KNYSNA SPORT NEWS - The Garden Route's biggest bodybuilding competition has grown in stature, becoming a direct route to the biggest bodybuilding competition in the country for the first time ever.
The third annual Maxfitt Classic is set to be the most groundbreaking edition yet, as this year's instalment will be the first time that the competition is an official qualifier for the Arnold Classic Africa competition – South Africa's largest bodybuilding competition.
The announcement of the Maxfitt Classic came as a dream come true for organiser and founder Maxwell Kiewitz, who noted his dream was realised far sooner than expected.
"I cannot put into words how much this means to me," Kiewitz said. "In 2018 it was just a pipe dream to have this show as an Arnold qualifier. My initial goal was to achieve this in five years, so to have done it in three is mindblowing."
The first IFBB Maxfitt Classic was held in 2018 as the very first International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness (IFBB) competition in Knysna and the Garden Route as a whole. Speaking on his reasons for starting a competition of such prestige in Knysna, Kiewitz said he did it for local athletes more than anything else. "I wanted to start this and open up an opportunity for our locals to also get to the top platforms and not always have to travel so far to get there," Kiewitz said, adding, "Before the IFBB Maxfitt Classic, you would have to travel to places like Cape Town to get onto these platforms."
The competition grew significantly in its second year, and its success led to the groundbreaking news which Kiewitz received about this year's event. "I have always been quite a big fan of the IFBB, as this is where legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger were made famous," Kiewitz said. "Coincidentally now in its third year, the Maxfitt Classic show is now a qualifier for my role model's show, the Arnold Classic Africa."
About what this new status could mean for local bodybuilding in the years to come, Kiewitz was beyond excited. "This is the start of great things for Knysna and the Garden Route," he said. "With the show now also being an Arnold qualifier, we will now have people from all over South Africa coming to Knysna to watch and to compete."
This year's IFBB Maxfitt Classic is set to take place on 4 April at Knysna Primary School.
Founder and organiser of the Maxfitt Classic, Maxwell Kiewitz.
Participants in last year's Maxfitt Classic, Ken (left) and Slade Sparks flank founder and organiser Maxwell Kiewitz.
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