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Guardsman takes home the gold at bodybuilding championship

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  • By Senior Airman Rachel Simones

Senior Airman Ervin Anderson, an administrative specialist with the 251st Cyberspace Engineering Installation Group, exemplifies the Air Force core value of “excellence in all we do” through his impressive bodybuilding achievements.

 Most recently, Anderson earned first place at the 2018 National Physique Committee Natural Championships in Cleveland, Ohio.

“I felt speechless at first,” said Anderson. “It was surreal.”

Anderson, a Chicago native, also placed ninth internationally at the Arnold Classic body building competition in Columbus, Ohio in March 2018.

“It was my first amateur international show and I placed top ten there” said Anderson. “These shows help me stay fit for duty, and duty comes first,” said Anderson.

Anderson spent five months preparing for the Arnold Classic competition, which helped set him up for success at the Natural Championships competition that followed shortly after.

“I’ve been lifting for eight years, but I’ve been competing for two years,” said Anderson. “Being able to showcase the hard work that you put in is priceless.”

Anderson spent four years as an active duty service member at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio before joining the Ohio National Guard in Springfield, Ohio. He spends most of his time working toward earning his degree from Wright State University, and preparing for his next bodybuilding show. His preparation includes working out up to three times a day, practicing poses, and eating mindfully.

The commitment and consistency that Anderson exemplifies to prepare for body building competitions contributes to his success in his Air Force career and everyday life.

“Perseverance helped me overcome my obstacles,” said Anderson. “That’s how I see these weights, as obstacles that I’m going through in my life that I’m trying to overcome.”