Local sprinter Alicia Fortune says quitting athletics is not among her immediate plans, rather she will continue training for major meets, putting to rest questions about whether she would be giving up her athletics career to pursue bodybuilding.
“I have not made a decision as yet but as it is right now I will still be competing in track meets,” 37-year-old Fortune told Stabroek Sport. “What I will be doing is limiting myself to the number of meets I participate in locally and overseas, but I will be choosing the major athletic meets.
But as it concerns giving up my athletic career that decision will be made in another couple of years. Many athletics meets are usually earlier in the year, while bodybuilding is later, so I can balance the two”, Fortune said.
Despite her sixth place finish at the CAC Bodybuilding Championship in Puerto Rico, Fortune says athletics has always been her first love and it has enhanced her bodybuilding career. The three-time Hugh Ross Classic winner who was among four athletes to compete at the just concluded CAC championships, maintains that her top ten placing is a testament to the hard work she has put in both at the track and in the gym.
“I worked really hard and am satisfied with my performance, but next year I will work even harder to get to the top and make Guyana proud,” Fortune said, adding that she respected the judges’ decision.
She also said she was motivated by the judges’ encouragement and was confident of a better placing at the next meet as she does not have to seek sponsorship this time around and can spend more time training. “The fatigue of finding sponsorship made it difficult, but I have the experience now and the video clips to review to see where mistakes [were made] so that I can fix them,” she said. Fortune plans to take one week off then head back to the gym and to the track.
