| Mike Williams, the angel on my shoulder | | Print | |
| Saturday, 31 May 2008 10:58 | ||||
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When I first heard Musclemania was back in the country after an absence of 6 years, it just fired me up.I hadn't competed since I won the Britain in 2003 (after 7 years back to back efforts) & got 2nd in the Worlds. I wasn't interested in qualifying for a British title but doing something different & this was perfect. The main reason I decided to compete this year was to get my body fat low enough to see if I had made improvements after almost a 3year lay off. It was not for any titles as the British was all I ever wanted & nothing will ever beat that moment. I always said that once I won the Britain I would never go for the British title again or do any qualifiers at the risk of losing & starting over to try to regain the title. My parents have been great support over the years; they never missed a final in 7 years. It would never have been the same without them there for me. I wanted them to be there when I did win, lucky for me they were & I always appreciated it. You see after the first year of competing my Dad said I should give up as he felt I'd never beat the top guys. This just made me more determined as nothing ever made my Dad proud of me & I wanted to prove him wrong, even if it took seven years. I suppose like most parents he hated seeing me torture myself year after year. The day I was finally crowned with the British lightweight title in Oct 2003, he was certainly proud & that’s what made it more special. It was very emotional as my Dad came back stage with tears in his eyes. It was the first time in my life that he had ever shown pride in me. The last show I did was in Nov 2003, the U.I.B.B.N Worlds in Belgium with the British team & I got 2nd. I was extremely happy with that. It was the highest I had placed in three previous Worlds. My father was really upset as he really thought I deserved to win. It was funny as I was satisfied getting 2nd. It was not until I saw the video, that I could see where he was coming from. Back to 2006, the diet was going great with the Musclemania in sight. Then I got a phone call from Michael Philips that changed it all. My friend Mike Williams died suddenly at the young age of 50. Being a father certainly changes your perspective on life and I just started to think life's too short for this. I have a family, I started thinking I hadn’t improved, I just kept being negative. I was in limbo, going through the motions of training. After a few months of dieting I almost pulled out of competing till one night I watched a video of Mike & myself at the Worlds in 2003 & it reminded me of what he said to me on the way home. I told Mike that this was to be my last show until I became a master as I had achieved my dream. He was shocked and said to me ''Tone, you are a great athlete, you can't retire! This is who you are, this is your passion’’. I replied ''it's just the stress it puts the family through as I'm not myself when I'm dieting''. Mike replied ''It's just about balance''. He just made it all seem easy & remembering him as a person he was so peaceful & relaxed about everything. Never stressing & always smiling! We had booked a holiday earlier in the year & I didn't want to change the atmosphere around me because I was dieting. So on holiday I relaxed & ate what the buffet had to offer with the family without stressing & took my hour every other day to train as normal. Four weeks later was the UK Musclemania. I kept to the diet & training but every weekend I would relax & eat normal with a few treats. However the fire I had had in the past just wasn't there. I couldn't decide whether or not to enter the Musclemania show until it came to the closing date & then when I sent it, boom the switch was on. I went to see Lee Williams a week after my holiday, as he tells me like it is, no bullshit. Three weeks out he didn't think I was in good enough condition to do what we did in the past for the last weeks prep. So I decided that Muscle mania would be a warm up & focused on doing the N.P.A L.A Muscle Pro-am and then the Worlds in Nov. A week out it was announced Rob Feesey & Andrew Merrifield were entering it, owhhhh. After Pre judging a couple of trusted friends said I was holding water or fat on my back & would come 3rd or 4th, so I made some adjustments and followed these for the rest of the afternoon. When it came to the results I expected nothing more than 3rd or 4th & when it was announced I came 2nd to Rob’s 3rd. I was in disbelief that I beat such a champion. I got nothing but praise, which I needed after my absence. The number one thing I took with me from the show is that I had improved & that’s what bb’ing is all about. I was going to call it a day as I achieved more than I believed I could have. The result gave me the confidence to enter The Musclemania Worlds in Hollywood on Nov 17th.Especially as Andrew ‘’Mez’’(we had become buddies) was going to be there. I was invited to compete in The N.P.A L.A Muscle Pro-am and I believed I couldn’t win it but the chance just to be there with the best of the British champions enticed me. (British winners only invited for prize money) I had always regretted not doing the 2003 overall. I wasn’t too bothered about doing it but my wife Ornella pushed me to do it in respect for Mike Williams. I told her if she wanted me to stop right now, I would as competing wasn’t as important to me as winning the British title. Even thou she didn't believe me, I was far less stressed this year & maybe this helped. Michael Philips decided to re name ‘’The N.P.A Classic’’ in honour of Mike Williams to ‘’The Mike Williams classic & LA