Sherlon Noble and his passion for fitnessBy Shauna Jemmott

HIS PASSION for the sport of physical fitness has driven a United States-based Guyanese fitness specialist to success, landing him in second place in the top five in three categories in the US National ‘Victor Martinez Legends Bodybuilding Championship’ in the Bronx, New York, last weekend.

Sherlon Noble has always been a go-getter and with much encouragement from family and his fans on his Facebook page, he trained hard for weeks. At the end of the competition last Saturday, he placed second in the categories of ‘Novice Physique’ and the ‘Master over 35’ and fifth in the ‘Open Men’s Physique’ category, even though he is fairly new to the sport.In an interview with the Pepperpot Magazine on Monday, Noble said the competition was his second championship since he received his International Fitness Association (IAF) qualification as a Certified Personal Trainer in June this year, and he is satisfied with the outcome.“

I am very happy with these results based on the fact that I am self-taught – meaning, I don’t have a coach for my training, nor a nutritionist for my diet. I construct these by myself. I also customise diets for my clients based on what their goals may be,” he said. A live-wire among his friends, Noble grew up in the humble village of Airy Hall, Mahaicony, on the East Coast of Demerara, where children played safe in wide open spaces in their backyards. He attended Mahaicony Secondary School and performed well in athletics and soccer before migrating with his family to the Island of St. Maarten in the West Indies, where he discovered his love for physical fitness.

He then migrated to the United States where it was confirmed that a career in the sport was truly part of his destiny.“Sports was always a part of my life growing up, mainly soccer and athletics. After emigrating to St. Maarten, bodybuilding caught my eyes which became a passion as I migrated to the U.S. The passion I developed for this sport drove me to study with the International Fitness Association (IAF) and I became a Certified Personal Trainer, specialising in kick-boxing and weight training,” Noble recalled.At age 38, he holds a Degree in Hospitality and Tourism from St. Francis College, Brooklyn, New York, but taking routine fitness walks in a U.S.A. park has helped him to build a rich clientele for a job he never knew he would actually do.

An increasing number of people sought him as their personal fitness consultant as he flaunted his muscles along the exercising alleys.He told the Pepperpot Magazine in a previous interview, “In my free time I would run and go to the gym do my stuff alone, until people started to notice and ask for my opinion. I have a weakness for health, so why not get involved to help people stay in shape. Being in New York City, information is not always free so I decided I’ll study it… This skill I used to help many individuals lose weight, change the way they eat and overall take better care of themselves physically and nutritionally,” he said.

For some years now he has worked as a Fitness Instructor/Personal Trainer at High Definition Fitness Centre, providing training in weight loss, muscle building and kickboxing and creating special healthy diets according to the needs of his clients. He only started competing earlier this year.Being around many such athletes in his fitness consultancy job, he was inspired to make a bold decision on competitive bodybuilding and on April 8, 2017, he competed and placed fourth in the ‘Men Physique Masters’ category of the US National Physique Committee (NPC) Metropolitan Competition.“I took that as a boost, got back to the gym trained twice a day, five days a week for four months to be a part of the ‘Victor Martinez Legends Championship’.”

Now, Noble is preparing for his third contest which is just four weeks away. To complement the requirements of his self-coached sport, Noble is preparing to move on to study, even as he competes, to become a certified nutritionist, as well.He advises Guyanese youths, “US or Guyana-based, if you are passionate about something please follow through, regardless of what others may think. Have a plan and always keep it active. Stay focused, be patient and trust the process.”