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Last Saturday in Les Abymes, the bodybuilder from Saint Barth won a new regional title, following the one she won in Martinique in 2022.
Around twenty male and female competitors lined up at the Espace National du Raizet in Les Abymes, Guadeloupe, on Saturday for the second Guadeloupe Bodybuilding Championship. The competition, co-organized by the Association Guadeloupéenne de Bodybuilding- Fitness and the Région Guadeloupe, showcased the finest male and female muscular bodies in the French West Indies. Manuella Daguenet, representing Saint-Barthélemy, walked away with a new title, giving her a record of two victories in three competitions, a superb performance in itself. Let's take a look back at her triumph, with the bodybuilding champion.
For those who don't know you... Who is Manuella Daguenet?
Manuella Daguenet: My name is Manuella and I've been living in Saint Barthelemy for almost 25 years. I'm known here as "Manuella La Peintre" because my profession is house painting. A quadra, mother of 2, I started working out in 2016, after my second childbirth, and began bodybuilding 4 years ago.
What does the title of Guadeloupe 2024 champion in the Body Fitness category mean to you?
MD : I'm very proud of it, because I hope, through my performances, to make this discipline and more generally the world of bodybuilding better known to the general public. Since I started out in this sport, I've taken part in 3 competitions, and won 2 of them! Champion of Martinique 2022 and now champion of Guadeloupe 2024, that's a real source of pride! It's the reward for all the work I've done with my club Form Fitness and their coaches, who have always supported me! I dedicate this title to my family and friends, who have been so encouraging and supportive, especially during the "dry" periods when bodybuilders can sometimes behave abysmally! [laughs]
Precisely how did your preparation go for this championship?
MD : Normally, a bodybuilder needs 4 months to be ready for a high-level competition... in this case, I only had two months of "preparation", so it was very hard. I had to adapt very quickly, getting up at 4 a.m. every day to do cardio exercises, followed by my day's work. Add to that two hours of training a day during the week, not forgetting family life of course! Given that I only had 2 months to prepare for the Guadeloupe championships, the diet was even stricter than usual, which was also difficult to cope with. You know, preparing for a bodybuilding competition is both very intense and very time-consuming; some people take almost a whole year to perfect their preparation.
From your point of view, how is bodybuilding doing on Saint Barth?
MD : On our island, it's a discipline that's underdeveloped, perhaps because people mistakenly think that bodybuilding is reserved for golgoths, but in fact it's not! There are several categories, for both men and women, based on age, size and muscle type. Of course, it's a sport that demands a lot of discipline and support, including from coaches. Some trainers may think, at first, that you're taking the sport lightly, but no, it's very serious! To succeed in bodybuilding, you have to be really into it, otherwise it doesn't work! And if sometimes people don't follow you to the point you want to go, never mind, just keep going! There's always someone ready to motivate you and support you in your efforts. Finally, bodybuilding is becoming more and more popular around the world, and I'm sure that with this recent exposure, the sport will end up attracting more and more people to Saint Barthelemy.
For 2025, Manuella Daguenet plans to take part in one or more competitions, for which she is awaiting qualifications. In the meantime, the Bodyfitness champion continues to train and is ready to talk to anyone on Saint Barths who is interested in her favorite sport.
