Male Fitness Models and Bodybuilders- Alain Petriz
I was born on January 7, 1957 in Navarrenx,
which is in the Pyrenees Mountains next to the Atlantic Ocean. I spent
almost 4 years of my childhood at Laos. My father was in the Army. I
attended high school and afterwards, being really good at drawing, I
studied fine arts in Pau for one year. I joined the Army as a parachutist
for 18 months and I served the Tchad for 6 months.
When I left the army, I won some contests
for a job as a swimming trainer and I worked in various spots for some
time. In 1977, when I was 20, I attended a 6-month course at the police
academy and I got the qualification as a security guard in CRS. In the
following four years I got the qualification as a swimming trainer and
a lifeguard.
In 1981 I won a contest for a job as a
security guard at the Atomic Energy Commissariat. I have been improving
my job position constantly. To date I am a foreman. If there are no
problems, I will be able to retire in 6 years.
I got married in 1979. I have two children
- Caroline and Franck. They are respectively 23 and 15 years old. I
got a divorce six years ago.
Now I live together with my de facto -
Sandra. She is a dance teacher. I have always been into sports: running,
swimming, handball, rugby (when I was 15), martial arts, diving. I do
love the sun and the sea. Unfortunately, I live in Dijon which is quite
far from the seaside. My dream is moving to the South of France in six
years.
I discovered bodybuilding by chance and
very late in my life... After I had quit rugby, I felt the need to exercise.
A friend of mine had just subscribed a gym membership. He asked me to
go there with him and I did. I didn't quite like the idea to go to a
gym. However that was my first time in a gym. I was 33 years old. My
weight was 85 kilos (187 lbs.) and my height was 183 cm ( 6 feet). Believe
me, I have never been really skinny.
I must admit I was not very much impressed
by the gym. I thought it was stupid to struggle with a barbell and two
10-kilo ( 22 lbs .) plates on the sides. I am honest. I kept on for
several months. Eventually, I bought a gym-set to work out in my basement.
Lonesome and in my basement - that was the very starting of my career
as a bodybuilder. I had no knowledge. I didn't read bodybuilding magazines.
I had been training insanely for three years. I had not been following
any special training program. My only goal was to acquire a noticeable
size.
Later on I started to read bodybuilding
magazines and got interested into any bodybuilding champion. I subscribed
to a brand new gym in Dijon. It was the Athletic Gym and the owner was
Jacky Biondi. The ambiance and the people were wonderful. There I started
to work out hard and to diet properly. One year later, Jacky began to
talk me into entering for a regional competition. The idea had never
crossed my mind before that day! He pressured me so much that he got
me persuaded. So I got it started! Thanks to his advice I won my first
competition at Macon in 1994. I was 37 years old! My height was always
183 cm ( 6 feet ) but now my weight was 83 kilos ( 183 lbs .)! Today
I can barely realize what I was able to do and the results I got.
1993 - Debut in the FFCPAS/WABBA category
1993 - Novices at Macon
1993 - Champion of Bourgogne in the Light Heavyweight class at 183 Pounds
1994 - Champion of Bourgogne
1994 - 3rd place at the French Championship's semi-finals
1995 - Champion of Bourgogne
1995 - 2nd place at the French Championship's semi-finals
1995 - 3rd place at the French Championship's finals
1996 - French Champion of the Super Light Heavyweight class at 195 pounds
1997 - 1st place in the final of the French Champ. in Bastia in the
senior heavyweight class
1997 - 5th place at the World Championship WABBA in Castres (my first
international
competition) in the Senior Heavyweight class
1999 - 1st place at the Final UFSH in Strasbourg, France (Senior Heavyweight)
2001 - French Champion APF/WPS Senior over 210 pounds and Senior class
in Argeles
2001 - Vice-Champion WPF of Europe in Gijon, Spain
2001 - Withdrawal from the Mr. Universe contest, due to injury.
2002 - WPF European runner-up in Italy
2002 - Vice-Mr Universe in La Grande Motte
2002 - 4th place at the Grand Prix Pro Weider in La Grande Motte
2003 - 6th place (finalist) at WPF Mr. Universe (a poor showing...)
2005 - 3rd place (finalist) at WPF Mr. Universe in Perpignan (France)
2005 - 4th place at the Grand Prix Pro Weider in La Grande Motte (intern.
over 195 pounds)
