Craig Titus Strangled Melissa James, Kelly Ryan Injected Her With Morphine - Grand Jury Transcripts

What this reveals are the actions of two very sick people.

GRAND JURY TRANSCRIPTS: Friend: Pair told of violence

Bodybuilders described confrontation, woman testified

By GLENN PUIT
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Kelly Ryan participated in the brutality that culminated in the death of her personal assistant by using a Taser gun on the victim, beating her and helping to inject the woman with a massive dose of morphine, Ryan's self-described best friend told a grand jury.

In her testimony to the grand jury that indicted Ryan and Ryan's husband, Craig Titus, on murder charges, Megan Pierson, 25, also said Titus demonstrated how he strangled 28-year-old Melissa James, according to the grand jury transcripts.

Pierson told the grand jury that she and her husband, Jeremy Foley, were at Ryan and Titus' southwest valley home on Dec. 13, the same day authorities suspect Titus and Ryan's live-in assistant was slain.

Pierson testified that Ryan told her that a confrontation had occurred between her and James at the home because she and Titus suspected James was stealing from them and was planning to steal their identities.

Ryan is a 33-year-old past Ms. Fitness America and Ms. Olympia runner-up, and Titus is a 40-year-old past place-winner of international Mr. Olympia competitions.

"They had gone into Melissa's room and found, opened up, a lock box that had credit cards, copies of credit cards, a (home equity line of credit) statement ... and copies of IDs," Pierson said.

She said Titus was especially angry at the discovery.

"Very, very pissed," Pierson said, adding that Titus said, "There is three things that you don't mess with. That's friends, family and his money."

Pierson said Ryan told her that during a confrontation with James, she had taken a Taser gun away from James, then used it on James.

"It, I guess, stunned her in the back of her neck, but she (Ryan) didn't have it up high enough, so it just kind of got her attention," Pierson told the grand jury.

"And Kelly tried to do it again, and she, I guess she didn't have the voltage up high enough, so she yelled for Craig, and Craig came upstairs, picked Melissa up, brought her downstairs into the living room and supposedly body slammed her (James) and started beating her up," Pierson testified.

Ryan told Pierson that after the beating, James "took a Xanax" and went to bed, Pierson said.

"While she was sleeping, Kelly went into her room and punched her in the face," Pierson said.

"She (Ryan) said that she punched her a couple of times, she showed me the marks on her knuckles from it, and she said that ... Craig was holding her down and told Kelly to get the morphine and she shot a whole needle of morphine into her leg," Pierson said. "She said she was very resilient because it didn't do anything to her."

Later that evening, Titus demonstrated to Pierson "how you can strangle somebody," and then he demonstrated a chokehold for Pierson.

"He did it on me, and you instantly stop breathing," Pierson said. "It scared me the way that he motioned, the way that he showed it on me.

"Craig just walked in and started talking about it and, that's how, he started talking more about how he said that he killed Melissa," Pierson said.

"He said that he was joking around, but that is how he had killed Melissa, by strangling her," Pierson said.

"I mean, he was laughing, so I really did not believe he was serious," she said.

Pierson said that Titus then mentioned James' body was in his wife's car and that Titus said he was going to drive the vehicle to Red Rock, "scatter clothes around the car and set it on fire and make it look like a rape."

Pierson's testified before the grand jury earlier this month, and the grand jury wound up indicting Ryan and Titus on charges of murder and arson in the death of James.

Twenty-three-year-old Anthony Gross is charged with being an accessory to the killing and with arson.

Authorities allege Titus and Ryan killed James, then burned her body in Ryan's Jaguar off state Route 160 in the desert outside of Las Vegas. The burning car was discovered Dec. 14.

Pierson said when she and her husband left the home of Titus and Ryan the night of Dec. 13, Titus gave the couple a gym bag.

"We said our goodbyes, and there was a gym bag next to my purse," Pierson said. "I grabbed my purse, walked out and Craig said, 'Hey, wait, you forgot this,' and I said 'What is this?'"

