COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Friday marks exactly one year since Gov. Mike DeWine made the unprecedented decision to ban spectators from the Arnold Sports Festival.
While the event typically scheduled for the first weekend in March is now on hold for this year, competitors are staying ready in the hopes of taking to the stage again soon.
“To me, honestly, it would be bigger than winning the Olympia,” admits George Brown, a “Men’s Physique” competitor.
For Brown, a Columbus native, claiming top prize at his home competition would be the highlight of his bodybuilding career.
“I got 2nd place before, so it’s one off. So, you know you can kind of taste it. I’m more motivated than ever, and when they put it back on I’ll be ready,” says Brown.
Brown has been competing at the Arnold since 2015 — no active competitor has competed more consecutive years.
But he isn’t sweating the uncertain timeline surrounding this year’s event.
“Yes, you want the fans there. But if it comes down to it, you just want to show off your work against the best in the world,” Brown adds.
Though the 2021 competition is currently postponed, with organizers hoping to hold a scaled-back version of the event in the fall.
For Brown and his fellow competitors though, the grind continues.
“One thing about bodybuilding, it teaches you nothing comes all at once. So, you keep putting the days together, if you aren’t able to display, you go back to work,” Brown encourages.
Like many other athletes, Brown does his work at Metro Fitness in Worthington.
His trainer, and gym owner Mike Davies, relies on the Arnold himself to protect his bottom line.
“We have about probably four or five-hundred extra check-ins that weekend. It can make your year,” Davies describes.
With more than 20,000 competitors, and 200,000 spectators expected each year, the Arnold has become an international spectacle.
“Since 1997, I’ve had athletes compete in the Arnold every year. I’ve had nine Arnold champions. This is the first year in all those years I don’t have a competitor competing.”
It’s not just the athletes and the bodybuilding community impacted by the competition’s delay. Bars, restaurants, hotels and other businesses feel the trickle-down effect too.
Even if the competition does go on in a limited capacity, it won’t make up for the loss they’ve experienced.
“It won’t have the impact on us here locally, it really wont,” Davies warns.
Brown says he last competed in last year’s Olympia competition, but that he has two events scheduled in the next seven week and is hopeful of a more traditional competition calendar this year.