Fitness athlete Avernell Modest is still basking in her third-place finish in the Bikini Class of the Inter-Island Bodybuilding Fitness and Physique Championships held at the Maho Casino Royale in St Maarten on July 3.

The stunning Trinidadian-born fitness athlete, who competed under the Jamaican flag, was a mere six points behind Antigua’s Kimberly Percival, who won the Bikini category at the World Championships in 2021, and three behind Romancia Geanna Jules, who is also from Antigua.

Still, she was quite pleased with the outcome, especially since she was unable to compete for much of the pandemic.

“It was a great feeling getting my feet back up on stage after a two-and-a-half-year hiatus,” she said on Instagram. “I owe it all to my coach (Dr Jean-Luc De Ganot) to whom I cannot find enough words to express my gratitude. It was amazing sharing the stage with my Caribbean sisters.

Modest, who her pro card in Aruba in 2018, also benefitted from some sage advice from the panel of judges assembled from Puerto Rico, Aruba, French St. Martin, Dutch St. Maarten, Spain, Santo Domingo and Antigua.

“They said I had great presentation. It’s just to refine my posing, in terms of my side pose,” explained. “It’s a bit different from now than how it was when I last competed two years ago.”

Ana Thomas of Puerto Rico won the Wellness category over Beatriz Vasquez of Mexico and Karen Lewis of Haiti.

Meanwhile, Lenroy Morrison of Jamaica won the Men’s Physique ahead of Kenroy Christian of Antigua and Barbuda and Anthony Kempton Nurse, who is also from Antigua and Barbuda.

Pavel Koukal of the Czech Republic won the Bodybuilding category with Soepe Koese of Suriname finishing the runner-up. Spely Junior Laventure of Haiti was third.