Dartmouth bodybuilder earns pro status after 14 years of training
Keiva Bundy was a bodybuilder who fell just short of gaining his pro status before the COVID-19 pandemic.
But now, the 42-year-old father of two from Dartmouth is back in the gym and achieving his goals while posing a big problem for the competition.
A national-level gymnast and personal trainer, Bundy was approached at age 28 about becoming a bodybuilder.
“No, it’s not for me,” Bundy said at the time. “I don’t want to pose on stage in trunks.”
But the more Bundy thought about bodybuilding, the more interesting the prospect became.
“I was a national-level gymnast so I had a really good foundation of muscularity,” he said. “I talked to a lot of guys in the gym and they said they’d help me out with the diet, help me out with how to pose.”
Back in 2019, Bundy participated in a national bodybuilding competition where he came up just one point short from earning his professional status.
“My body felt really burnt out from just doing the diet year after year, and coming one point away from becoming a pro, it was kind of a kick to me,” Bundy said. “It was a little bit depressing. I went through a little bit of a spell where I thought, ‘I’m done with bodybuilding.’”
But Bundy found inspiration from an unlikely person -- one of his clients. Before passing away in January, Anne Barnes worked out for 17 years with Bundy as her personal trainer.
“She always knew that I wanted to fulfill this dream of becoming a pro bodybuilder,” he said. “She always told me, ‘Do what you love Keiva and don’t let anything hold you back.’”
Now, 14 years after starting his career as a bodybuilder, Bundy has received his International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) pro card, an accomplishment he considers “the ultimate goal since I first stepped on-stage.”
“Never give up on your dreams and your goals because there’s always someone or something out there that will try to hold you back. Just keep pushing forward.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.