vancouver fitness trainer is prov- ing that age is no bar- rier to achievement. Christine Kwan recently won the fitness portion of the NHF B.C. Muscle and Fitness Mania competition in Burnaby — her first: profes- sional competition. Not bad for a 39-year-old mother of three who only “Wwwgreathacitic.net. © started serigusly training for competition last) Ocrober. She was inspired by a friend who entered a bodybuilding competition last fall. “L was intrigued by what I had scen of fitness campeti- tions on TY and thoughe it looked like a fot of fun, and then last fall I just thoaght ‘What the hey, I. don’t care if I'm fourteen years older than most of the competitors, I'm gonna go for it’.” The competitions blend athletic talent with strength, flexibility and endurance and are broken down into com- pulsory and treestyle seg- ments, Kwan, who measures five- foot-two and weighs in’ at 105 Jb., started upping her trips to the gym and began intensive cardio and weight training exercises, She also emplaved the services of two choreographers — one for the cempulsory fitness’ por- tion of the routine and another for the treestvle seg- ment. , The compulsory is a one- minute routine that must include all of the following elements: two one-arm pushups in a row, front and side splits, four high kicks in a row, a straddle press hold and a pike press hold. Of the press holds, a straddle is one where partici- pants hoist themselves up on their hands and balance while sidelines THE ‘second leg of the WellTech 2000 B.C. Hill Climb Championships will be held'- today = at Mount Seymour, Participants in seven age _ and skill categories will rackle 2a -12.2-km ‘approximately 1,000 metres _ of elevation gain. The event will begin at the entrance to course with ‘lowed by a THIRTY-NINE-YEAR old Christine Kwan only started training for fitness competi- _ Pe; NEWS photo Terry Peters tions in October and yet recently won her first professional event in Burnaby. splaving their legs out in a “v") The pike follows the same method, but the partic- ipants must keep their legs together. The compulsory is fol- two-minute freestyle program which can feature any creative display of fitness such as dance or mar- the Mr. Seymour Road on Park Headquarters Road with category five racers going at 9:30 a.m. and other categories to follow until the Master’s racers end the competition when they take to their heels at noon. Yesterday, — competitors raced on a 12-km course: at Cypress Mountain in the first its Coming wo. * Your Food Bank “Sharing Bag” in Celebration of Christmas in July | WMateh for it ... in the July 5th issue of the North Shore News. You can help feed the need this summer. Just add your 2". food donation to the sharing bag and grop it off at ‘your local fire hall, supermarket or the Food Bank. "because HUNGER KNOWS NO SEASON _ Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society 311 East 6th Avenue, Vancouver, . BC VST.1N9 Ph: 876-3601 Fax: 876-7323 * " www.foodbank.bc.ca email: Food_Bank@telus.net tial arts. And of course, there’s the requisite bikini round, where judges assess such factors as physique, muscle tone and complexion. The judges aren’t interest- ed in seeing overmuscularity or the “Hanz and Franz” poses; they have their eves leg Sf the event. 00a Carson Graham secondary schoo! standout wrestler, vol- leybail Andrea: Burk has been award- ed the British Columbia School Sports (BCSS) Zone F Lower Mainland scholarship. Burk won a bronze medal and rugby player - trained specifically for muscle tone and symmetry. Kwan said) she wasn't fazed by having to parade around onstage in a tiny swimsuit. “T had a blast. 1 wasn’t intimidated,” she said. “I was confident because I worked really hard and knew I looked AA AANA AI OE REO AX ALATA ANH at the. provincial wrestling championships in her first year of competition and is a mem- ber of the U-19- national soc- cer squad. She has ‘also been named. school: valedictorian and — will University next year. O00 - North Vancouver’s: Jacob: Hunt carded an 1] -stroke vic- : - younger competitors “tory in the Boys -13-14 divi: attend » Acadia: pretty good, so I wasn’t all that worried.” The one thing she was worried about, however, was keeping her balance in the high heeled shoes — that accompanied the two-picce. “They took some getting used to,” she admitted. “Buz- let me tell you, there’s noth- ing more motivating to keep you disciplined than knowing youre going to have to be onstage in a bikini in front of hundreds of people at almost 40 years old. That makes you stick to your program.” . Kwan said she hasn’r real-’ ly given much thought to fac- ing down the field of much thar stand ia her way. : “Pm not in this to com- pete against anyone else, any- way,” she said. “I’m doing this we had a practice, Pm ail that much - more confident and if I do well against the 25-vear olds: our. there, then that’s icing on the cake.” - Kwan said she’s entertain- ° ing the thought of revamping — her workout schedule: and making the jump from fitness to bodybuilding competi tions next year. wt | She’s currently gearing up: for the 2000 -- Western. Canadian | tested) bodybuild-. | ing and” women’s - fitness championships in Kelowna: on Juiy 8.. Pll sion at the Optmist Qualifier. golf tourney held in Langley’: « last weekend. Ryan Roe, also of North Vancouver, posted a 145 to claim second spot in the boys: 17-18 division -and:. West : Vancouver’s . Marshall. McLeod won the long “drive competition in the boys 1 category. © 28.2