Bodybuilding Saved Me: The Wayne Freeman story

At age 16, a ‘normal’ teenager might be celebrating the joys of acing his or her CSEC exams or looking forward to going to sixth form or university but not Wayne Freeman. At that age, Wayne was looking for a place to live as his mother told him that “it was time to go” and he had to move out.

Freeman now 29, grew up in Scott’s Pass, Clarendon with his single parent mother and five siblings. Growing up was very hard, Freeman said. His mother, a housekeeper being the sole breadwinner for the family worked tirelessly each day to make ends meet-but Freeman also had to take on the responsibility of supporting himself and his family and this he said affected his academic performance. A graduate of the Porus High School, Freeman said that being the oldest child he had a poor attendance record at school because he was juggling between going to school on some days and selling cashews and fruit on the street to help his mother send his other siblings to school. This he said he started doing at age 8.

Thrown out to fend for himself, working odd jobs to make ends meet, Freeman was clueless as to where life was taking him, where he would end up or how he could make life better for himself. But there was a light at the end of the tunnel- in the form of bodybuilding. At age 18, Freeman said his life was transformed when Michael Bogle, a young pastor in his community and also a personal trainer at the Juici Patties gym took him in and introduced him to the gym and bodybuilding.

For Freeman bodybuilding was seen as that avenue through which he could competitively do something that he was good at. It was that sport that created the framework for positive development and taught him discipline, commitment to bettering himself and the drive to push harder because he would ultimately see the results.

Last week Saturday Freeman was crowned the 2016 MPC Florida state overall Classic Physique champion. He said his goal has been to compete in America since he migrated and he began training seriously for the competition in January. In addition to this, Freeman has competed in several other bodybuilding competitions and has won several other titles, namely: 2015 Mr. Beach Body, 4th place in the 2013 Jamaica bodybuilding heavyweight, 2nd place in the 2013 Mr. Caribbean international, best physique in the 2013 Mr. Caribbean international, fitness challenge winner in the 2013 Mr. Caribbean international, 3rd place in the 2011 Jamaica Bodybuilding Mid Weight and 8th place in the 2008 Jamaica Bodybuilding Junior Weight.

Freeman who has lived in Florida for the past three years, works as a one of the top personal trainers at Gold’s Gym. He returned to Jamaica yesterday, with the aim to claim the elusive Jamaica bodybuilding crown in the Supligen sponsored National Championship. The Supligen JABBFA National Championships and Fitness Expo, is an annual amateur Bodybuilding, Physique, Fitness, Body Fitness, Figure and Bikini competition. This partnership marks the fourth year running that Supligen will be title sponsor for the event. The 2016 Championships and Fitness Expo will host 120 athletes competing in 15 categories. The Championships will be held on August 26th—27th at the Alfred Sangster Auditorium, UTECH. General Admission is $2,000. VIP $4,000. Season Tickets for both August 26-27 cost $3,000.