 The story behind this giant of a man is truly an amazing one.
Earl Maynard was the first Barbadian to win the Mr. Universe Bodybuilding title, and the only Bajan to win it three times. He has featured in seventeen Hollywood films, including blockbusters The Deep, starring Nick Nolte, and The Brawl, starring Jacki Chan.
He has been inducted into Fitness Halls of Fame around the world; was the first Black Mr. Britain; has written dozens of articles for the world's top fitness magazines; trained the legendary Mohammed Ali and the Kansas City Chief's American football team; and was also crowned Mr. World - to name just a few of his achievements.
It therefore would be quite normal to assume that Earl Maynard started training for his muscle-bound career at say, 3-years-old, right?
"Actually, it's quite a funny story," he says, smiling broadly and warmly from behind his brown thin-framed glasses. "I grew up in Carrington Village with my mother Waple and my brother Gilmore. At 17, I was 5' 11" and 120-pounds and probably the most skinny, sickly child you could ever imagine. I had been afflicted with bronchitis and pneumonia and my mother was always worrying about my health.
She tried to fatten me up on eggs and nuts and milk, and eventually insisted that my older brother take me to the gym with him. Needless to say, my brother did not appreciate this, and immediately tried to discourage me by placing a barbell with 120 pounds of weight on my shoulders. I tell you, I nearly went through the floor! Ha! I thought I was going to die!"
His laugh is infectious and intense.
"But that's where it all started," he notes. "I continued in the Zenith Gym in nearby Harts Gap - not to get muscles or to get into body-building contests - but just to get a little stronger and a little healthier so that I could lift those 120 pounds."
A few years later, both Earl and his brother entered the Junior Mr. Barbados contest - his brother came third and Earl won!
Earl Maynard went on to be recognized by a major body-building magazine called Health and Strength, winning many of their contests and gracing their cover seven times throughout his career.
"When I first sent in my photos to the magazine" he recounts, "the editor actually contacted me and suggested that I travel to England to compete for Mr. Universe. After convincing my mother I went, but contracted Chicken Pox while there and could not compete that year. But just a few years later he did enter and win again, and again, and again.
"I have always been very blessed," says Earl Maynard. "I've never had time for negative nonsense and I've been fortunate to meet a lot of good people along the way who have motivated me and looked out for me."
Today, Earl Maynard and local business partner Phil Harding have established Tropical Storm Productions. Earl is in the process of directing the island's first comedy film to be shot here, and there are three more scripts, which he has written himself, to be produced in 2005.
Article written in 2005 and compliments of "Ins and Outs of Barbados" Magazine
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