This week’s Campus Celebrity is Sacré Bahati, a UMaine senior and bodybuilder from South Portland!
Were are you from? Was UMaine your first choice?
I actually went to Franklin Pierce University my freshman year. I transferred sophomore year for in-state tuition.
Do you like it here?
Yeah I love it! I’m really glad I made the switch.
Tell us about the body building; what sparked your interest?
I started hitting the gym in high school for sports. It wasn’t long until I realized I enjoyed the practices with weight training more then playing the sport itself. I wanted to get stronger and better. So, my senior year in high school was when I started researching how body builders train and the nutrition part of it. I loved it and I’ve been doing it ever since.
Have you won any competitions or awards?
Yeah, I’ve won five trophys. Three first place, one second and one third.
That’s impressive. Do you plan on continuing body building as long as possible?
Thank you! Yeah, I’m trying to receive my pro card. I’m thinking about taking some time off of competing just to gain weight and muscle mass. That way, next time I cut down, I can be at least 10 pounds bigger on stage then I was last competitions.
Obviously you take it very seriously. Is it equally as mentally challenging? And what is a pro card?
Yeah, it’s more mentally tough then physically. The process of getting ready for a competition is called prep. And during prep you need to make sure you eat all your meals, hit all your workouts and cardio on a daily basis. But the hardest part is keeping to your diet, and not drinking or going out to party with friends. My last prep lasted 12 weeks. Your pro card is basically a license to compete at the professional level of bodybuilding.
12 weeks?! That is ridiculous discipline. Do you think you’ll continue body building for a very long time or just until you win a certain number of competitions?
Well, that all depends. I love bodybuilding and I think I’m going to continue to lift as long as my body will allow me to. But, I’ll only compete on stage past a certain age if it has become a career. Right now it’s just a hobby. If I start getting paid to compete, then I’ll do it long term as well.