"He said, 'Oh, don't worry about it, I talked to Jeremy about it; he said it was OK to have it at your house for a couple of weeks,' " Pierson said.

"He said that he knew the police were going to be coming to his house the next day, and he acted like he just didn't want whatever was in the bag in the house while the police were there," Pierson said.

The following day, she said, she looked in the gym bag and saw "a Taser gun, a stun gun, a gym rope, and something else for one of the Taser guns or stun gun," Pierson said.

Pierson said she turned the items over to police, and according to grand jury transcripts, authorities found other physical evidence that corroborated Pierson's account.

An analysis of the Taser gun indicated it had been fired multiple times on the day James was slain, and Las Vegas police crime scene analysts found remnants from the discharge of a Taser gun inside Titus and Ryan's home.

Also, a medical examiner told the grand jury that James had a high level of morphine in her body at the time of her death.

When questioned by a prosecutor in front of the grand jury, Pierson admitted she did not tell police what she knew when first questioned by police because "at first I was protecting Kelly."

It was all "very upsetting," Pierson said. "It's very depressing. ... I thought I knew her better than this."

Pierson said she was frightened by Titus. Nevertheless, she agreed to meet with Titus and Ryan a few days after Dec. 13 at an acquaintance's house.

"Kelly was playing dumb, saying that 'they (police) think we did it,' and Craig said that they were going to go to Greece," Pierson said. "He said, 'It's no big deal. Kelly is going to continue to compete there, everything will be fine,' and he said he only needed two witnesses to say that she (James) was overdosed in the front seat of the car and that they'd get off."

Ryan's attorney, Tom Pitaro, declined to comment on the grand jury transcripts Tuesday because he had not read them yet.

Titus' defense attorney, Richard Schonfeld, declined to comment on the specifics of the transcripts, but he said the veracity of the evidence is expected to be challenged in District Court. He previously said that Titus' accusers have significant credibility problems.

Authorities allege that Titus and Ryan first told police they did not know what happened to James. They later said they found her dead of a drug overdose, then panicked and burned her body.

Andrea Trent Tears Bicep, Will Miss Contra Costa Show in Hayward

Training for the 2006 Jr Nationals in Chicago, Andrea Trent tore her bicep. This happened the same weekend as the Arnold and has put a dent into her prep. We'll keep you updated on how she's doing and visit her blog with a click on the title of this post.

Heather Policky May Quit Women's Bodybuilding After July USA's

Heather Policky, one of the most popular female bodybuilders in the World, told me she may quit the sport after the July USA contest in Las Vegas.

"It's hard for all of us," she said. Moreover, Policky doesn't see an end to some of the problems she's faced -- some she may detail in the future, but not now.

I can say that she had a powerful reaction to the retirement letter written by IFBB pro Nancy Lewis. In her blog, Policky essentially used Lewis's words and wrote:

"The individuals that made these disturbing remarks are what shocked me most, bringing me to try and take some sort of action. These remarks were plastered in paper on print for the entire world to see. Nothing can erase the words of arrogance or hurt caused by a few minimal individuals. One in which is soon to be married to a female bodybuilder and the other is simply a competitor that has close to never cracked a top 10 at a pro show.

Nonetheless I took a stance writing to the IFBB sending certified letters to anyone who would listen and to all the addresses I had available. After nearly a month in a half I get a response from Mr. Jim Manion stating that this sort of bashing each other is normal in bodybuilding and that the men do it to each other all the time. He referenced the names Craig Titus and King Kamali. That was it. That was all he said on the issue and nothing was done to these certain individuals.This issue floored me and made me realize my 15 years as an IFBB Female Pro athlete was in serious question. I set and think about the lack of respect we get not just from our fellow brothers in the sport but also from the Pro Federation we are representing. A federation that makes money off of us regardless of how much money they say they loose holding woman's events.

....and that's not all. For the rest, read her blog by clicking on these words.

