THE first British soldier to cross the border in Iraq at just 18 years old was crowned overall female champion at the BPA Masters All Stars on Sunday.
Jodie Dunseath, who is now a mother of four, from Pembrokeshire, proved to be the star of the show. Showing a terrifically conditioned and shapely physique, Dunseath won her wellness class and then overcame the other class winners in the overall showdown.
Dunseath is now in her fifth year of competing after starting aged 35 and said: “I began in bikini but my quads took over. Now my delts are starting to take over so I’m going to grow into figure."
Cheryl McGregor was the pick of a fabulous four in Masters AllStars figure. She was not the most muscular or the hardest but her well-balanced shape appealed to the judges in a class that featured some outstanding routines as well as physiques.
The bikini category began with Heather Ashley Jones securing victory in the over-35s. Jones looked more like a junior than a Masters competitor and brought a terrific package to the stage. Caroline Hertrich overcame Sam Popplewell in the over 40s in what was arguably the highest quality female category of the day.
Tracy Carter’s sensational conditioning showed off her fabulous lines to great effect in the over-50s.
In the men's division, the pick of the Masters AllStars was John Youssef, who won a tough, five-strong over-40s line-up, before going on to win the overall title.
It was a tight call between him and Under-85kg winner Rafal Kwiatkowski, who packed an extraordinary amount of muscle on his frame. Kwiatkowskial was also sharp, but the judges felt Youssef's physique was a little more complete. The 46-year-old from Formby, who was competing in his sixth show, said: “I have been training since I was 12 but I only started competing when I was 44 because my wife talked me into it.”
Chris Unitt (above) was also in the overall shake-up. He beat top competitor Kyle Vauls in an entertaining and sporting over-50s class. He has plenty of muscle and peaked to perfection to bring a lot of diced muscle to the stage.
Over 60s champion Shaun Thomas’ (below) physique had to be seen to be believed. He looked so balanced and youthful — a great advert for the lifestyle.
The well-proportioned Kris Jones overcame man mountain Herry Cooke in classic bodybuilding.
Bhavik Patel really was the star of the men's show in the Rising Stars category. He started the day a complete newbie to the sport and ended it with four winners’ trophies.
He won the Rising Star open and over-35 categories before taking the Masters AllStars novice and over-35 classes. Bhavik was on and off stage all day but managed to retain his freshness and energy throughout.
Lee Bushell overcame Elliot Taylor in the well fought Over-40s Men’s Physique class. Neil Barsby took the Over-50s and there was success for Gareth Paine and Grant Coles in the height classes.
Meredith Hemmings was the personification of a rising star in the Novices show. She absolutely rocked the stage in winning the Bikini class and surely a bright future awaits.
There was little to choose between Lucy Johnson and Nicky Adlam in the figure Rising Star class. Both were excellent, but Johnson just had that bit more conditioning.
