A promise made to his dying father was the motivation behind, Ray Walkerdine’s third place finish at the 2016 Canadian National Body Building Championships in Winnipeg last weekend.
The 5’3”, 145 pound, 58-year-old, retired RCMP officer competed in the masters division at the national event. Following his retirement from the force in 2013 due to a head injury from a serious car accident in 2011, Walkerdine decided to give competitive body building a try.
“Body building was one of my bucket list items I’ve always wanted to pursue, and this was the perfect time,” Walkerdine said.
He says health and fitness have always been an important part of his life.
“I am not very tall, so I decided I would try to be as fit and strong as possible instead.”
Walkerdine says he owes much of his success to the people around him including the coach he hired, Tamara Knight, and his wife Selina.
Knight helped put Walkerdine on a strict training and diet regiment, which he says is all consuming.
“Your life comes to a stand still. When I would go out to dinner with my wife I’d bring my own meal,” said Walkerdine.
As a competition nears Walkerdine says most of his diet includes yams, rice, egg whites and simple carbs.
“My wife was my rock through out the whole process. She was busy cooking all the food and when she wasn’t doing that she was buying more food. Without her support I wouldn’t have made it this far.”
