I<\/span>n the wee hours of the morning, while most of Barbados is still asleep, Shanequa Allamby is already at the gym. The 30-year-old office assistant at Beyond Limits Fitness Centre says bodybuilding defines how she structures her life. <\/p>\n \u201cBodybuilding is my life. Everything revolves around bodybuilding,\u201d Allamby revealed. <\/p>\n \u201cI come to this same gym at 3:30 in the morning. I work out until maybe 5 a.m., then I go home, go work for 6:30-7:00; and work until 4:30 p.m.. Then I go home and prep my meals for the next day and I\u2019m in bed by 7:30 p.m., and I just repeat that cycle every day.\u201d <\/p>\n Allamby disclosed that her journey into the sport began through family. <\/p>\n She said the transition into bodybuilding was smooth as she was always involved in sports. <\/p>\n \u201cI started from my little brother. He was in bodybuilding at first and then I just joined on after. <\/p>\n You Might Be Interested In<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWhen I started, I always liked the gym and physical activities. So I did track and field, basketball, all the different stuff at school, and then I just went over to bodybuilding,\u201d Allamby recalled. <\/p>\n Her breakthrough came in May 2024 at the Roger Boyce Classic, where she earned her IFBB Pro card. Then, the local athlete stepped onto the international stage, competing at the IFBB Elite Pro Night of Champions in London in October. <\/p>\n After taking an off-season, Allamby returned to competition, including another Roger Boyce Classic and a recent show in Portugal last December where she placed in the top ten. <\/p>\n Her long-term goal is ambitious but clear. <\/p>\n Photo Credit: Shamar Blunt<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cMy goal is to be in the top three of the World Championships when I get there\u2026 not the top ten or even the top five, but the top three,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n The path, however, is far from easy, especially for Caribbean athletes. <\/p>\n \u201cSo the challenges mostly are getting to [international] shows \u2013 for us in the Caribbean. Getting to shows is very hard because they\u2019re mostly in Spain, all those far places,\u201d Allamby stated. <\/p>\n She said that beyond travel, there are also physical and mental hurdles. <\/p>\n \u201cSo obviously sometimes your body might look top tier. Then sometimes you might have a little something that you\u2019re not wanting to see, stress. So that also plays a part on your body,\u201d Allamby explained. She recalls a setback earlier in the past year. <\/p>\n \u201cIn May, I didn\u2019t make the top ten. I didn\u2019t make any of the finals in May,\u201d Allamby recalls with a giggle. However, rather than stop, she regrouped with her team. \u201cMe and my team, we went back to the drawing board, and we did the show in December.\u201d <\/p>\n Allamby explained that it was that team effort, which included her coach, Keliel Marshall, her nutritionist Dionne Clarke, known as Mummy D, and posing coach, Melissa Seaforth \u2013 that they were able to pull it together. <\/p>\n \u201cWe worked together, we interacted. Everybody said, \u2018Well we need to work on this, we need to work on that\u2019. When we saw the final package for this Portugal show, we were all in shock. We could not believe it. <\/p>\n \u201cSo then when you see everything just come together at the end, with the hair, the makeup, the oil, it was just like\u2026 [exceptional],\u201d Allamby admitted. <\/p>\n The discipline behind that moment is uncompromising. <\/p>\n \u201cSo nutrition-wise, this time we did a low-carb, high-carb day and a refeed. So I had to weigh everything to the T. So even if I\u2019m an ounce off, I\u2019m going to cut something out just to get that ounce,\u201d Allamby explained. <\/p>\n Photo Credit: Shamar Blunt<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Training and preparation come at a personal cost so when asked about balance, Allamby is honest. <\/p>\n \u201cSo sacrificing your life is one of the main things. It sounds bad, but sacrificing going out, staying up late. <\/p>\n \u201cIf you know you want to do it, you go towards your goal. That\u2019s how you choose to create your dreams and your goals,\u201d Allamby said. <\/p>\n (TM)<\/strong> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/barbadostoday.bb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/DSC03716-scaled.jpg\")
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