Sarnia newcomer off to fast start in fitness competition

Sarnia newcomer Philip Manuel is looking to win a fitness title.

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The former Triathlon Ireland coach, certified nutritionist and personal trainer, who worked in financial services before moving to Sarnia with his partner and two-year-old son about a year ago, is in the running to be the next Mr. Health and Fitness.

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The Dublin native, 43, was top-ranked in his 54-man group Thursday afternoon, just before the end of the competition’s first round.

Various rounds of voting — people can cast one free vote every 24 hours, or buy votes that contribute money to the Wilmington, Del.-based B+ (Be Positive) Foundation — help determine the winner of $20,000 and a feature in Muscle & Fitness Magazine , the rules say.

The winner will be announced July 19.

Manuel, a back-row forward on the Sarnia Saints rugby team, said he’s run marathons, Ironman triathlon races and represented Ireland at the 2010 triathlon world and European championships, and coached para-athlete swimmers, cyclists and runners.

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He called the support he’s received so far wonderful.

“I’ve done an awful lot of events for people over the years and I’ve supported a lot of athletes at home, and funnily enough, they all kind of jumped to support me,” he said, adding he’s surprised to be ranked so high early.

“But here we are,” he said. “I’ve got to go for it now.”

If he makes it through eight or nine rounds of voting and gets by the about 30,000 other competitors in the running, according to Mr. Health & Fitness LLC, Manuel said he’d use the prize money to help the Saints and other community groups he hasn’t identified yet.

“But it’d certainly be looking to try and assist,” he said.

This is the fourth Mr. Health and Fitness competition, and the first year working with the B+ Foundation, company officials said by email.

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The foundation provides financial and emotional support to families of children with cancer in the US, and funds childhood cancer research, according to bepositive.org.

Manuel said he tries to promote diversity and inclusion in sport, pushes people to dream big, and champions mental health and that sport can bring people together.

“I have no space or time for marginalization,” he said.

Manuel said he doesn’t know of anyone else from Sarnia competing in Mr. Health and Fitness, but knows of a couple of women competing in the parallel Ms. Health and Fitness competition.

He joined the competition on a whim after seeing an article, he said.

“I felt I was in reasonable shape and I thought, ‘Let’s have a go and see what happens.’ ”

Details are available at mrhealthandfit.com.

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