Chastity Slone Wins San Francisco Pro Show - From Bodysport.com

From Bodysport.com, who I'd wish would identify their author!

Coming off a 4th place finish at the Arnold Classic Figure International just one week ago, Chastity Slone hammered home her first IFBB Pro Figure victory tonight at the San Francisco Pro Figure Championships. In the morning judging it looked like she had it hands down but as the day wore on and the girls came out for the night show, Gina Comacho started to garner a lot more attention than she had earlier in the day. Gina had finished 12th in the Arnold the week before and while she had tightened up her physique a little, it looked more like the judges just noticed her this time and put her in second.

Andrea Dumond made huge improvements since turning pro last year and while time will help her streamline all that new muscle, she certainly deserved 3rd place tonight. Andrea looked incredible and is one of the new faces in pro figure that earned a lot of respect tonight.

For Zhanna Rotar it seems like the judges love her or they hate her but there is no in between. As a national level amateur it took her a few tries last year to get the judges to look her way but with lots of perseverance she finally nailed it and turned pro. She got some incredibly good news when she was invited to the Arnold Classic this year but that good turned into a humbling experience when she placed dead last in Columbus. One week later at this show she landed in a well deserved 4th place in front of a judging panel that were not about to let her go unnoticed again. Zhanna will fine tune some details for her next show but as she learned tonight, you should not get too upset with how you place at any show because a week later it can be all completely different.

Canadian Debbie Leung picked up the 5th place spot. Debbie looks to have taken some emphasis off being big and put more time into creating a more aesthetically pleasing physique and it paid off for her tonight. This was the best overall look she has presented in her entire career.

All in all it was a very good show. It started promptly and was over in enough time for the competitors to get a decent post contest meal and for once no one complained about the judging.

IFBB Pro Nancy Lewis' Retirement Letter

To Fellow Female IFBB Pro Competitors & Other Acquaintances:

In the later part of last year you heard me speak out regarding derogatory remarks against female bodybuilders. The individuals that made these disturbing remarks are what shocked me most, bringing me to try and take some sort of action. These remarks were plastered in paper on print for the entire world to see. Nothing can erase the words of arrogance or hurt caused by a few minimal individuals. One in which is soon to be married to a female bodybuilder and the other is simply a competitor that has close to never cracked a top 10 at a pro show.

Nonetheless I took a stance writing to the IFBB sending certified letters to anyone who would listen and to all the addresses I had available. After nearly a month in a half I get a response from Mr. Jim Manion stating that this sort of bashing each other is normal in bodybuilding and that the men do it to each other all the time. He referenced the names Craig Titus and King Kamali. That was it. That was all he said on the issue and nothing was done to these certain individuals.

This issue floored me and made me realize my 15 years as an IFBB Female Pro athlete was in serious question. I set and think about the lack of respect we get not just from our fellow brothers in the sport but also from the Pro Federation we are representing. A federation that makes money off of us regardless of how much money they say they loose holding woman's events.

I believe with the lack of support, the disgraceful differences in prize money and lack of shows will not change any time soon. I can say that I am grateful to Mrs. Betty Pariso for standing up for all the female bodybuilders. She has truly made a difference and I personally thank you Betty. However, neither Betty nor I could do this effort on our own. We needed support from all the female bodybuilders to come together to make a difference. I wrote to every female athlete I knew and many I never met. I can honestly say less then three individuals wrote me back about getting together to form a meeting. How terribly heart breaking that was for me to realize the new generation of female bodybuilders had succumb to and accept the way the female bodybuilder is being treated today.

Even today I look through the fitness magazines and read of our male pro counter parts talking about how much money they have, how big there home is, or about there latest sports car they added to there collection due to there endorsement deals etc. This makes me look around and see how proud I am of myself and what I myself have accomplished. I look around and see a beautiful home on land, cars, horses, dogs and a happy life with my long time partner Melissa. Now, did any endorsement deals get these things for me? Or did any IFBB female pro show earnings get me these things.???

Well we all know the answer's NO.

