My Hero♡ "Remembering Bob Kennedy" ♡

 

✿ Remembering Bob Kennedy... My hero and good friend who will be sorely missed by people all over the world but mostly by his family and the ones who were closest to him and the ones that had the fortunate opportunity to know him and love him. I met Bob 20 years ago and he gave me something very special upon meeting him. Something that change me and changed my life forever. He believed that I had something special and he wanted to capture that in my very first fitness photo shoot...

I first saw Bob Kennedy in person while in Venice Beach California for the Ms Olympia competition. I was there with my friends and gym owners to see my first in person Ms Olympia competition. The day before the Ms Olympia I went to the Golds Gym in Venice to workout and Bob happened to be there working out as well. I never knew this at the time but he had recently purchased some pictures of me from a photographer that I did a photo shoot with back home in Hawaii.  I noticed him looking at me quite a bit while I was working out and I was very flattered because the gym was swarming with so many in shape bodies so Bob taking notice of me was pretty special. But, of course I didn't let myself think it was positive looks and thought maybe he was silently tearing me apart. I didn't find out until later when I arrived back home to Hawaii that Bob had purchased some of my photo's from a photo shoot I had done with a local photographer. This photographer submitted the photo's to Bob at Muscle Magazine in hopes it might get me noticed and he might make some money as well. Well, it worked and Bob used a few of those pics introducing me to the world as an Island Fitness Beauty who's pictures had come across his desk and he wanted to share them with his all his readers. That was my first time being in a magazine let alone being in Bob Kennedy's Muscle Magazine.

Although I saw Bob in person while in California I had yet to meet him face to face. Soon after my picture was in Muscle Magazine Bob just happened to be coming to Hawaii to be an honored guest at a competition I was competing in on my Island. He was also going to be taking pictures for the promoter and for MMI. So this got every man and women sparked to compete that year just for the chance to be noticed by the famous man Mr.Bob Kennedy. I remember there were so many women who entered the fitness side of the competition that year. I was competing as a bodybuilder that year Bob came to be a guest and photographer for the competition.

Prejudging early Saturday morning Bob was there taking pictures of the prejudging of both the bodybuilders and fitness competitors. Then after all the women were to go to the beach in our swimsuits to take some photo's for Bob. Well, I will never forget that day as all hell broke loose as women were running all over the beach in high heels, furry, sparkly swimsuits, so much makeup and the screaming was something I will never forget. Many of the women came to compete from the other islands as well because of Bob being there. All the girls wanted to be noticed by Bob. He had women all surrounding him at the hotel beach. It was so bad you couldn't even see him because the women were surrounding him. I stood on the out skirts by the water in my plain red bikini and bare feet. I didn't have much make up on nor did I have sparkles on my bikini. My hair wasn't all done up all pretty as all the other girls either. I didn't feel bad about myself, in fact I just had done so well in the prejudging a few hours earlier it was certain I would take first place in my weight class so I was pretty happy. I was little tired and not really in to fighting all this girls to meet Bob or get him to notice me. I did feel if it was meant to be I would meet him later. I then walked away from it all. I left all the girls screaming, running around trying to out do each other and get their picture taken by Bob. 

Little did I know that Bob noticed me walking away and later told me he was puzzled by it. I went up to the hotel pool and laid out by the pool in the sun. My husband came out to the pool to see what happened and was a little upset at me for walking away. All the sudden Bob came to the pool with his family and sat down beside  my husband by pool side. They began to talk and they talked for awhile and then Bob got up and walked over to my chair and sat down with me. He asked me why I walked away at the beach earlier? He asked me if I thought I was too good or just shy? He told me he was intrigued by my actions and how I was so very different then the other girls vying for his attention. I replied, No I don't think I am too good and yes I am shy when it comes to that type of attention. I told him I felt if I was good enough then he would see it in me without me doing head stands, screaming and acting a fool. Bob laughed and said you're absolutely right and said he did notice me walking way and it made him notice me more. He did tell me that he wanted me to get rid of the shyness in me and fight for what was mine. I felt honored to be remembered by Bob as he see's so many amazingly, fit women everyday and he did remember me and took the time to come over and talk to me one on one that special, sunny Hawaiian day. He also invited me to do a one on one photo shoot the next morning with him. He told me to wear the pretty red bikini and wear my hair down and meet him at 5am at the pool. Oh... he also said for me to get some sleep after I win the competition that night. I did indeed win the show that year and I went right to my room to sleep while everyone went out to party and eat after the night show.

I woke up at 4am to prepare myself and to be on time to meet Bob by pool side at 5am. My husband came with me which was good because he held the sun shield while Bob took pictures. We went down to the beach and spent the next few hours talking pictures. My last few shots he had me get all wet in the ocean and that was a lot of fun and those were my favorite pictures to take. We then went and had breakfast all together and then headed to the local gym to take some more pictures of me working out. I felt so very proud bringing Bob Kennedy in to out little local gym with me.

Soon after our photo shoot when Bob went back home to Canada I received a package from him via federal express. It was the next issue of MMI and it had me as the centerfold in the swimsuit issue that year. The centerfold picture was one of the last pics we took at the photo shoot of me all wet laying in the ocean. I was always critical of myself, but this was a beautiful picture and one that was very special to me. Of course my husband who was so supportive wasn't too happy with me being the centerfold...Ha Ha  Well, too bad it's already published I said.. He grew to accept it and be happy about it because there were many more photo shoots and pictures in my future.

This was the start of my close friendship with Bob and one that I had always cherished and felt so luck to have. I was so thankful to him I send him a whole case of my family's pure Kona Coffee. He called me up to thank me for the coffee as he loved good coffee and thanked me for being so real and appreciative. He said not many take the time to show their appreciating in the way I did. This is where we became friends and had a pretty special connection. Bob keep close contact with me and he was old fashioned in the sense he would write personalized letters in the way communicating to give me a heads up on up coming shoots, events etc. I loved it as it was his own personal handwriting on MMI letter head. I said every single one of his letters to me. Then when the time got closer he would call to see if my body was ready for the shoot? I always loved when he would call me and felt very honored every time. He always gave me words of encouragement and was such an amazing friend over the years.

Years later, only a month after a photo shoot I had with Bob where he invited my husband and kids along with me my husband Kenny was murdered. Bob immediately called me to comfort me and find out what happened? We both felt so grateful we were able to be all together for a little vacation while shooting for MMI only a month prior. Bob loved Kenny my husband and was so very saddened by this tragedy. Bob was no stranger to tragedies and that too brought our friendship closer. The next issue of MMI Bob published a beautiful photo of Kenny with me at one of our first photo shoots. It was a tribute to him in remembering what a special man Kenny was.

Words cannot express the loss I now feel that Bob is not longer with us in this world. He touched and changed so many lives while here with all of us. I feel so very honored and fortunate to have known Bob and be in his life as a friend. He was an amazing man and I loved him dearly for what he did for me over the years. I will never forget him or our beautiful, fun times together. He lives on in my heart as well as so many others and mostly in his family hearts. My heart goes out to them right now as I am no stranger to loss and can feel that pain they feel. I hope the memory of this great man will carry them to a new, place of peace, hope and love in the coming years. Bob I will miss you and never forget you...I love you Bob♡