PORT-AU-PRINCE — Four months after almost losing his life in a gang attack, a Haitian bodybuilder won a competition in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic last week. Ganthier Samuel Jean Petrus was the only Haitian in the Men’s Physique Hasta 174 cm of the DR’s National Championship of Rookies held May 8.
“I take pride in representing my country as a Haitian athlete every time I get the opportunity to wave the flag,” Petrus, 29, told The Haitian Times. “I started preparing for this competition on Jan. 15 and it got fruitful this month of May.”
Petrus is lucky to be alive to compete. Back in December 2021, he was riding on a bus when gangsters fired gunshots into the vehicle. The shooting left four people dead and many others injured, according to Alterpresse.
Last week’s event was Petrus’ second time at the rookies championship in the DR. He bested Dominicans Yimi Alexis Lendaeta Cobis, Kenny David Frias Carcias, Jhonjairo Luis Valoy, Elian Feliz Perez and Esmerlin Ricardo Castillo Betan.
Petrus plans to compete in two more bodybuilding competitions this year, also in the Dominican Republic.