I feel I have put many, many years into the sport I love like many other female pro athletes. Years ago as I entered the sport there was promise and future in the sport. Today looking at the sport the IFBB has portrayed us as sideshow events with little to no respect at all. The minimal advances of the MS. O being moved back to the night show yes is a great step forward. But I ask you should it have been moved at all to the expo? I also ask is a photo op in this month issue of flex of the Men's Rep on his knees in front of Betty supposed to erase the verbal abuse that was spoken in internationally sold magazines??

This year I planned on doing the Ms. International at the ASC as last year I had to pull out of the show due to a serious torn quad tendon. As many other female athletes had I sent in my dues and request for an invite and was obviously not chosen for an invite. This was my last blow given as a Pro athlete. However, I was shocked to see on the men's side that year after year many of the same men are chosen to compete in this event, and these same men are known to be drug users (recreational) and coming into shows consistently out of shape. But they can ride the coat tails and are guaranteed an invite no matter of there inconsistencies.

For the sport I love I will always hope there will be bigger and better things for the female bodybuilders of today and tomorrow. There are individuals like Betty & Ed Pariso whom not only put up there time but there own personal money to continue to give the woman more shows and money. I congratulate the both of them.

As for myself I have come to understand the veterans of old are either accepting the treatment of our sport or not willing to come together as a whole. For the younger generation I must understand that I was once there long ago as a new pro or up and comer and really did not want to shake the boat. The problem is one day there might not be any boat to shake if something is not done very soon.

I have decided to retire effective immediately from my professional competitive career from the IFBB and have sent the appropriate letters to inform the federation of this. Today I only write this letter to the few female pro athletes/friends I respect and have competed with for years and wish them all good health and best of wishes with there lives both personally and professionally. I would also like to thank Mr. Steve Wennerstrom, Bill Dobbins, James and Gene at FT.Video for always portraying me and many other female athletes in such a beautiful, eloquent way for so many years. As well as there continuous support of the female athlete.

Best of wishes to all of you in somehow finally coming together to make a change for yourself and others in the sport we all love.

Sincerely,

Nancy Lewis

San Francisco Pro Show Figure Contestant List - Show's March 11th

The San Francisco Pro Show's March 11th from 9 AM and with the finals at 6:30 PM, at Chabot College Performing Arts Center 25555 Hesperian Blvd., Hayward, California. The event's hotel is The Crown Plaza, Union City.

Well, Jenny Lynn was to be in this one, but after last weekend's flu that may not be. While her appearance is not confirmed as of this writing, here's the list:

Lynsey Beattie-Ahearne
Myriam Bustamante
Gina Camacho
Carmen Knight
Anna Larsson
Tammie Leady
Deborah Leung
Julie Lohre
Jenny Lynn
Ali Metkovich
Pauline Nordin
Jennifer Peyton
Nicole Pitcher-Scott
Chastity Slone
Zhanna Rotar
Waleska Valle-Granger
Trish Warren

Jenny Lynn's Flu Causes Arnold Classic Skip

From Bodysport.com on March 4th 2006

For Jenny Lynn the Arnold Classic Figure International was over before it even started. Nope. it wasn'tt because she ran away with the show for the 4th consecutive year. It was over for Jenny because she didn’t even make it out of her hotel room to compete. When she arrived in Columbus a few days before the contest she was as ready as she could hope to be. She had just about sealed up 12 weeks of contest preparations that included up to 3 hours a day of cardio, extremely hard training and her usual very restrictive diet…and she was all set and ready to win again.

Then the unthinkable started to happen…

In the hotel room after the morning judging Jenny sat looking at pictures from the morning show, what would have been her competition, and with puffy eyes that were dry just for the moment she quietly reflected, "my legs were separated and looked the best they had ever been and I was in the best shape of my life. I really did it this time. But within an hour I started to smooth out."

