Caymanian bodybuilder Robert Thompson Jr. couldn’t be denied on Saturday, at the prestigious Mr. America competition – with the seven judges unanimous in scoring him the winner.
With that victory, Thompson Jr. became the first non-American to win the so-called ‘One and Only’ professional natural bodybuilding competition since it was inaugurated in 1939, and proved he can pose with some of the world’s elite muscle enthusiasts.
Now in his sixth year of bodybuilding, Thompson Jr., a former Division I soccer player dropped to his knees, becoming overwhelmed with emotion, after they announced him the winner.
“That competition was a big achievement for me,” Thompson Jr. told the Compass. “I actually ended up crying on stage because I just remembered all my hard work, sacrifices, people I had to say no to,” adding that the 18 weeks of dedicated training in and out of the gym had paid off.
He was met on stage by his biggest supporter – his father Robert Thompson Sr., who proudly embraced him.
“I wanted to give up in the midst of prep, because it can become very strenuous on you mentally because all of your other outside issues and problems don’t go away,” Thompson Jr. said.
“I couldn’t have done this without the constant support from my friends and family. My dad…my business partners at Lift Studio; in the gym they always told me, ‘You’re looking good, keep going’, and that was a constant remainder for me to keep pushing.”
Thompson Jr. has now earned two pro cards – one in DFAC and WNBF – and now adds Mr. America 2023 to his list of achievements, with several wins across the amateur scene as well.
“I did everything I had to do for the competitive season,” he said. “It means a lot to me to have this title, knowing that I am from a small island, while America has millions.”
However, Thompson Jr. hopes to make more history this year. He now has his sights set on the IPE World Championships in Liberty, Missouri on 28 Oct. and then three consecutive events in November.
“I’m already in shape, so I might as well get in as much shows as I can,” he said.
He will compete at the Cayman Muscle Mayhem show on 4 Nov., then travel to Australia for the DFAC World Finals eight days later. From there he will go to Seattle to defend his WNBF world title on 18 Nov.
Thompson Jr. wants to leave his mark on bodybuilding in Cayman.
“I want people to know, anything is possible regardless of where you are from.”
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