Sport
31 October, 2024
Bronze physique
BODYBUILDER Troy McGuane has become the third fittest man in Australia, but his eyes are still set on gold.
Despite being fairly new to the sport, the 48-year-old has been consistently reaching new heights in bodybuilding, including becoming Queensland’s fittest man after winning gold in the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation (IFBB) Queensland Championships on September 14 and his latest bronze medal in the men’s physique category at the IFBB Australian National championships on September 28.
These achievements have cemented his place as one of the top three men’s physique competitors in Australia.
The Redlynch resident had considered retiring at the end of this year, but he says he still has gold on his mind.
“Not many people can do it, especially at my age, so I feel very privileged. I was thinking of retiring if I got the gold, so now I will have to go again and I’m aiming for the gold next year. I might even jump into other classes,” he said.
“I come from an extensive sporting background. I played AFL at a fairly high level and since retiring I met my partner Tracey Defferrard who is a bodybuilder in a different federation, and I’ve always been interested in fitness and health, so I made that decision of getting on stage.
“So I engaged a coach – Chris Black, who is a local Mareeba boy now residing in the Sunshine Coast – and through that process we decided to compete in the IFBB. This gave me new goals to fulfill.
“It’s a tough sport to be in. I had two years in between competitions and in those two years I was building muscle but it’s the pre-competition phase – lasting about 20 weeks – where your physical activity goes up and your food intake goes down.
“The last 10 weeks are extremely difficult and by the last four weeks you can barely walk. It’s very tough and it’s a mental battle. It’s such an extreme battle and it’s what I love about it. I love the process of sticking to a routine and seeing your body change so dramatically over that time. I have to keep going. I want to win that gold.”
In addition to his competitive success, McGuane is the co-founder of UNLMTD Coaching, a fitness coaching service that caters to individuals looking to improve their physique and overall health. “We want people to meet their health goals, I enjoy sharing my knowledge and helping people change their lives,” he said.
