I am sure at every federation the overall winner means something different. Some federations and shows don’t even have an overall winner. For me and Pure Elite it is very important.

To be picked as the Overall Winner first you must win a category, any category. All the winners then come on stage and line up at the back. I then pick from the line up. This decision is different than a category winner as every category has criteria that has to be met, all athletes are judged against that criteria.

The Overall Winner doesn’t have any criteria and this comes down to my choice as CEO and Owner of Pure Elite. Like anything in life you should take onboard other peoples opinions, which I do, I am not that arrogant. But in the end it is my decision. Who do I think is the Overall of the day.

With no specific criteria as such, there are a few things I look for. Remember you have got every winner on stage, so you have bodybuilders up against beach body winners.

First you have to have, dare I say it, the X Factor. The individual that stood out the most, shined on staged, owned that stage, perfect physique for the category they are in, the star of the day. Then I take into consideration that being an Overall Winner does make you an ambassador for Pure Elite. The Overall’s get used for marketing material, offered the chance to judge, offered photoshoots, promoted, video shoots. You name, they get offered it. They become the face of Pure Elite, the face of my company. I can not stress how important this is to me. It is the highest honour I can give. Making someone the face of a company that you own. I am literally saying here is my company and I want YOU to be the face of it.

I feel a massive sense of pride when I announce the Overall’s and I can only guess how they feel. In a packed venue as I walk over to congratulate them, there is this little shared moment. Its as if for that split second the crowds disappear and we share the experience. It is like I am handing over a part of my company and trusting them to look after it.

Might seem a bit dramatic, but that is how it feels. The moment is very special.

With Lauren Kenealy informing us that she has been told that she is not allowed to defend her title this year. We are guaranteed at the very least to have a new Female Overall Pro World Champion.

Last November at the World Championships I announced 1st, 2nd, and 3rd overall in the Pro division. I  will do this again. I have got huge plans for next year and this does fall into my plans. So who ever is crowned the Overall Winners, amateur or pro. Just remember that not only is that a huge deal, no massive deal. I am also trusting you with my company and 1000s of people will be looking up to you.

I am looking forward to seeing who will win this year and to see if Jakub Brtko will win his 3rd Overall title which would equal Lauren’s record.

See you all at the worlds!

Stewart Armstrong

CEO Pure Elite