As her story unfolded you couldn’t help but feel the absolute agony and disappointment she was trying so valiantly to keep inside that moment. With one of those Jenny Lynn stiff upper lip smiles that covered up her broken heart she went on to explain that she was on the money on Wednesday morning when she got out of bed. Then as the day progressed she started to smooth out and look drawn. Her boyfriend Blair was there and expressed the panic that ensued as despite their best efforts they could not improve her rapidly deteriorating physique, "her legs just smoothed out and she started looking skinny. We didn’t know she was sick yet so we didn’t know what was wrong. She ate and drank what she was supposed to but nothing worked." Then the first signs of her being sick started to hit as her appetite left her and her stomach didn't feel right.

By Thursday morning all hell had broken loose and Jenny was so sick she was barely able to leave the bathroom. She still held out hope and Blair scoured the City of Columbus for an over-the-counter solution to Jenny’s rapidly deteriorating condition but despite trying everything they could possibly think of short of bringing in a Voodoo priest, she was not getting any better. They hoped she would be well enough on Friday but as the night progressed, so did her illness.

Friday morning, the day of her show, Jenny was still sick as a dog and barely able to stand and when she did it was only long enough to get herself back into the bathroom. The doctor was called but despite what Jenny had hoped, Mother Nature was not going to be stopped by modern medicine at this point and she was told she would just have to ride it out. Still insisting that she could somehow pry herself out of bed or off the can, pour what was left of herself into some heels and rhinestones and try to win a 4th time, Jenny would not give up hope that she would be able to compete. One hour before she was supposed to be on stage, Jenny finally threw in the towel knowing full well she would not make the trip downstairs to get on the bus let alone get onstage and compete.

She called her Manger JM Manion and let him know she would be spending the 2006 Arnold Figure International in her hotel room.

Jenny spend the rest of the morning and early afternoon crying out the last few drops of water she had in her body, frustrated with the injustice of things she simply couldn’t control. But Jenny is never one to lay down for anything without a fight and despite there not being much of anything left inside her flu wracked body; she found enough spark to tell us through puffy eyes that "it’s OK, this was meant to happen for some reason. I’ll just have to hold off buying that patio furniture I wanted until after the Olympia this year."

It was just the flu; don’t make the mistake of counting her out quite yet.

Arnold Classic - GeneX Photos of Diana Chadoux and Maria Warren

GeneX Huang's always a fixture at the major shows. Here's some pix he took at the Arnold Classic of Diana Chadoux and Maria Warren, respectively. For more, go to his message board with a click on this title post.

Lisa Aukland Back from The Arnold Classic

Got this email from Lisa Aukland, who's back from her performance at The Arnold Classic

Whew! Back from the show...and back to WORK today. :((

I had a great time at the Arnold as usual. At this show my trainer (Mike Davies) tried something different for pre-contest prep...didn't work out as well as we wanted ! He tried NO water depletion the last couple days to see if I would come in fuller, rounder, rather than cut- like the judges asked for. Well, I came in fuller and rounder but it blurred out some of my conditioning. I'm not sorry we tried. You never know how it will work unless you try. Next time- dry and crisp!

oxoxo lisa

2006 Arnold Classic Results from GeneX - Congradulations to Iris Kyle, Adela Garcia, and Mary Elizabeth Lado

GeneX and James Cook are covering the 2006 Arnold Classic. They just posted the results, which are here and at their site, which can be visited with a click on the title post link.

Ms. International

1) Iris Kyle*
2) Dayana Cadeau*
3) Yaxeni Oriquen*
4) Jitka Harazimova
5) Betty Pariso
6) Bonny Priest
7) Annie Rivieccio
8) Lisa Aukland
9) Kim Harris
10) Antoinette Norman
11) Mah-Ann Mendoza
12) Rosemary Jennings
13) Christine Roth
14) Angela Debatin

* qualifies for 2006 Olympia


Fitness International

1) Adela Garcia*
2) Kim Klein*
3) Jenny Hendershott*
4) Tracey Greenwood*
5) Julie Childs*
6) Tanji Johnson
7) Julie Palmer
8) Regiana DaSilva
9) Angela Monteleone-Semsch
10) Stacey Simons
10) Mindi O'Brien
12) Heidi Fletcher
13) Allison Daughtry

