John Durante and Rachel Pecoraro have been named the NPC Athletes of the Month in Men’s and Women’s Bodybuilding for the month of November.
MEN’S BODYBUILDING: JOHN DURANTE
Recent Accomplishment: 2013 Sunshine Classic, 1st Middleweight and Overall
Age 34
Height 5’4″
Contest Weight 174
Residence West Palm Beach, FL
Contest History 2013 Sunshine Classic, 1st Middleweight and Overall; 2011: Junior Nationals, 3rd Middleweight; 2010: Arnold Amateur, 5th Welterweight;
2009: Southern States, 1st Middleweight
BROTHERLY LOVE “I grew up studying martial arts. I played soccer during my freshman year in high school. But after that, I wasn’t really involved in much athletics. It was shortly after my 20th birthday when I started going to the gym. My brother was into powerlifting at the time and he encouraged me to go with him a few times. I was hooked after that very first day and I’ve been training seriously since.”
STEPPING ON STAGE “After a year of training, I had put on about 30lbs of muscle on my frame. I thought I was doing well. Then one day at the gym, I saw , a competitive bodybuilder in person for the first time and was just blown away by his size and leanness. I never imagined that a person could actually look like that. It really piqued my interest and I started reading all the magazines and researching the net to figure out how, and if it were possible for me to look like that. It took me another few years to realize and understand the importance of dieting and consistency. Then one day, just to see if I had it in me, I decided to enter my first show, the West Palm Beach Classic. I placed second. It’s been nonstop for me ever since.”
BEST YOUR BEST “I like the challenge of besting your best and doing better each time you step on stage. The more experience you have, the harder it is to do that. You’re constantly trying to figure out new or different ways to make yourself better. I now realize that I am not the type of person who will go to the gym just for the sake of going. Much like in life, you gotta have a goal and a purpose.”
Do you have any role models, people who inspired you in this industry or in any other?
BALANCING ACT “Besides the typical answer of Arnold, I think there are too many to name. I really admire the guys who are able to find that “balance” between the bodybuilding lifestyle and life in general. I especially admire the ones who are very successful and continually make an impact even after their competitive years – guys like Rich Gaspari and Lee Labrada.”
GIVE IT A GO “Right now, my main focus is to do well and perhaps earn my pro card at Nationals this November. I know I have quite a bit of work to do the next couple months, but I have never been so focused and determined in my entire bodybuilding career, so far. So we shall see what happens!:
Go to page 2 to see Rachel Pecoraro’s profile!
