(Northern Marianas Sports Association) — Team Marianas’ representatives in the bodybuilding event, Christina Tudela and Davy Laxa, will be making their debuts in the 2023 Pacific Games and are ready for the challenge that comes with competing on a bigger stage.
Tudela will be the NMI’s entry in the women’s model physique category in the bodybuilding competition that will take place on Nov. 27 at the Maranatha Hall in Honiara, the Solomon Islands. Laxa is competing in the men’s bantamweight class. Both athletes are relatively newcomers in the sport with Tudela having her first bodybuilding tournament in 2020 and Laxa just last year.
“This is my first time to compete off-island and in an even bigger tournament and I take this as a challenge. I never expected myself to get involved in bodybuilding in the first place as growing up, I was never into sports. Now, here I am and ready to take on every opportunity I could get to improve myself, my health, and represent our islands,” said Tudela.
The winner of the Dee Clayton Classic tournament in 2020 and 2022, she said that since this will be her first competition outside the NMI and she has no clue about her competitors, she does not feel much pressure and is focused on her own performance on the bodybuilding stage.
“I will not compare myself to others as I might lose focus. I will concentrate on doing the extra work in certain areas, such as my back, core, and glutes,” the Northern Marianas College student added.
Laxa, who finished second in the men’s physique short category of the Dee Clayton Classic last year in his bodybuilding debut, has the same approach to his first off-island competition.
“There will be competitors bigger than me in the Pacific Games, but I won’t let them intimidate or discourage a newcomer like me. My concentration is to get better each training day and work on my conditioning to be in good shape come the competition time,” said Laxa.
Northern Marianas Bodybuilding and Physique Federation President Dee Clayton said although they are only sending two representatives to the Solomon Islands, she is pleased that Team Marianas gets to be part of the return of bodybuilding competition in the Pacific Games.
“Bodybuilding does not make it to Pacific Games on a regular basis. We did not have it 2019 in Samoa, so I am very happy that we have it this year and we have the opportunity to participate — give our athletes a chance to compete against some of the best in our region,” said Clayton, who herself represented the NMI in the Pacific Games years ago.
She also hopes that having NMI representatives to off-island tournaments will drum up interest in the sport and encourage more people to get involved in their program.
“Right now, we have several students in bodybuilding. Some of them were supposed to join the team in Solomons, but there is an age requirement (at least 21 years old). However, I look forward to seeing them stay in the program and someday have the opportunity to represent the NMI on a bigger stage,” Clayton said.
Laxa and Tudela are part of the more than 100 NMI athletes and officials participating in the 2023 Pacific Games that will run from Nov. 19 to Dec. 2, 2023. Team Marianas’ participation in this year’s Pacific Games is supported by the Joeten Daidai Foundation, Triple J, Crowne Plaza Resort, IT&E, IP&E, Tan Siu Lin Foundation, Mobil, Tan Holdings, and McDonald’s.