Pro-am’’. What a tribute to a legend in our sport. This motivated me to do the Pro-am but weeks out realised that the Pro-am trophies were not named in his honour. I only wanted to do this show in Mike’s memory so I decided to do the qualifier. My goal was to be the first M.W lightweight Champion & be the first M.W overall champion & that way you are automatically invited to do the Pro-am. I did say to M.P that if I won the overall it would give me the confidence to enter the NPA Britain, two weeks after. However, a week before I was told I could only do one class, the Pro-am or the classic so I gambled and did the classic. This way, if you win the overall, you automatically go through to the pro-am. I felt if I was not good enough to win the overall then I was not good enough to be in the Pro-am. I have never competed for money anyhow so there was no loss. I told M.P the Pro-am should also be named in Mike’s honour, as this was the only show that Mike competed in the UK. So I suggested contacting La Muscle to ask for the title change. A few days out from the show, Mike got the go ahead from his sponsor La muscle to change the title of the show to ‘’The M.W Pro-am.’’ But as I had two routines set up, I stuck to my goal. I didn’t sleep a wink the night before the show; I was up till 5 am. I might have slept half an hour on the 3-hour journey to Pennistone, I felt like death. About 12.30 I went back stage to get ready & took my clothes off & boom veins everywhere I was shocked the way I was looking, vascular with deep cuts. I couldn't get over the way I was looking, best ever & just wanted to get on stage. After judging, Roy Jones said how much I had improved on my back & this was the best he's ever seen me as in previous years he always commented this was always a weaker area for me. It was great to hear. Everyone said I was in for a shout for the overall but most of all my best mates Carlos Baraddas & Vince ’’ the beast’’ Mwayi believed I could do it. With this, I was that confident I would be joining the Pro-am, that I handed my music for the Pro-am, cheeky I know but I didn’t want to be rushing back stage after the overall, lol. Michael Philips did a great tribute to Mike by screening one of his guest spots to open the show up. It was like he really was doing a guest spot as he brought the house down again! I was gutted that Iain Smith pulled out from doing my class & it probably showed on my face. But at least I knew I was in the overall without a fight. Backstage before I was due to go on stage for round three, The Pro-am competitors were getting ready, my mate Fivos Averkiou, Rob Feesey & Jason Barnett. I got my kit off & started to pump up. I couldn't get over the fact how much Fiv was eating to pump up & joked with him about it. After some time Fiv did a few poses near me & I could see he was holding water on his abs but again thought he knows what he's doing. Rob started tanning up & I could see he was in top shape. He seemed very confident & was very happy as he finally got hold off his favourite tan. He even said to me '' Tony this is the best I have ever seen you'' I was shocked as he had never complimented which I commented on. He replied ''well I only say something if I mean it''. I said '' so, all these years I have looked crap in your eyes'' Lol. He laughed. This made me feel better as none of my forum buddies back stage never said a word about how I was looking & thought I can't be looking good! My music for the show was dedicated to Mike Williams & with Jan's permission I asked if I could use tunes that I remembered Mike for. Little did I know Jan & the family would be there. I boought myself the same colour briefs as he wore at the Worlds together & many other shows. I used ‘’Chariots of fire’’ for my routine music that Mike used at the Pro-am in 2001 & he brought the house down & I will never forget it. And ‘’ Nessun Dorma’’ I dedicated to my father-in-law who passed away in 2001 & was one of his fav’s. I had also dedicated it to him in the 2001 Britain. Mike also used it but I never saw it but I bet he brought the house down with it. My mate Carlos couldn't understand why I was so nervous performing my routine & said you have done this a million times. I didn't notice anything when I performed my routine, as I just didn't want to look at Jan & the kids. It was the hardest thing I ever did performing on stage. I knew the emotion it would bring. I was even unsure about coming out hitting the legs as Mike did, as he was awesome doing it & knew he was well known for it. I really did have to hold myself together up there with the thought of them watching. And at one point paused to hold back the emotions. When I came off stage Michael Philips just made it worse for me as I could see it got him emotional. The overall I knew would be a fight with big heavyweight Gus fisher, Masters Champion Lloyd Stewart, John Madourie, a great future novice, Patrick Francis & BNBF Jr, British Champion Abdul X Miah. I was overwhelmed to win it, as I knew what a gamble I had taken to join the boys in the Pro-am. The judges really made us work for it & I was so exhausted by the end of it. I was so happy winning the overall that I could have quite happily left the stage then and there. I was so happy that Jan presented me with the trophy. The overall was hard enough but by the time the Pro-am started I was finished. At one point I was thinking of not doing the class as I felt I was just a number & at best come 3rd. I was on deaths doors, but I had to really dig deep, the combination of pumping up, posing already three times, lack of sleep & dehydration really was taking its toll on me. With every pose I had to give myself a pep talk. I honestly had to