Body-builder Gianni in British championships
Carlow body-builder Gianni Gauca. xxxxxxxx
A CARLOW body-builder will be only south of Ireland representative in the British body-building championships in Nottingham on October 9-10 writes Paul Donaghy. Former Mr. Ireland, Gianni Gauca will compete in the under 100 kilo class in his first attempt at the British competition. Joint proprietor of the Carlow Olympia Gymnasium with wife Nicoletta Cheorean, the Romanian qualified for the championship by winning the North of Ireland crown last month.
Gianni not only won his own class but was the overall winner of the five categories in Belfast.
Tenth in the world championships in Holland last year, (where Nicoletta was second to the Russian winner, and she and Gianni were fourth in the pairs class) Gianni is currently training three hours over three sessions daily in preparation for Nottingham.
"It's a hard competition and it's against many builders who are looking for their professional license, but I am hoping to get into the top six," says Gianni who has popularised bodybuilding and weigh-lifting in the Carlow area since taking over the College St. gymnasium and where Nicoletta conducts weight-loss and fitness classes for women.
The Nottingham winner will be automatically included in the professional circuit with many of those competitions in the US and about fixe or six Grand Prix around Europe depending on the level of sponsorship.
"My training is going well and I feel very motivated," he says approaching one of the biggest challenges in bodybuilding in Europe.
