Nicknamed ‘Big Dick’ in high school due to his name and height, Duvaughn Dick decided to change his life as an obese person and become a bodybuilder.
Dick has since gone from 330lbs in 2018 to 199lbs in 2022 to be crowned champion of the Seniors and Heavyweight Classic Bodybuilding category at the recently concluded Jamaica National Amateur Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships (JABBFA).
“That (winning) felt great because I was working so hard for it; because it’s a great act to run my own business as a physical therapist, and now I’m in school doing my Ph.D. It’s a great feeling to win something at the national level and do all of that at the same time,” she said.
However, the 33-year-old said he sees himself doing more important things as he plans to become a professional bodybuilder soon.
“One of my biggest goals is that I definitely want to be a Mr Jamaica one day, because I really want that title. I am looking forward to winning Mr Jamaica next year and going professional (to) represent Jamaica at a higher level…so everyone can know about Jamaica and bodybuilding,” he said.
Dick, who has represented Jamaica in men’s bodybuilding, said this was a dream he had since attending Campion College as it even influenced his career choice as a physical therapist. However, his love for food almost prevented his aspiration from coming true.
“I have always loved bodybuilding and the gym. I’ve been in the gym since high school, when I used to do the shot put for Champion,” she shared. “In 2018, when my younger sister graduated with her master’s degree in London, we took family and graduation photos. And she was looking at the photos and I said, ‘It’s too much right now!’ I said, ‘I really need to look better for my health and my career.’
“Exercise and the gym are essential to my life, (and) the reason I even chose to become a physical therapist. I want to help people using exercise in a medical way,” said Dick.
The physical therapist said that it has been a pleasure for him to help people change their unhealthy habits, improve and benefit from healthy ways similar to what he does now.
He admitted that if a person wants to lose weight and get in shape, he must also be willing to change.
“I love food, and that’s how I got to 300-something pounds. But being in bodybuilding and the gym, being more disciplined with diet and exercise and all of that, has changed my life for the better in terms of health,” she said.
“Some of the clients I’ve had over the years, who also knew me when I was obese, are very surprised and inspired by my weight loss,” Dick said. “A lot of them, and some of my friends, have approached me for help with weight loss, so I started weight loss training and get paid to help them with things that can be taught and that I’ve learned over time. over the years. it is easier for them to lose weight. It is a very good feeling and motivates me even more”.
