wordplay & images: Jesse Hodge

On March 2 – 4 of this year, athletes from all over the country converged on the city of Columbus, Ohio for what is arguably the biggest three-day sporting event in the world, the Arnold Classic. Known to many simply as “The Arnold”, it was founded in 1989 by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Lorimer with a goal to offer more prize money to more of the athletes. The Arnold started as a bodybuilding competition and has grown into a sporting event attracting as many as 10,000 athletes and 170,000 spectators. It is simply too big to fit in one venue and has filled up the enormous Greater Columbus Convention Center, the Veterans Memorial Hall and Nationwide Arena. Each of these is packed from open to close on each day of the festival.

The festival features more sporting events than one person can possibly see. From gymnastics, dance competitions and table tennis, to sumo wrestling, strongman competitions and martial arts. Each event is world class and attracts Olympic level athletes. Each year, world records are broken in many of the respective events.

The cornerstone from which The Arnold has gained its notoriety is of course, Men’s Bodybuilding. The relatively recent surge in the popularity of women’s Fitness and Figure are gaining a momentum of their own and draw a huge cross section of the fans present for the weekend.

To be eligible to compete in the men’s and women’s bodybuilding, fitness and figure, you must first qualify by winning first place (or second in a few competitions) in several select competitions throughout the country. Winning in these competitions does not automatically qualify an athlete to compete at The Arnold. You must be invited to compete. The number of athletes in each event is kept relatively small at 15 or 16 for each. Other comparable events throughout the country are open to all who qualify and can have a very large roster of competitors.

Receiving an invitation to compete at The Arnold is quite a prestigious honor in itself. If you stand on stage at The Arnold, you’re standing among the best bodybuilding, fitness and figure athletes in the country. Often, the difference between first and 10th place are barely one or two points. The average spectator may be hard pressed to see a difference between first and sixth place. These competitors are simply at the top level of conditioning and have dialed in their physiques to the most minute detail.

When Colorado natives Corry Matthews, Phillip Heath and Heather Policky received their invitations to compete, you can anticipate their excitement.

With an impressive competition history, Phillip Heath went into The Arnold with considerable momentum. Nicknamed “The Gift”, Phil has advanced to the “Pro” status in a very short three years. Going Pro, takes most men about 10 years to achieve. Phil placed fifth among veteran competitors with many Arnold Classic competitions under their belt.

Heather Policky also has an impressive rise through the ranks. Having achieved her Pro status very quickly, she placed third in the Women’s Bodybuilding. This being her second “Pro” show.

The road has been much harder for Corry Matthews. Having grown up in Colorado Springs, Corry first began competing in Women’s Fitness in 2003. She did well at first until an injury to her ham string placed her dreams of Pro Status on indefinite hold. After taking some time off to heal, Corry decided to compete in Figure since it does not require a routine and chances of re-inuring are much less.

Corry came out swinging at her next competition, receiving a perfect score and winning her height class in New York in late 2006. She is quick to thank God and give him the credit for her achievements. He seems to continue to smile on her because shortly after receiving her elusive Pro Card, she received the invitation to compete in The Arnold.

With the Arnold Classic as her Pro debut, Corry now stands shoulder to shoulder with the most notable names in Women’s Fitness. She met her goal at The Arnold, and now has her sights set on the Colorado Pro Show this coming June 1-2. With a strong enough placement here, she could be competing in the most famous bodybuilding competition in the world, The Olympia!

ArnoldClassic.com