Before reaching this impressive milestone, Feria had a long way and a lot of weight to lose.
In 2015, Feria weighed around 212lbs. This was when he decided to join Gold’s Gym Saipan. “I was having a hard time breathing and I just knew if I stayed like that, I would end up with all kinds of sickness,” he said.
He did make the necessary changes and ended up in the Marianas bodybuilding competition where he placed 3rd.
But then he decided to take a four-year break and regained all the weight he had lost and then some. He ended up weighing 245 lbs.
“Worst year of my life and worst decision I’ve made,” he said.
Dicky Feria, third right, poses with other competitors during the 2020 National Physique Committee championship in Orlando, Florida on Nov. 19-21. Contributed photo
Dicky Feria shows his muscles during the 2020 National Physique Committee championship in Orlando, Florida on Nov. 19-21. Contributed photo
In June 2018, he left Saipan and made his way to Mississippi where he decided to get a gym membership.
He ended up losing about 60-70lbs in six months. But Feria said he was still unhappy with the way he looked. One day, the manager of the company that employed Feria asked him if he wanted to help and train with him, the manager, who was getting ready for a 2020 National Physique Committee show.
“So I decided to train with him and jump into the show. Knowing I was 16 weeks out I had time to cut more weight and make the weight limit for the weight class I wanted to be in.”
On the day of the show, Feria was down to 143 lbs from 245 lbs. He had lost over 100 lbs in a year.
Ten weeks later, he heard there was a national qualifier in Florida. “So I decided to stay on prep. I was 10 weeks out from competing at the Maxfit Classic, did the show and won first in the open bantamweight bodybuilding class and qualified for the nationals,” he said.
Feria had the chance to rest for two months in the off-season before he resumed preparing for a show in April 2020. However, the Covid-19 pandemic struck and lockdowns were implemented.
Still, he decided to stay “on prep” not knowing if shows would still go on. “That was the best decision I’ve ever made,” he said. “So here we are, 2020, at 143lbs and I just competed in my first national show!”
He added, “I was hoping to win and get my International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness pro card., but that didn’t happen. I’m still very proud of making it to the top 8 in my very first national competition. It made me realize I am able to be with the top guys. I was also able to get feedback from the judges and I now know what to bring next year.”
