Caithness muscleman wins major title
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Flexing his way to glory, a Caithness muscleman has made history by becoming the first man from the Highlands to power his way to victory in a major competition.
Kev Stewart was named as overall International Bodybuilding and Fitness Association (IBFA) Highlands and Islands Bodybuilding champion.
The 38-year-old from Newton Hill near Wick won his height class and then the Mr Highland class before going on to win the overall championship in Inverness.
It is the biggest victory in Mr Stewart’s career so far and he said he was delighted to lift the title at Forge Gym.
“This is my biggest achievement to date,” he said.
I’m also the first person to win all three classes in one show and the first person that comes from the highlands to win the overall.
“To qualify for the overall title, I had to win my class, then at the end, all the class winners competed against each other for the overall title.
“My biggest achievement before this was last year, when I won my class in the Physical Culture Association (PCA) show in Motherwell."
Mr Stewart said he has always had a passion for fitness since he was a child.
But he did not start entering bodybuilding competitions until 2013 but has already made a major impact on the Scottish scene.
To help him achieve his goals, he set up his own gym at his home which inspired him to start up his own business as a personal trainer.
“This is my fourth year of actual competing but I’ve always trained since I was 12 years old,” he said.
“I was inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger as a young boy watching the likes of Conan, Predator and Terminator.
“Training has always played a massive role in my life for physical and mental health.
“I was a physical training instructor when I served in the Army and after went to work offshore for a number of years.
"That’s when I decided to build my own purpose built gym for bodybuilding, as no other gyms had suitable equipment for bodybuilding up here, so I decided to build my own.
“When the offshore industry crashed, I decided to follow my passion by becoming a personal trainer again."
Mr Stewart also encourages his clients to consider taking part in bodybuilding competitions with Charlotte Ross taking part in the toned figure class with a number of his other clients showing interest in taking part next year
His victory in Inverness has now qualified him for the (IBFA) Mr Britain championship in Newcastle on Sunday, June 25 and is preparing for the competition.
He is looking forward to competing against the top bodybuilders and to find out if he has what it take to be among the best in the UK.
“My next target is a PCA show in three weeks time and then Mr Britain where my goal is to get a top six placing and to enjoy the experience with competing along side the best in Britain.
“To be the best, I need to compete against the true best.”