Figure International

1) Mary Elizabeth Lado*
2) Monica Brant*
3) Amanda Savell*
4) Chastity Sloane*
5) Jane Awad*
6) Christine Pomponio-Pate
7) Latisha Wilder
8) Valerie Waugaman
9) Monica Guerra
10) Elaine Goodlad
11) Danielle Hollenshade
12) Gina Camacho
13) Nina Luchka
14) Debby Leung
15) Michelle Flake
16) Tammy Pies
17) Ali Metkovich
DNP) Anna Larssen
DNP) Zhanna Rotar
DNP) Jenny Lynn**

* qualifies for 2006 Olympia

* withdrew due to Injury

2006 Boise Fitness Expo - April 7th and 8th

FAME and Bodybuilding.com present the 2006 Boise Fitness Expo!

* NW Fitness Model Search Championships - 7pm

* Hosted by Bodybuilding.com. Free for spectators!

* MC - FAME Figure Pro, Nancy DiNino, www.nancydinino.com

* The show is a WNSO-FAME Fitness Model Pro-Qualifier

* Venue: Big Easy Concert House - 416 S 9th - Boise, ID - 83702
http://www.bigeasyconcerts.com/index...home&VenueID=1

* Host Hotel: The Grove Hotel - 1 block from venue - 245 S Capital Blvd - Boise, ID - 83702 - 208 333 8000. Code: bodybuilding.com
www.grovehotelboise.com

* Party held after event

* PRIZES DESIGNATED SPECIFICALLY FOR FAME Bodybuilding.com!

1. The overall winner (the male or female with highest point score) wins FREE flight & hotel for FAME World Championships taking place at FAME: Fitness And Model Expo (FAME 2006) in Toronto, Canada June 16-18.

2. Layout in the latest issue of Fitness And Model Expo (FAME) Fitness and Lifestyles Magazine. (Possibly one more magazine TBA)

* For more details or inquiries, contact leah@bodybuilding.com; info@FAMEmediagroup.com

Celeste Gonzalez, the newest IFBB Figure Pro

Celeste Gonzalez, the newest IFBB Figure Pro - Press Release Document

Updated 13/02/2006 8:00 (PST)

Culturismo Digital/Rosa Lopez. Tenerife (Spain).

The athlete Celeste Gonzalez is the newest IFBB Figure Pro and also the first spanish competitor who reach this status.

Starting from classic ballet, she came to fitness as one of the big promises in the spanish scene. After years of hard workout and diets, and after she had a serious injury in her knee which even need a complicated surgery, she achieve to qualify to compete in the 2003 IFBB Spanish National Championships in which she got the victory. Just a few days after Celeste was invited by IFBB Spain to the 2003 IFBB Women's World Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Amateur Championships, but she didn't qualify for finals. At this moment she understood that she needed to make some changes in her career and then she started to prepare her return but this time as a figure competitor.

On September 2004 the spanish athlete had been training with only one target in her mind: the 2004 IFBB Women's World Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Amateur Championships in which she got a fantastic second place in her first contest appareance as a figure athlete just behind the slovakian Lenka Chalupkova. Celeste really impressed us all with this place but just a few weeks later, she was the 2004 IFBB Spanish Nationals Figure absolute winner.

The following contest appareance had to wait until September 2005 at the 2005 IFBB Women's World Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Amateur Championships. Celeste Gonzalez had rebuild completely her physique to increase her chances to win but this time she slipped into third behind Lenka Chalupkova and Gabriela Kubesova, a former fitness athlete.

It was not a bad classification for Celeste but she had to wait a few weeks more to make a triumphant return from Catania (Italy) at the 2005 IFBB Mediterranean Championships where she achieved the definitive opportunity to get her IFBB Pro card which she got yesterday afternoon, after a few months doing paperwork, with the official notification from IFBB Spanish Headquarter confirming her pro card.

