By Andrew Coakley

FN Acting News Editor

For Robert "Big Rob" Harris, The Bahamas has been good to him.

Not only has it given him a beautiful wife, a beautiful family, it has given him a chance to hold a bodybuilding title, which in the past, would have been an impossible dream.

Harris, won the Mr. Bahamas Bodybuilding title two weekends ago in Nassau, after he dominated the male division of the National Bodybuilding Championships.

It was a dream come to life. A dream that he had deep in the recesses of his mind while he lived in America, but one he felt would never come true.

That's until he came here to The Bahamas.

"You know, when you live in the United States, everything seems to be on such a big scale that sometimes some dreams seem impossible," said Harris, in an interview with The Freeport News.

"That's why I always say that this is the greatest country in the world, because a person can come here and accomplish his dream."

Anyone who knows "Big Rob" knows the passion he has for bodybuilding, and the fact that he captured the highest title locally, with the potential to compete for an even bigger title, has Harris bouncing off the walls with excitement.

Before coming to The Bahamas Harris was a gym rat and a personal trainer.

Although he would work out and train on a regular basis, the idea of competing on stage may have passed through his mind once or twice, but he never saw it as a possibility.

In fact, Rob ended up getting on stage based on a dare.

"It was Petra Brice who told me that I could never compete," said Rob.

"She looked at me and said 'you're fat, gat hips like a woman and you can never be a champion.' I told them I'll show them by competing. I dropped 65 pounds for my first show.

"After that show, she looked at me and said 'you look good.' That's how I really got up on the stage in the first place. Ever since then, I've been bitten by the bodybuilding bug and I enjoy it.

"This is like crack, once you do your first show, you're hooked...but in a good way."

He admits that he was nervous at his first show, but said that it was the encouragement of the crowd that really spurred him on and helped him get through his routine and through that entire first show.

It has taken Rob five years to accomplish the goal of winning the top title in the country. In fact, it's fair to say that this year has been "Big Rob's year."

He came out more ripped, with more denser muscle than he had in a long time and easily won the Northern Bahamas Bodybuilding championships.

It was an indication that he had what it took to go to Nassau and win.

However, Rob said he was not over confident in preparing for the Nationals. He said he just wanted to stick to his plan and stay focused.

"I just knew that I was in my best shape ever. You never know what's going to happen in a show, so the main thing is to stay focused on your goal and to try and remember your routine," said Rob.

"That's hard to do when you go to a show and see guys who may be bigger than you. But you have to be confident in what you did all season and what you did leading up to the competition."

Even after winning his division Rob said he was not rejoicing at that time because he knew he still had the pose down for the overall title to battle on stage.

Rob had to go against all of the winners from each division in the final pose down.

Harris battled his way to the top post, giving him the Mr. Bahamas title.

"I didn't get excited about it until I heard my name called as the champion," said Harris. "After that was when I started celebrating."

Asked how it feels having won the title, Rob said the feeling was hard to describe. Besides, he said that he was too focused on preparing for the CAC, that his victory has not really sunk in yet.

The Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Bodybuilding championships is Rob's next goal. Unlike the Nationals, the CAC attracts top rated bodybuilders, figure and fitness athletes from around the Caribbean and Central American regions, all seeking that highly prized Pro card.

Rob has been to the CAC before and has a fair idea of what to expect.

In the past, he's gone on the team as an alternate, but this year, Rob will be among those leading the team to the CAC in EL Salvador.

For "Big Rob" that in itself says a lot.

"It's an honour for me to be able to represent The Bahamas at the CAC, because this country has been good to me and this will be my way of giving back," said Rob.

Rob says he's thankful to so many people for being his support system through the years he's been competing.

"I want to thank God, first of all, my lovely, supportive wife, without whom none of this would have happened," said Harris.

"I want to thank all of the people I work out with, those who've encouraged me and I must thank all of my clients, some of whom even flew to Nassau to watch me compete.

There are so many people who have helped me to come this far, that I may not even remember them all.

"But I want to thank everyone who has been there for me, whether financially, by assisting me in the gym or with words of encouragement."

Whether he wins at the CAC this year or not, "Big Rob" already has plans of going Pro next year.

He says that he already has four shows lined up for next year and he's confident that one of them will be the CAC again, which will be his shot for the Pro card.