On Saturday, June 10, 2023, 12 IFBB Pro Wellness athletes will gather in San Diego, CA, to compete in the 2023 Musclecontest Southern California Pro. Athletes from the USA, Canada, Thailand, and Brazil will attempt to impress the judges to claim first place and qualify for the 2023 Wellness Olympia on the weekend of Nov. 2-5, 2023.
The full roster for the 2023 Musclecontest Southern California Pro is below, with names in alphabetical order. None of these athletes have qualified for the 2023 Olympia yet:
2023 Musclecontest Southern California Pro Roster — Wellness Division
- Carie Bradshaw (USA)
- Rayanne Collins (USA)
- Lili Dong (USA)
- Anne-Marie Gobeil (Canada)
- Joanna Jean (Canada)
- Lovely Lindo (USA)
- Cassandra Pennington (USA)
- Alexis R. Figueroa Quesada (USA)
- Kimberly Riley (USA)
- Nuannaree Sriwaralak (Thailand)
- Frida Paulsen Stern (USA)
- Simara Walter (Brazil)
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While the roster is loaded with contenders who could claim the title, below are three athletes who are likely to be in the mix at the top of the card:
Lili Dong
Dong has already competed in three shows in the 2023 season. She placed third in both the 2023 Pittsburgh Pro and the 2023 New York Pro, and was the runner-up at the 2023 Miami Beach Muscle Pro on Saturday, June 3, 2023.
Dong has yet to win a pro show in her three-year career, but the contest in San Diego might be the best opportunity she’s had. Her consistent string of podium finishes is likely to result in gold if she continues to refine her physique per judges’ feedback.
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Anne-Marie Gobeil
Gobeil turned professional at the Canadian Physique Alliance (CPA) 2022 Toronto Pro Qualifier event. She competed twice in 2022, including her runner-up finish at the Arizona Pro.
Gobeil finished fourth in the 2023 Toronto Pro Supershow on June 4, 2023. It’s quite a distance to travel to compete in San Diego, which may affect her final preparations for the show. If she handles those adjustments without issue, she should be in contention for the win.
Simara Walter
Walter is in her first full season as a pro. She competed in the Miami Beach Muscle Pro one week before this contest to a sixth-place ranking.
Walter was the overall Wellness winner at the 2022 NPC Worldwide Champions Cup Pro Qualifier event, which is how she moved up from the amateur ranks to the pro level. While it will be tough to break through against this roster, Walter certainly has what it takes.
Other Notes
The winner of this contest will be the 11th athlete to qualify for the Wellness Olympia. The previous ten are below, and the list includes defending champion Francielle Mattos.
- Francielle Mattos (Brazil)
- Isabelle Nunes (Brazil)
- Angela Borges (Brazil)
- Kassandra Gillis (Canada)
- Alexis Adams (USA)
- Renata Guaraciaba (Brazil)
- Amanda Burnett (USA)
- Giselle Machado (Brazil)
- Tefani Sam Razhi (USA)
- Sandra Colorado Acal (Spain)
Featured image: @simarawellness_ifbb_pro on Instagram