Now the spanish athlete is preparing for 2005 IFBB New York Pro Figure. She assume it'll be her first pro contest and nobody knows a word about her but she don't want to be a shooting star in the pro scene, she just wants to start a serious path to a solid career.

[spanish]

Celeste González, nueva profesional IFBB

Actualizada 13/02/2006 17:00 (GMT)
Culturismo Digital/Rosa López. Tenerife (España).

La tinerfeña Celeste González, la competidora española más internacional del momento, hace historia en el culturismo español consiguiendo el primer título profesional en la categoría de Figuras (Body Fitness) en IFBB, la más importante federación de este deporte y quinta federación deportiva del mundo con más de 180 países afiliados.

Ha pasado algún tiempo desde los inicios de Celeste en el mundo de la danza clásica que le derivaron al culturismo, deporte en el que, desde un primer momento, comenzó su preparación en la categoría de Fitness Atlético.

Tras duros años de preparación en la que no ha estado exenta de lesiones, habiendo sufrido incluso una intervención en su rodilla, luchó por el título a nivel nacional que conseguiría en el Campeonato de España IFBB 2003 en la mencionada categoría.

Su éxito en el nacional conllevó que fuera invitada a competir en el Campeonato del Mundo IFBB 2003 de Culturismo y Body Fitness Femenino, y Fitness Masculino y Femenino que se celebraría en el municipio costero de Santa Susana, Barcelona (España), donde, aunque no consiguiera un puesto de relevancia, dio sus primeros pasos hacia su carrera internacional.

Debido a sus lesiones Celeste sabía que no podría dar mucho más de sí en la categoría de Fitness Atlético por lo que en ese mismo momento se produjo su paso a la modalidad de Body Fitness y el comienzo de una nueva preparación, mucho más dura que las que había llevado hasta entonces.

Éste fue un proyecto a medio plazo que fue finalmente desvelado el día 17 de Septiembre de 2004 cuando apareció directamente en el Campeonato del Mundo IFBB



de Culturismo y Body Fitness Femenino, y Fitness Masculino y Femenino, con un físico muy mejorado pero sin mayores pretensiones que hacer el mejor puesto que mereciera. Contra todo pronóstico y para sorpresa de propios y extraños, Celeste quedó primero entre las finalistas, para acabar, en una reñida final con la eslovaca Lenka Chalupkova, subcampeona de la categoría (Body Fitness Femenino Talla Alta).

Fue esta medalla de plata, nada más y nada menos que en un mundial, la que verdaderamente le proporcionó el impulso para acometer la tarea que se le venía encima. No obstante, la temporada de 2004 no había concluido y, en los últimos meses del año, aún tuvo tiempo para enfrentarse a las mejores de España y, como no podía ser de otra forma, conquistar el título en su categoría (Body Fitness Femenino Talla Alta) y el absoluto de Body Fitness. Llegados a este punto quedaba claro que la canaria debía de olvidarse de la competición en la arena nacional para centrarse en su preparación de cara a eventos internacionales.

Y así lo hizo reinventándose de nuevo a sí misma, presentando en el Campeonato del Mundo IFBB de Culturismo y Body Fitness Femenino, y Fitness Masculino y Femenino del siguiente año, Santa Susana 23 de Septiembre de 2005, con una forma física radicalmente diferente a la que presentaba en el 2003. Incluso respecto al año anterior se presentaba más dura, con una mayor calidad muscular, con una línea muy alejada de rasgos viriles, y una puesta en escena y tablas de auténtica profesional.

Sin embargo todas estas mejoras no fueron suficientes para conquistar el título mundial que cedió de nuevo ante la incontestable competidora eslovaca Lenka Chalupkova y a una recién llegada a la categoría, Gabriela Kubesova, la checa con varios títulos mundiales y europeos en Fitness Atlético, que aún presentando una definición no acorde con la categoría de Body Fitness, relegaron a la española a la medalla de bronce.

