LIZAMA REACHES DREAM AS A PRO BODYBUILDER

By Patrick Lujan

Any professional athlete in any sport will tell you that a dream and the drive – with many other intangibles in between – will get you there.

Bodybuilder Rob Lizama is no different as his journey took him from Guam’s stage 11 years ago in 2013 to getting his pro card this past weekend at the 2024 NPC U.S. National Bodybuilding Championships in Anaheim, CA where he placed 1st in the welterweight bodybuilding division and 3rd place in the Men’s Classic Physique.

“It wasn’t until my family and I moved to Wichita, Kansas in 2017 that I decided to pursue my Pro Card.”

The move to Kansas was forced when wife Cassandra enlisted into active duty Air Force. Rob picked up a job as a sales associate at Home Depot and later served as a detention deputy for the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office – all the while fitting in his required workouts.

SACRIFICES NEEDED AND MADE

For the 2011 GW graduate from Barrigada, three big sacrifices he had to make to get to his ultimate goal were time, food and social life.

“Some sacrifices I had to endure included a significant time commitment. I spent countless hours in the gym, especially in the final weeks of preparation. Often, I would see my wife only briefly in the morning before she went to work, and by the time I finished training in the evening, she was already tired and ready for bed.

“The second and third sacrifices go hand in hand: dietary restrictions and social life. Many times, we were invited to hang out with friends, and while we would go, I couldn’t eat the foods they cooked or even have a single drink with them.”

WHAT’S NEXT?

With one major life-time goal accomplished, what’s next for Lizama?

“I plan to develop my online fitness business and work towards competing on the (Mr.) Olympia stage. I aspire to become the first person from Guam to achieve this milestone.”