Once a new king seizes a throne, there's no going back except by force. That’s something Rupert Johnson had to contend with last Saturday having been out of the Supligen/JABBFA National Championships for three years.
Johnson, a seven time Mr. Jamaica has won almost every class and category in Jamaica. During the period 1998–2000 he won the Middleweight Mr. Jamaica and in 2001 he won the Antilles Light Heavyweight Championship. Johnson first won the Mr. Jamaica title in 2002, which he repeated in 2003. Over the period 2004–2013 he won the Mr. Jamaica another 4 times combined. After this he took a sabbatical from competing on the Jamaican scene and returned last Saturday where he reclaimed the title of Mr. Jamaica that he last won in 2013.
Renowned for his remarkable wide shoulders, monstrous back, huge traps, goddess calves as well as his entertaining posing routines, prior to bodybuilding Rupert’s athletic interest was in boxing where he was a successful Lightweight Champion. Johnson said that he fell in love with bodybuilding while he was a trained boxer.
Mi go inna di gym to put on some weight and fall in love with the sport,Rupert Johnson, 2016 Mr. Jamaica
He said that being a boxer required stamina and less body fat. He explained how hard it was to maintain muscle fat to compete for bodybuilding.
It was a constant back and forth journey of losing body fat to compete in boxing and gaining it back to compete in bodybuilding… both couldn’t work,Rupert Johnson, 2016 Mr. Jamaica
At age 26, he commenced participation in competitive bodybuilding based on feedback from his friend Elvis Sicard, where he won the Mr. Jamaica Novice title and Mr. Jamaica Middleweight title as well as placed 2nd place in the Mr. Jamaica Junior.
The 45 year old Johnson who trains at Velocity Gym in St. Andrew said he didn’t retire from bodybuilding but instead his three year break was because of the number of athletes he trains for the sport hence he took on the position of a national coach.
I want to see the sports develop more to the level where we can compete on an international level,Rupert Johnson, 2016 Mr. Jamaica
Johnson said that he wants more camaraderie in bodybuilding. He said that even though it is a competition and at the end only one person can win, the sport is not about personal gains.
We are not competing amongst ourselves. We are competing against the world,Rupert Johnson, 2016 Mr. Jamaica
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