Darren “Doc” Gumbs Magazine and Newspaper Articles

Thursday 7th July• HE Conference

european medal for Collegebodybuilding champOne of Britain's top bodybuilding champions,who's also working towards a Diploma in SportsTherapy, Massage and Personal Training at theCollege, picked up a European Silver medal forhis talent last week.

Darren Gumbs, who's already receivedsignificant international recognition in the field,came second place in Europe's most prestigiousjunior bodybuilding competition in Poland. Thetwenty-year-old student, originally from theCaribbean, walked away with the EuropeanBodybuilding and Fitness Federation's (EBFF)junior sliver medal on Sunday 12th June.Finishing within a few points of the winningRomanian competitor, the judging was based ona series of posing routines.

Well-done Darrenl

students sings outagainst bullying forEvening Mail campaignA 17 year old music student from the College,who has received significant recognition for hersinging and song writing already, has beenpicked by the Evening Mail to record a song fortheir anti-bullying campaign.

Talented singer-songwriter Lhamea Lall, whohas overcome bullying herself, has been askedby the Birmingham newspaper to write andrecord a song which will be added to theirwebsite (www.icbirmingham.co.uk) to raiseawareness of bullying. Engineered with theassistance of tutors in the College recordingstudios the song Is entitled Hardest of All (StandUp, Speak Out).

The Music National Diploma student, who is anAmbassador for the Princess of Wales Memorial

Fund for Young People, uses her music tohighlight issues such as bullying, gun crlme. anddrug abuse.

She appeared on Radio 1 last year to publiciseher campaign and talks and performs at anti-bullying events and schools across the country.On Monday 18th July, she will speak andperform at the anti-bullying conference at StokeNewington School in North London.

Group Meeting,

15th July

London calling for College studentA College student, who has been awarded thehighest possible result, a first class honoursDegree from the College's Fine Art Degreeprogramme, has been selected to exhibit herwork at a gallery in London.

Sarah Maurice - Smith, will be exhibiting work atthe Foundry in London between 29th June and10th July 2005. Sarah's work was chosen aftershe applied to participate in the show, that waslooking for work based around unusual

collections or obsessions. Her work consists of acollection of lolly sticks and lost property andwhat these items tell us about other people.

Sarah has also exhibited her work at SolihullArtsComplex, St Paul's gallery in Birmingham and atthe final year Fine Art Degree show at theCollege and will be starting an MA in Fine Art atUCE in the autumn.

I

scheduleinthenextfewyears.Aswiththewomen,thejudgeswillbelookingforlightlymuscledmalesperformingquarter-turnsratherthanfull-onmonsters...getyourentriesinnow,fellas!L

WhileBritain'samateursprepareforthechallengesahead,it'sbeenadifficultfewmonthsforsomeofourtopprofessionals.ErnieTaylorisrecoveringfromamotorbikeaccident,whichhasplacedamajordoubtagainsthisparticipationintheMrOlympiacontestandtheBritishGrandPrix,

Injuryalsostruck2003sensationBolaOjex,whoonlyrecentlygotpackinthegymafterspendingfivemonthsoncrutcheswithasnappedAchillestendon.Bolaisthemanwho,inthespaceofsixweekslastyear,wentfromintermediateclasshopefulattheMansfieldqualifiertoprofessionalbodybuilderflexingalongsideGunterSchlierkarnpattheBritishGrandPrix.

Despitethesetbaok,theformersprinter,hasn'tgivenuphopesofreturningtoWembleythisyearbutifhedoesn'tmakeitheplanstogetbackonstageearlyin2005.Withhisnear-perfectgeneticsandtinywaist,hecouldinflictsomedamageonothersifheavoidsdamaginghimself.

BadnewstooforGaryLister,theDoncastermonsterwhowasmakinganall-outassaultontheMastersOlympiathisyear.Atamere40and

bodybuildersanddidn'tplace.

Eddie,whoweighed275pounds,hasalwaysdonewellintheBigAppleandhewasfarfromimpressedathavingtosharethestagewithsomanybodybuilders,whereitwaseasytogetoverlooked."Itwasafarce,"hesaid."Idon'tunderstandwhytheydidit."

SincebeingnamedoverallBritishchampionin1997Eddiehasbecomeoneofourmostconsistentpros.Nowinhisprimeat37,it'shardtodisputehisclaimthatoncurrentformhedeservestobe.calledBritishnumbertwo."Youareasgoodasyourlastshow,"hesaid."NobodybesidesErniehasplacedashighasmerecently."Asforthenextgeneration,Eddietellsustolook

SincebeingnamedoverallBritishchampionin1997Eddiehasbecomeoneofourmostconsistentpros.inperhapsthebestshapeofhislife,Garywaswellplacedtomakeastrongimpression...untilthecompetitionwascancelled.

Butit'snotalldoomandgloomontheBritishscene.BigEddieAbbew'achievedthehighestplacebyaBritishmaleprothisyearwhenhefinishedninthattheHungarianproshow.Histop10finishwassomeconsolationfortheNightofChampionswhenhelinedupagainst52-yes,that'sright,52-otherpro

outforhistrainingpartner,IrishjuniorchampionBrendanBradley,whohereckonsisgoingtocreateastironstagesoon.

EddiemighthavethebestprofinishbyaBritishmalethisyearbutthehighestplacingachievedbyanyBritbelongstofitnessqueenLynseyBeattie-Ahearne,whocamesixthattheHungaryproshow.Withthesecondhalfoftheseasonsettogetunderway,willanyBritbetterthatthisyear?FLEX

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Doc’s fitness beginning story