Bodybuilder needs financial muscle
Grahamstonian chosen to represent SA at world champs
GRAHAMSTOWN resident – born, bred and schooled – Asaphila Zani has been selected to be part of the South African Natural Bodybuilding team to compete in the World Championships Natural Bodybuilding in Bordeaux, France from November 21 to 25.
Unfortunately natural bodybuilding does not have enough publicity and exposure and is not a priority sport for endorsement. For Zani to compete in the world championships on the international circuit, he would need to pay his own way. Zani is a true son of Grahamstown and attended Hoërskool PJ Olivier, and thereafter studied at Rhodes University. He said his love for bodybuilding started after being on the smallish side his whole life. “My dream was to play in the first rugby team at PJ Olivier. I realised that with my size that was close to impossible and that is when i decided to start weightlifting [in 2009]. My reason for weightlifting was merely to gain weight and strength,” he said.
But after seeing the changes his body underwent, he became more interested in weightlifting. After matriculating, Zani took a break from rugby (he did make the first team after all!) and focused on how he could sculpt his body to resemble what he envisaged.
“So basically my dream moved slightly away from just gaining strength and weight, and I was more focused on gaining muscle in certain areas of my body to try and have a more complete physique,” Zani said.
In 2013, Zani was approached by a gym mate, Lesley Sauls (who has also been selected to represent SA at the world champs), who told him that he had the ideal physique for bodybuilding. “The first thing I said was that I don’t use steroids or any illegal performance enhancers, so I would not stand a chance in bodybuilding.”
But he said Sauls revealed that the focus is on natural bodybuilding and that athletes are tested at the competitions.
Zani decided to compete in the Makana Natural Bodybuilding Championships. He placed first and from then onwards fell in love with the sport of natural bodybuilding.
Following his first taste of competitive bodybuilding, Zani has won several other titles, including the Eastern Province Natural Bodybuilding Championships, where he placed second in the under-21 category. He then qualified to go to the national championships in 2013 where he came fourth in the U21 category.
He came first and won the overall junior title at the Active Fusion Gym Natural Bodybuilding competition and in 2014, he won the EP Natural Bodybuilding Development competition.
He qualified for the SA Development Competition where he bagged another first position win.
Despite other achievements, this year has been a top year for Zani who won the senior category of the EP Natural Bodybuilding Development competition.
Through the competition he qualified for the national championships but because of financial difficulties could not attend.
He then placed second in the U75kg category for an EP championship and qualified again for the South African Natural Bodybuilding Championships where he placed second again, securing his spot to represent South Africa on the world circuit.
Bodybuilding has become such a massive part of Zani’s life that in 2013 he changed his degree at Rhodes University from BA Law to a Bachelor of Social Science majoring in human kinetics and ergonomics.
“The change in my degree was motivated by the fact that I wanted a better understanding of the human body so I could perform better and help others with a science-based approach.”
Zani became a weights instructor at the Rhodes University gym and then a personal trainer.
“My goal now is to help society move away from the view that bodybuilding requires drugs and other performance enhancers for a person to succeed. If i can do it, then clearly anyone can do it.
“My aim is to be a role model, especially to the youth, and motivate them to stay drug-free and follow a fit and healthy lifestyle,” Zani said.
For the entire trip to France, Zani is supposed to have R20000, which will cover travelling costs, visa application and accommodation.
“I ask that people support me as this is not just about me, but motivating society and being more aware about natural bodybuilding,” he said.
Call Zani on 078-627-6297 to assist.
I ask that people support me as this is not just about me, but motivating society