Kasmira Engichy , Pacific Daily News 6:40 p.m. ChT May 2, 2017
Shanice Devera, left, holds up her three trophies from her wins on April 15 at the 2017 NPC Charlotte Cup where she placed second overall and won in three other categories. Devera won in the Bikini Class A, the True Novice Bikini Class A, and the Bikini Overall.(Photo: Courtesy of Sheila Bickel)
About seven years ago Shanice Kayla Devera was a high school student-athlete at Okkodo, but fast forward to today and she is now a winning body builder in North Carolina.
On April 15 Devera made her bodybuilding debut in the 2017 National Physique Committee Charlotte Cup, winning in three categories:the Bikini Class A, the True Novice Class Aand the Bikini Novice overall. She won second in the Charlotte Cup, the highest honor.
Im proud of her, I congratulated her, told her to keep running for her dreams but as mother I would tell her to take it easy. She has some limitations, said Deveras mother Sheila Bickel We found out when she was younger that she had and still has scoliosis but despite that shes always excelled athletically and academically.
Bickel says her daughter was an excellent student and athlete who was in student government at Okkodo, into forensic science and participated in a sport every quarter.
Devera was involved in cross-country, track and field, rugby and paddling. She even received a few awards in these sports.
Shanices love of sports developed at Untalan Middle School with Rodney Pama. She then went to Simon Sanchez but due to overcrowding our district was reassigned to Okkodo, said Bickel, At Okkodo she really got into sport more than before.
Devera graduated Okkodo back in 2010 and was sworn into the US military in 2012. And in 2013 she attended basic training finishing at the top of her class in her technical school.
She then got assigned to Yongsan, South Korea in 2014.
In the army, physical fitness is our staple and while I in Korea, I needed to do something to pass the time so I went to the gym every day and it turned from being bored to something I really wanted to do, said Devera, People would ask me if I competed and I said no. The encouragement to compete continued until I just decided one day to go for it.
After a two-year assignment in Yongsan, South Korea, Devera was stationed at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina as an air traffic controller in the US Army.
Deveras training methods leading to her debut included a push and pull routine.
I worked on anything you needed to push one day and pulling the next day Monday Id do anything involving pushing away from the body like the bench press and the next day Ill do pulling exercises, she said, I do a lot of heavy weightlifting thats what helped me along with my diet but I say dont be afraid to go heavy just do it safely with a spotter.
It was evident that to be a winning body builder a lot of hard work, mental and physical strength had to be involved.
Just like my decision to join the army, doing body building kind of just happened. I later realized that both were a lot harder than I thought and the week before the competition, peak week, was the hardest week for me, said Devera, The diet messed with my mind because I was carb depleted, irritable, easily-angered, and hungry.
Deveras diet included egg whites, fish and asparagus.
Your body doesnt really change until three days before the competition though, she says, And I was down 4 percent of body fat it can make a person crazy so mental strength is huge.
The NPC Charlotte Cup featured around 200 competitors and Devera did not even think sheds place, but since the NPC Charlotte Cup is a national qualifier, Devera will continue her journey in Miami for the national competition.
I really didnt think Id place it didnt sink in right away, said Devera I am kind of shy and I dont do well in front of people let alone standing on stage in a two-piece bikini showing off my bod so it was surreal.
However, Im going to work hard because the competition is only going to get harder its not amateur. Ill be competing against girls who have worked for a long time to get their pro cards and Im going to work for that too but also for the experience.
As she prepares for the upcoming competition, Devera is still amazed about her win but she recalls the best part of the competition for her post-competition.
It was glorious I got to eat! I love food! The Bikini division was the last event of the night ending after midnight so the only place open was IHOP, which was two hours away, she said.
So, I smashed one box of pop tarts that I packed on the drive to Charlotte, ate half a dozen donuts and still went to IHOP I didnt know what I had until it was gone and a week after I went home to make spam and rice my comfort foods.
Devera bodybuilding career looks promising and shes thankful to a lot of people for their support.
I want to thank my mom, we are oceans apart but she is always encouraging me and is always saying shes proud, said Devera, Thanks to my friends supporting me from back home and random people who message me their words of encouragement help.
And to aspiring bodybuilders just do it. If I can do it, anyone can do it I say this because I love food. Stay consistent a lot of people revert because they lack consistency and we are not all are the same. The only competition you have is yourself so dont compare yourself to others.
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Devera debuts in bodybuilding - Pacific Daily News
