Oksana, Professional Queen of Fitness

Oksana Grishina is a Professional Fitness Athlete competing in the IFBB Pro Fitness events. Fitness is her art, and the stage is her canvas where she creates and performs amazing routines.

These routines demand perfect physical condition, strength, grace and beauty on stage, along with thousands of hours of hard work over many years.

Oksana is a former champion Russian Gymnast who came to USA some years ago to further her career if the sport of Professional Fitness. Tonight she reached the pinnacle of success in her sport by winning the Fitness International title at the Arnold Sports Festival.

The look of elation. You really should see this in large!

She was presented with her award by Arnold Schwarzenegger and interviewed by him where he asked how she reached this level of success. Oksana and her husband Boris have been friends of mine for the last 5 or 6 years, and I have watched her climbing up the ranks to reach regular top 3 finishes in the last 18 months.

Tonight was her dream come true, and the emotions flowed when she was announced the winner, taking home a cheque for US$25,000.

Do not call Oksana a bodybuilder of figure competitor, she is first of all an amazing athlete, and tonight I was thrilled and quite emotional watching her receive this fitness award.

For Steve Hughes in Wales, it was good news with his fellow countryman James Flex Lewis, aka as the Welsh Dragon - taking out the Men's Award as the champion in the up to 212lbs Class.

I have had the pleasure of recording the career of Lewis since he won the Jr Mr Universe crown as a teenager, 10 years ago. Flex Lewis also took home $25,000 tonight. The professional competition wraps up tomorrow night with more classes of Bodybuilding plus the Pro Strongman Final.