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Tatyana
Elite Mentor
superqt4u2nv said:
Defo not perfect.
One thing that works in the UK is that it is a VERY VERY small community.
Everyone knows nearly everyone who competes.
One example of someone being caught in the natural feddies. I think he had placed third.
Hello All
I'm back on line at home at last! Please expect a number of e-mails from me
over the next week or so, but the first one is about a disqualification of a
competitor at last month's South West Championships.
Please read!
Many thanks to all for your support - and Best Wishes to all!
Bye for now
Michael
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NPA Statement – August 2007.
On Sunday July 22nd the NPA South West Championships were held in Taunton.
The competition was attended by officials from UK Sports, who conducted a
number of drug tests, on behalf of the NPA, of course, as they do at all NPA
competitions. Without our drug-testing programme we simply cannot promote
ourselves as a Life-time Natural Association. In a Utopian World of
Bodybuilding, all competitors would be 100% Lifetime clean and natural –
like they all should be!
While I personally will always promote the NPA as a Lifetime Natural
Association, as that is what we strive to be, I am not so naïve to think
that we will never have anyone on-stage who might be a cheat, despite our
best efforts.
Its always a possibility that someone may have taken some banned substances
in the past yet they still sign the NPA membership form stating they are
clean – and still go ahead and compete. Why they do so, and put at risk
their ‘good’ name is beyond me, to be honest. I would have thought that a
person who had taken banned substances, whether it be 5 days, months, or
years ago, would be honest with themselves, and not try to cheat and gain a
hollow victory. Where’s the morals, or pride, or integrity…at the end of the
day, you have to look in the mirror…in more ways than one.
If you have taken a banned substance for no matter how long or short a
period then you cannot compete with the NPA, it’s as simple as that! If you
haven’t been tested and think you have got away with it…then think again.
There’s always someone out there who is willing to stand up and speak, in an
effort to keep our sport clean, and also to help keep the good name of the
Natural Physique Association.
So, back to the NPA South West Championships.
In the Novice class, 4 competitors lined up, a very competitive class of a
very high standard.
Placing in third was 26 year old Lee Riva. From my own show notes, ‘Great
back, outstanding abs and delts, superb condition’. Lee was impressive, no
doubt about that. Encouraged by Lee Kemp and myself, and from his showing in
Taunton, Lee decided shortly after to enter the NPA Heart of England
competition four weeks later.
Eight days after the competition allegations were posted on one of the
Bodybuilding Forums, stating that there were cheats in the NPA and that one
of them had indeed competed in the NPA South West Championships. Subsequent
e-mails and phone calls were made, and as a result Lee Riva was named as a
competitor in the South West who shouldn’t have been in the contest due to
substances he was alleged to have taken. Further subsequent phone
conversations were made, between Lee Riva and Lee Kemp (the Doping Control
Officer of the NPA), and between Lee Riva and myself. The allegations were
put to Lee Riva, and he admitted that he has, in the past, taken banned
substances.
On speaking to Lee Riva, I invited him to contribute to this statement, and
the following is what he said:
To whom it may concern,
I would like to take this opportunity to explain myself and clear up a few
things.
As you probably well know, I did enter a drug free competition last month
and then openly admitted I had taken ‘gear’ about 3 years ago.
It was a mistake in many ways, first because I had taken the stuff in an
attempt to try it out, and disagreeing with it almost immediately, but
mainly for taking part in a drug free competition where so many drug-free
athletes had to slog their guts out, only to compete against a cheat.
For these reasons I am truly sorry. At the time I felt that, as I had only
tried it and had not even completed a cycle, enough to show any difference,
then the state of body would still be drug-free and almost clean. But I have
learnt that honesty is the best way and for those who think they may get
away with it – You Won’t!
It is a valuable lesson to be learnt and I only hope others can learn from
my mistake and not go down the same road as I did
I would like to pay my sincerest apologies to my home gym, from which no-one
had a clue and for dishonouring them for entering under their established
name.
Also my deepest apologies go to the NPA for dishonouring them and giving the
Natural Physique Association a bad name. I hope nothing bad comes of this to
either party, and I cannot apologise enough for my actions.
Once again I am truly sorry.
Lee Riva
------------------------
As a consequence Lee Riva has been disqualified from the NPA South West
Championships, and banned from the NPA. The competitor who placed fourth has
been informed, and will now be acknowledged as in third place. He will also
be receiving the third place trophy, which is to be returned to the NPA.
When I spoke with Lee Riva, he expressed great regret at his actions. But
you reap what you sow, and the bottom line is he shouldn’t have even joined
the NPA in the first place. Unfortunately there are, no doubt, a lot of
people out there who have ‘dabbled’ with bodybuilding related drugs, and
have regretted it, for whatever reason.
However, if you have done so, whether it be weeks or years ago, then you
simply cannot class yourself as a True Natural for Life bodybuilder, and
subsequently you cannot compete with the NPA! Be honest with yourself, have
a sense of integrity, and do not try to cheat, even if you are sure you will
pass a drug test.
I know that between the work done by Lee Kemp, UK Sports, and myself, that
we do our very best to keep the sport clean, but we can’t do it all. Both
Lee and myself have acted on numerous occasions on information given – this
was one of them, and it has indeed ‘outed’ a cheat. There are a number of
people who will not be allowed NPA membership on information given, and both
Lee and myself will no doubt deal with more cases relating to the unpleasant
side of the sport.
For Lee Riva himself, he has to live with his actions – it is a shame he
chose to compete with the NPA in the first place, and now he has to deal
with the shame this is going to bring him.
To all NPA members and supporters, I thank you for your support, and rest
assured that the NPA will do its very best to keep this great sport clean.
Michael Phillips
Secretary
Natural Physique Association
August 12th 2007
