By Nathan Kanter

North Battleford’s Fennig brings home hardware from CBBF nationals

Aug 2, 2017 | 2:00 PM

It still hasn’t quite sunk in for Debbie Fennig.

This past weekend, the North Battleford native placed third in her category at the 2017 Canadian Figure, Fitness and Physique Championships in Surrey, B.C., which is one half of the Canadian Bodybuilding Federation’s national competition.

She was one of just three Saskatchewan natives to finish top-three.

“I don’t even know if it has really hit home with me yet because it is a very very big deal,” Fennig said. “It’s a huge accomplishment for me. I thought if I could make top-10, I’d be really happy but being that I brought some hardware home, it was pretty amazing.”

Fennig had to first qualify by placing top five at provincials in Saskatoon, which she did in May.

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Her category is ‘figure’, in the master’s division.

“When you train, you either decide if you want to do a bikini competition or a if you want to do a figure competition or if you want to do physique,” Fennig explained. “Physique in women is like a bodybuilder in men. Figure is not quite as muscular. It’s not quite at the body building level. It’s one down from it.”

To be able to compete, Fennig must stick to a rigorous training schedule and diet.

“You’re continuously training, a minimum of twice a day, sometimes three times a day,” she said. “It’s very hard sometimes, especially when you have three kids too, but you just have to make the time. Lots of times I’m up at 4:30 (a.m.), 5 o’clock at the gym and going late at night. Just whatever time you can fit in, you fit it in.

“Lots of chicken, fish, rice…very high protein and good carbs.”

Fennig said her interest in the sport first arose when she and her husband competed in (and won) a friendly competition at Lifetime Fitness roughly six years ago.

From there, her passion and training took off.

“A huge thanks to my husband and my kids,” Fennig said. “It’s a very selfish sport. You have to have a very understanding husband or spouse and family to be able to pursue this. It’s not like any other sport where you can come home and throw your bag in the corner for a month and take some time off. It’s very intense.”

nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @NathanKanter11