Travales Blount

 
I began running track at the age of 6, and right away I knew that I was a natural sprinter. Growing up I also played football, and did so until high school. During my junior year, after winning the state title in the 4X100 m relay and continually being told by recruiters I was too small to play running back at a division I program, I decided to focus exclusively on track & field. I trained hard and earned a partial athletic scholarship to the University of South Florida. Although USF said there would be additional funds going forward and in all likelihood a full scholarship by senior year, it was not enough money for me to sign there and I attended a local community college instead, thinking my days of competition were behind me. For many years that was true.

Fast forward almost 15 years, In 2008 I graduated from the University of Central Florida with my Master’s degree. After finally accomplishing one of the primary goals of my youth, I turned my attention to fitness. I had always aspired to be “big”, so I returned to the gym and began lifting. While I made some gains, it was slow progress. After about a year after I had started lifting, I decided to treat this rekindled passion like I treated graduate school and “hit the books”. So I decided to buy bodybuilding and fitness magazines and educate myself. By 2010 that 155 lbs guy that had begun lifting 2 years ago was a solid 175 and started fielding the question “Do you compete?” While flattering, I would always respond “no way” and didn’t really think much of it. After another year I was approached by a nationally qualified physique competitor who he told me, “You have a great physique and I think you could be successful at this”. He urged me to attend a show and I was instantly hooked.

I went home, selected a show in which to compete, and as they say, the rest is history. I wound up winning the tall class and overall at a level III competition and 2 weeks later won my class at a level VI. By the end of my first season I had placed 16th in my first national show. My 2013 was just as exciting, if not more. I earned my IFBB Pro card literally 1 year after competing in my first show. Three months later I got up on stage for the first time as an IFBB Pro. Something that often takes others several years to accomplish took me 365 days. Often people ask me the secret and I tell ’em, “Just come back tomorrow. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.”

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