Richard Froese
South Peace News
A young High Prairie woman is making a name for herself in the world of natural bodybuilding –and moving up.
Brianna Schur-Auger was a winner in the World Natural Bodybuilding Federation (WNBF) Calgary Natural Amateur Show on Oct. 28 in the Fit Body Short Open Class and Figure Short Open Class.
She won a gold medal and a sword for finishing first in each class.
During the awards presentation, she also won the Best Poser Award.
“I won both classes granting me a pro card for each class,” Schur-Auger says.
However, winners must choose to compete in only one class in the pro event.
She won a gold medal and $500 in the Pro-Fit Body Class in the WNBF Calgary Natural Pro Show on Oct. 29.
“By winning my pro international class on Sunday, I am now qualified to compete at World Pro Championships for the next two years,” Schur-Auger says.
The next championship is Nov. 18-19 in Seattle.
“Unfortunately, my coach and I already had vacations booked for that time, so I am very sad to say that I will not be taking that opportunity this year,” Schur-Auger says.
“We have set a goal to attend the World Pro Championships in November 2024 – we are waiting to find out where that is.”
Pro cards are awarded at amateur shows in classes with a minimum of eight contestants and only the overall winner earns a pro card to advance to compete at the pro level.
“As long as I maintain my pro status by competing as a pro at the pro level every two years, I will maintain my pro status,” Schur-Auger says.
The sport of natural bodybuilding is just that – natural in the world of the WNBF and the International Natural Bodybuilding Federation.
“It means you’ve built you physique naturally without the use of performance-enhancing drugs or steroids,” Schur-Auger says.
All INBF and WNBF athletes must be 10 years drug-free of prescription and pharmaceutical hormones on the banned-substance list and two years free of over-the-counter hormones, prohormones or banned substances listed or their counterparts unless otherwise noted, prior to their fire INBF/WNBF competition.
Every athlete has to pass a polygraph test prior to competing at the amateur level up to two weeks prior to the event and two weeks before pro events.
“Immediately after winning your class, you then have to take a urine analysis to prove you are drug free and thus natural athletes,” Schur-Auger says.
She first competed in the sport in 2018 with the Alberta Bodybuilding Association.
“Then I competed for my second time with the Canadian Physique Alliance (CPA) in March 2019.
After the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, she next competed with the CPA in July 2022.
The recent event was her first with the INBF/WNBF.
She got started in the sport with her friend Taylor Jarvis, also from High Prairie.
“I was overweight and wanted a lifestyle change to benefit my health,” Schur-Auger says.
“At that time, Taylor had just finished her personal trainer diploma at Grande Prairie Regional College, so she helped me get started in the gym and reach my goal weight.”
She went from 190 lbs to 150 lbs.
“From that gym, I met my current coach, Bryce Korzenowski, and he challenged me to do a bodybuilding competition and I needed a new goal to chase,” Shur-Auger says.
“So I agreed to try it out and went to my first competition in 2018 and have been working with Bryce as my coach since then.”
Now she is using her journey to help others on theirs to a healthy life of physical fitness.
Shur-Auger is currently finishing her personal trainer diploma at the Northwestern Polytechnic.
She will be finished at the end of April 2024 and will write the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) Certified Personal Trainer exam.
“I decided to return to post-secondary school when COVID hit,” Shur-Auger says.
“I had the goal of inspiring and helping others because I had experienced first-hand how taking care of my physical body changed so many different aspects of my life in positive ways.
“I also want to give back and share my knowledge within our Indigenous communities to promote overall health and well being.”
She is well discipline in her health.
“I spend a lot of time training and my diet has been filled with whole nutritious foods.”
She weight trains six days a week for 90 minutes each day.
As well, Shur-Auger works on her cardio for six days 30 minutes but increases it to 50 minutes day closer to shows.