fight to pose. I just remembered how many years I had been competing & seeing & supporting my friend Fivos Averkiou & now we were on the same stage together. Wow! I just wanted to enjoy it! When it came to the routine my leg cramped up (the first time in 33 years!) but tried to not let it show! After Rob Feesey helped me out with a few tips backstage. Then came the results, I was expecting to beat Jason Barnett but knew it could go the other way. I was right & Jas got 4th. Then 3rd place was announced & I thought ‘’Yep that’s me’’, but the room went quiet & BOOM 3rd place Fivos ......... I was in limbo, no way! Then my head just couldn't comprehend the fact that Fivos came 3rd to me & didn't even hear 2nd place being announced. Then I saw Rob get the 2nd place trophy, I just dropped to the floor & just couldn't believe it! Had my family been there this would have been the greatest moment in my competitive history, as I knew I could win the Britain, it just would take time but this was out of my imagination. I was truly dumb struck. Everyone has now convinced me that I deserved it including Jan Williams & I am really touched she presented me with my reward. It must have been a real headache for the judges. Never in a million years did I expect to win the Pro-am as well as the overall too. Words cannot describe how I feel, this is the biggest title u can win on the natural stage in Britain & I never imagined I could win it. The biggest compliment had to be in Michael Philips report, in all the years I have competed I would never have believed I would read this from such a respected man: ‘’In the weight classes one man stood out, Mr Tony Montalbano, in fantastic shape, with a magnificent routine which was performed in tribute to Mike Williams, it was one of the best performances I have ever seen anywhere in all my 25 years of being involved in this crazy sport of ours’’ Mike Williams must have been smiling down on me like an angel on my shoulder & gave me his grace, what can I say! The next morning, my wife wanted to see the video of it that Carlos took. When it came to my routine, I'll be honest & say I burst into with tears. I couldn't believe my routine was dedicated to a friend of mine who I will never see again. All I wanted to hear from this show is that I have improved; it wasn’t about winning or beating anyone. It was a great day from start to finish. I only decided to do the Britain after a week of winning the Pro-am as I was still doing the Worlds two weeks later. I wanted to let the British audience see me at my very best at the last natural event in the country before I do the Worlds. I had a lot of pressure for the N.P.A Britain as I had a few days of dieting & training after the Pro-am as I was suffering. The last week was the worst week of dieting emotionally. I actually pulled out on Saturday but by Tue I pulled myself together. The pressure of winning the Pro-am, the ultimate natural British title I.M.O was a bit much. A few people commented that doing the show was a backward step but I don't feel any more superior winning it & know with the top guys it's who gets it right on the day. I took a big risk & kept water in for the show. It was the first time in 33 shows I did this & it didn't seem to affect my condition whatsoever. It just frustrates me that the week before a show I always look better. Also I knew Andrew Merrifield was in my class therefore I couldn't possibly win, so I took the gamble. So I will never dehydrate again, I don't know who brought this idea into contest prep, as it's bloody dangerous. On the day I'll be honest, I was chuffed Andrew didn't make the class, thanks to Jason.lol. But I knew either way he was going take the overall. Most people had me winning with a few people saying it was close between Glen & me. But I didn't let my guard down, as I knew anything could happen in the evening. I'm so chuffed to have now won the NPA title as well as the ANB title, The U.I.B.B.N Worlds was 2 weeks later in Italy on the 3rd Oct. We had an awesome team but as I expected too much politics is involved. The team spirit was great, but it wasn't quite the same without our team captain Mike Williams. The last 4 Worlds I have done he had always been the one to keep the team spirit. This was the show that I got closer to Mike & other great UK B.Bers who are now my friends. I have the Musclemania Worlds on the 17th so basically I have been competing every 2 weeks with one week of training! I remember watching the show last year as I went to support my friend Ben Ageboke & thinking what the hell are you doing competing in this fed? And now I'm doing it. Well it's because I can make the bantam weight class & should stand my ground with the American naturals so to speak. This year I have achieved more than I would have ever believed & nothing can top winning The Mike Williams classic Pro-am. It actually beats my accomplishment of winning the finals in 2003. I always believed that determination pays and therefore I would win it sooner or later but the Pro-am was never even a thought! I have had a fantastic year & I know Mike is my angel on my shoulder & will dedicate another tune to him at the Worlds. I must admit typing this was a bit surreal, I'm so proud to have these titles, I have had an unbelievable year & achieved much more than I could ever have believed. I want to thank Mike Philips, for his passion for our sport & making the N.P.A what it is today & this is only the beginning. All the positive comments from competitors, members, and friends this year, certain forum members with their negative comments that made me more determined to prove myself. …..Now what shall I eat?
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