Sadik Hadzovic and Betty Vasquez round out the NPC Athlete of the Month selections for the month of June.
Hadzovic, 25, recently won the Overall in Men’s Physique at the Junior Nationals. Since then, Hadzovic has competed in two IFBB contests, placing second at the Greater Gulf States and at the Orange County Muscle Classic.
Vasquez, 40, started her NPC career as a figure competitor before switching to the Women’s Physique division last year. Vasquez won her class and an IFBB Pro card at the Junior Nationals.
Go here to see all of the June NPC Athlete of the Month selections!
MEN’S PHYSIQUE: SADIK HADZOVIC
Accomplishment: NPC Junior Nationals 1st Class C and Overall
Age 25
Height 5’10 ½
Residence Westbury, New York
Contest Weight 179
Contest History/Highlights 2012: IFBB Orange County Muscle Classic, 2nd; IFBB Greater Gulf States, 2nd; Steve Stone NY Metropolitans 1st Tall Class and Overall; Jr. Nationals 1st Class C and Overall; Jr. USA 2nd Class B; 2011: Brooklyn Grand Prix 2nd Class; Eastern USA Championships 3rd Tall Class
SUPER INSPIRATION “Growing up, I was fascinated with comic books and the super human physiques in them. I would sit and draw them for hours upon hours. I think that every kid has a fascination with superpowers and being a hero, but I also wanted to physically look like the characters I was drawing. I started doing hundreds of push ups and curls at home. Later on, I joined the world famous Bev Francis Powerhouse Gym – “The East Coast Mecca”. In that gym I was quickly bitten by the competitive bug and it was then and there that I decided I wanted to be a Mens Physique champion.”
LIFE LESSONS“My family were immigrants from war torn Yugoslavia. I believe my inspiration, drive and work ethic comes from the same work ethic my parents used to provide food on the table. I take that into the gym with me. It serves as a constant reminder of the importance of hard work and sacrifice. I also realize that the struggles in the gym and competition are nothing compared the the struggles of life. Many people speak of how the focus and drive of the gym helps them in life. I think my struggles in life have helped me overcome difficulties in the gym.”
ROLE MODELS “Some of my role models in this sport include Arnold Schwarzenegger for bringing bodybuilding to the mainstream; Jay Cutler for both his presence on and off the stage with his fans; Sergio Oliva for the most insane v-taper I have ever seen; Branch Warren and Dorian Yates for their intensity in the gym. I am also very impressed and inspired by all the talent coming out of the NPC Mens Physique division. It is exciting watching the division grow at such a fast pace.”
CREATE AND COMPETE “The ability to change your physique is a true metaphor about how you can change your life. The stage gives me an opportunity to show what I have created to the world. Bodybuilding is its own reward. We become stronger, healthier and more confident. However, competing allows me to put my physique and hard work up against people who do the exact same thing that I do – bust their ass in the gym and promote a healthy lifestyle.”
Go to Page 2 for Betty Vasquez’s Profile!
