Three South Coasters excelled at the recent Durban Grand Prix for bodybuilding, with Danielle Helberg, Thandazane Ntsimbi and Shannon Lehmann all securing top place finishes in their respective categories.
The trio, who train at Superbodies in Margate, began their triumphant journey with a weigh-in at the Campbell Gym in Durban on Friday, before the competition the following day.
Danielle has only been ‘gyming’ for three years and this was only her second competition, yet she walked away with first place in Beach Bikini and second place in Fitness Bikini.
“We had to do Pro League posing, against some competitors who are in this league in Mozambique, so it was a bit different from my previous competition,” said Danielle.
For current SA champ Thandazane it seemed to be yet another formality as he claimed the crown in Classic Bodybuilding and a fourth place finish in the U80kg Bodybuilding categories respectively.
He is continuing his pursuit for a pro card that will allow him to compete at a professional level.
The win has also meant he qualifies for the Arnold Classic set to take place in Johannesburg in November.
“It always feels good to win, and at the Arnold Classics they’ll be giving away 10 pro cards so hopefully I’ll finally be walking away with one,” said Ntsimbi.
Shannon Lehmann, who has been at Superbodies since 2012, competed in her first competition and did not fail to keep up with the standards set by her peers, finishing in first place in the Ladies Wellness Fitness category.
“I’ve been wanting to compete for a very long time and to win in my first competition feels fantastic. The wait before competing has been worth it and all the hard work and patience has paid off,” she said.
Superbodies co-owner Dominique Read expressed her delight at their achievements. “Superbodies Margate is proud of its two personal trainers Shannon and Thandazane, for winning their line ups this past weekend. Congratulations to Danielle, she’s one of our loyal members and we are so pleased,” she said.
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