Ross Caesar is preparing for his date with history.

The professional bodybuilder is set to become the first local athlete to compete at the prestigious International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness Pro League Masters Olympia to be held in Cluj, Romania, on August 26 and 27.

“While I’m not the first Barbadian to achieve this goal, I would be the first Bermudian-based bodybuilder to do so,” Caesar told The Royal Gazette.“I am extremely proud to be the first. But I am sure there are many more gifted hard-working athletes that will follow.”

The six-times “Mr Bermuda” will be looking to impress the judges competing on stage against some of the world’s elite at the championships.

“The Masters Olympia boasts some of the highest calibre professional athletes across ten different divisions,” Caesar added. “I’ll be competing in classic physique which has a selection of some of the best Masters worldwide, many of whom are legendary.

“After three decades of competition, being selected to compete in the 2023 IFBB Pro League Masters Olympia is quite an honour.

“Given that there has not been a Masters Olympia in eleven years, this opportunity is particularly unique.”

Caesar is confident of achieving the goals he has set himself for his debut appearance at the event.

“I have a number of goals for this competition. I want to develop an improved and competitive physique and work on my weak points,” he said.

“It’s also important for me to enjoy the day-to-day grind, the journey.

“Any competition comes and goes, so I want to enjoy each day that it takes to get me there.

“I am confident I can bring a top-class competitive physique in the time that I have. If all goes well, and I don’t get injured, the path that I’m on will take me where I need to be.”

Given the enormous task he faces, Caesar has sought the help of others to give him an “extra push“ in the gym in preparation for his historic appearance at the championships.

“I have always trained alone for competitions, but for a competition of this magnitude I knew I’d need help,” he added.

“I am fortunate to have my friend Garwin Philips training with me to give me an extra push. It’s made a huge difference.

“I also have Carmichael Bryan who will help me with posing and final detailing closer to the competition. But my real boss is my daughter, Honor Caesar, who keeps me in check daily.”

Caesar earned his IFBF professional card in 2019 after winning the men’s classic Physique A class at the Joe Weider’s Olympic Amateur South America in Medellin, Colombia.

The experienced bodybuilder made his professional debut the same year competing at the IFBF Pro League in Niagara Falls, Canada, where he placed twelfth in the men’s classic physique division and since then has also competed in the United States, Spain and Romania.

Caesar enjoyed his first taste of success competing at the Romania Pro Masters, where he achieved his best placing to date after finishing runner up in his division to secure his first trophy and paycheque as a professional.

While he is both delighted and honoured to compete among the professional ranks, the athlete admits the transition to this level has been daunting.

“The transition from an amateur competitor to the professional ranks was like the difference between swimming in a pool versus swimming in the deep ocean,” he said.

“Greater attention to detail is required as well as a consistent desire for self-improvement both physically and mentally. You must enter each competition with an open mind as most competitions stack some of best high-calibre and gifted athletes.”

Caesar hopes to be victorious one day at this level and inspire others through his own journey in the sport.

“Ultimately, I’d like to consistently improve and maybe place in the top of a pro competition,” he added.

“I hope my journey can somehow inspire at least a few people to never give up on their dreams. To always give themselves a chance in whatever endeavours inspire them; whether it’s sports or anything else that’s positive.”

Competing in the sport was perhaps the furthest thing from Caesar’s mind having started out playing football.

“I first joined the gym many years ago in Barbados to help recover from a soccer injury,” he explained. “I gradually became more interested in changing the composition of my body through resistance training and eventually entered my first competition thirty years ago.”

The athlete doesn’t have to look far for inspiration as he strives towards his goals.

“My children are truly my greatest blessing and are extremely inspirational to me,” Caesar said. “They all love working out and make sure I keep myself in check as well.”