Muscle Mayhem brings high energy and pure power

Natural bodybuilding and athletic transformation were on display on Saturday, 10 Oct. as DFAC Caribbean hosted its premier Muscle Mayhem at Camana Bay’s Arts & Recreation Centre.

Organised and co-founded by Dail Davis and Kingslyn Mitchell, Muscle Mayhem serves as a celebration of discipline, conditioning and stage presence for athletes competing across women’s, men’s, professional and transformation divisions.

This year’s edition featured 25 athletes, bringing together local talent alongside international competitors, including four athletes from the United States and two from Jamaica.

Cayman’s local line-up reflected a multicultural makeup, with competitors hailing from Cayman and others with backgrounds in Cuba, Costa Rica, Ireland and Venezuela.

Top placements per category

The competition highlighted strong performances in every category, with top honours distributed across the divisions.

The Men’s Amateur Athletic Open, an all-Cayman field, saw Kevin Castro take first place, followed by Saif Mahad in second and Leslie Chin in third.

In Men’s Amateur Bodybuilding, Jamaica’s Malik Griffiths claimed first place, earning the overall amateur male title and new DFAC pro status. Ahmaree Piercy of Cayman placed second, while Johnnie McCarthy of Jamaica secured third place.

In Pro/Am Bikini, Cayman’s Ana Maria Perez Rojas captured first place, taking the overall female title and securing her status as a new DFAC Pro. Annalisa Shibly, another Cayman competitor, finished second, while Jessica Spiff representing the US placed third.

In Pro Wellness, Becca Cox of the US claimed the top spot, while Rocio Sime Parra of Cayman took second.

In Amateur Figure, Stacy Henry took first place, followed by Sharon Bello in second in an all-Cayman matchup.

In Pro Men’s Bodybuilding, reigning DFAC Pro World Champion David Lovelace of the US placed first while Cayman’s Douglas King followed in second, and James Mickles of the US finished third.

Top three placements automatically qualify athletes for the DFAC World Finals taking place in Erding, Germany, on 1 Nov., with additional discretionary spots awarded based on overall group strength.

Growth of the event

Beyond the hardware and World Finals qualification, the event marked a meaningful milestone for regional camaraderie.

“There was some significance to this event because it represents a return to collaboration with Team Jamaica,” said Davis.

“This is the first time we’ve had athletes come over from Jamaica to compete with us since I would say 2008 … and that’s something that we’re working on growing – the relationship between the two countries and having athletes compete between them. That’s definitely a significant development there.”

Continuing to grow the relationship between Team USA is something else Davis said they’re keen on doing.

“Over the last few years, we’ve had more and more athletes come over from the United States to compete with us, so we’re looking to grow that relationship as well,” he added.

Davis also praised the grit demonstrated by every competitor who took the stage, saying, “What stands out for me is that the athletes show up and they stick through the process.”

“I posted a message in our Team Cayman group chat, just telling them that the most important thing is they’ve beaten themselves, and that’s the most important person for everyone to beat because that’s going to be your hardest opponent.”

Davis acknowledged his pride for how they were able to “overcome their biggest challenges, the self-doubt, the frustration, the rigors of training … and to step on stage”.

“Doing that alone makes them all winners in my mind and in my eyes. So, for me, that’s the thing that’s most important – that they’ve stuck with the programme, and they were able to make it to the stage. Regardless of whether they won or not, they’re all winners,” he said.