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Athletes coated in bronzer and sparkling rhinestones stepped under bright lights at Toronto’s Ultimate Fitness Events (UFE) bodybuilding championship on Nov. 8 to showcase their strength, physique, and endurance. On stage, the athletes appeared polished and glamorous, but competitors say that behind the scenes, preparation to compete takes discipline, hard work, sacrifice, and money, much greater than audiences realize.
The Ultimate Fitness Events is an annual bodybuilding competition that hosts bodybuilding competitors at all levels, from across Canada and internationally. The UFE Elite event took place on Saturday, giving contestants a chance to win at the elite level and a chance to qualify for the pro championship, where they battled for world champion status in their categories.
In the men’s division, French champion Fay San took home two world titles-body building world champion and classic men’s physique world champion. Other winners also emerged in categories such as bikini, glamour, wellness, figure and physique.
However, behind the success are stories of pain, resilience and finding hope. San began bodybuilding after a serious motorcycle accident. “I was in a wheelchair for six months and gained a lot of weight, so I decided to change,” he said.
It’s a similar story for Kyanne Mills, two-time UFE wellness champion.
“A few years ago, I got into a really bad car accident, and I lost a good 10 years of my life going through the recovery,” Mills said.
San said rebuilding his body took two years of daily training, but the isolation of it surprised him.
“People think if you don’t drink alcohol, you don’t eat fast food, you are no fun. It’s really difficult, they don’t understand our lifestyle,” he said.
For others, the sport is tied to emotional healing.
“I was married for 25 years… it ended,” said UFE competitor Andrea Alfred, saying that bodybuilding helped her cope.
“Mentally, emotionally, I love it.”
Alfred now works as a life and fitness coach, helping people make similar transformations. She said that although the sport is meaningful, the financial pressure is real.
“As a bodybuilder, it is expensive,” she said, but added that the value of the experience “money can’t buy.”
Athletes said costs include coaching, supplements, elaborate suits and costumes and even food, especially proteins, can become a major expense.
As a competitive bodybuilder, Cristi Salaya struggled most with the diet required for the competition, all while balancing full-time work at Honda Trading and parenting two children.
“I found out that it was way harder mentally,” she said.
Salaya said the lifestyle can strain personal relationships.
“You start losing friends,” she said.
But like others, she found support among fellow athletes.
“If you join a very good team, you make new friends,” she said. “It gets a little bit easier.”
About 100 people, including family, friends, and coaches, attended the event at the Toronto Marriott Centre. For some, those few moments on stage made the sacrifices worth it.
Many competitors described bodybuilding as more than a sport, calling it a long-term lifestyle that demands discipline, money, and personal change. For athletes like San, Alfred, and Salaya, the payoff is more than a trophy: it’s rebuilding confidence, identity, and community.
No AI tools were used in the production of this story.