Infatigable, Celeste no se vino abajo y contratacó en el Campeonato del Mediterráneo IFBB 2005 en Catania (Italia), 21-23 de Septiembre de 2005, del que salió victoriosa con su primer oro internacional por delante de la local Agnesse Russo.

De vuelta a España, su equipo se planteó la posibilidad de competir al más alto nivel existente hoy por hoy, en las filas profesionales de IFBB y con los títulos internacionales en el bolsillo se pusieron manos a la obra para iniciar los trámites para conseguir esta licencia.

No había duda de que teniendo en su haber la victoria absoluta en el 2004, único requisito exigido por ejemplo a los culturistas masculinos, una medalla de plata y otra



de bronce en sendos mundiales, y un oro en el último campeonato internacional hasta la fecha conseguiría el carnet profesional por lo que el trámite iniciado en la delegación canaria, fue trasladado a la nacional española, y de allí a la EBFF que finalmente ha concedido este carnet - que se confirma oficialmente en el día de hoy - después de una larga e interminable espera.

Culturismo Digital ha seguido de cerca todo este proceso y, tras la publicación oficial esta misma tarde, ahora que se puede dar por concluido preguntamos a Celeste sobre sus planes de futuro. El momento clave de su carrera actual es su debut como profesional el próximo 13 de Julio en el New York Pro Figure, que se celebrará con toda probabilidad en la barriada neoyorquina de Tribeca, New York (USA), donde se verá las caras con lo más selecto del Body Fitness mundial, entre otras la actual campeona Davana Medina.

"Es una nueva etapa en mi vida y soy consciente de que debo empezar poquito a poco." - declaraba ayer mismo la atleta canaria - "Voy con la firme intención de llegar a lo más alto que pueda e intentarlo por varios años, no será un año para probar, sino que, si todo sale bien, quiero continuar en el circuito profesional."

Cuando le preguntamos sobre su actual preparación Celeste nos contesta:

"Básicamente la preparación no cambia en cuanto a la dureza de los entrenamientos, lógicamente cada año voy a más y no porque este año tenga el carnet profesional, sino porque en cada ocasión intento y he intentado superarme." - tras una pausa continúa - "Sé y soy consciente del nivel que hay, de mis posibilidades actuales, de que la competencia será muy dura y también de que allí voy a ser una completa desconocida. Simplemente me centro en seguir la misma línea de los anteriores años, poniendo especial hincapié en mis puntos más débiles para tratar de mejorarlos." - Celeste añade - "Realmente los progresos se van notando año tras año, competición tras competición y en esta ocasión soy consciente más que nunca del duro trabajo que tengo por delante. Siempre he entrenado para ser la mejor o, al menos, intentarlo, pero este año todo ha cambiado pues, aún siendo mi sueño, nunca imaginé que podría llegar a profesional."

Antes de despedirnos, Celeste quiere agradecer el apoyo que ha recibido: "a toda la gente que me ha apoyado desde el principio, que nunca dudó de mis posiblidades y se vuelcan y se esfuerzan en ayudarme y animarme cada día."

Vaya desde estas líneas nuestra más sincera felicitación tanto a Celeste como su incansable entrenador Jose Ángel Quintero, que ha estado siempre a la sombra de los éxitos de esta sensacional competidora que defenderá a España por primera vez en la historia en esta complicada categoría.


Contact Information/Datos de contacto:

Celeste González / José Ángel Quintero
Gimnasio Olympia
c/ Elias Bacallado, s/n
38010 Ofra - Santa Cruz de Tenerife (España)
Teléfono: +34 922 644 104

Jody May reveals her bodybuilding schedule for 2006

Fresh off her remarkable performance at the Atlanta Nationals, Jody May is ready for a great 2006 campaign.
"I am doing a few guest posings and will be at the arnold and the JR. USA's this year!" she says.
"Very exciting! April 1 st I will be beginning my prep for the USA's in July, I can't wait!!!"
....We can't either.