Page 132 - Demo

132 || FITNESS MAGAZINE || SEPTEMBER 2015 I recently had an opportunity to interview Gary and his love of this sport was apparent. He truly cares about the sport and the athletes that participate. As he put it, %u201cthe athletes come first and without them we have nothing%u201d. Gary became involved with the NPC as a natural progression from high school athlete looking for a new endeavor and this interest led to competing in the NPC body building competitions. As his career progressed, he emerged from a competitor to a Judge and then transitioned into a promoter position and an official. Gary%u2019s NPC career began in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area but quickly spread throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and now encompasses 7 states on the East Coast. These successes were launched by Gary%u2019s attention to detail and his close relationship with Jim Manion, Chairman of the IFBB Professional League. Jim Manion was Gary%u2019s mentor and %u201ctaught him literally everything%u201d. In Gary%u2019s own words, %u201cJim is more like family at this point%u201d.Gary defines his position as head judge as %u201cstage management%u201d. It is his job to ensure the program moves along smoothly. He directs the athletes in placement, pose and overall %u201cstage management%u201d. In his own words,%u201cNothing will happen on the stage if the head judge doesn%u2019t make it happen because you can%u2019t leave the athletes to their own devices. They are there to perform at your direction. So if you would like them to turn a certain way, you need to tell them. If you need to create great photos, you need to make sure the athletes are centered Personal Trainer, NPC & IFBB Promoter & Posing CoachOwner of GMU ProductionsBy: Charles Dorsey JrContributing Associate Director