Local man wins Mr. Troy title for second year

Published 11:00 pm Thursday, August 22, 2013

Mitchell Sneed participates in a bodybuilding event at Troy University Saturday.

Mitchell Sneed participates in a bodybuilding event at Troy University Saturday.

Mitchell Sneed of Troy successfully defended the title of Mr. Troy at the North American Natural Bodybuilding Federation Trojan Classic at Troy University Saturday.

Sneed also won the Open Physique Competition and received his Pro card.

“I can no longer compete as an amateur but that’s all right with me,” Sneed said. “I’m looking forward to competing on the professional level. It will be challenging.”

Sign up for our daily email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

Sneed said he went into the Trojan Classic with the goal of defending the Mr. Troy title but not really knowing what to expect from the physique competition.

“I really wanted to win the Mr. Troy title again because only male body builders from Troy are eligible for that title,” he said. “It means a lot to me.”

Sneed said his decision to enter the physique competition was a good decision.

At last year’s Trojan Classic, in addition to the Mr. Troy title, he also placed second in the novice men’s classification and fourth in the open men’s tall classification.

In preparing for this year’s Trojan Classic, Sneed took a second look at where he wanted to compete.

“Looking at my body and the way it’s shaped, I knew that my body doesn’t hold a lot of mass,” Sneed said. “For bodybuilding competitions, you need a lot of body mass. Physique deals with symmetry. My build is more athletic so physique competition seemed to fit me perfectly.”

Sneed, who trains at Walt’s 24-hour Fitness Center, decided to enter the Open Physique competition and walked away a winner.

Dana Bryant, Walt’s Fitness Center, said everyone at Walt’s gym is proud of Sneed for winning the title of Mr. Troy two years in a row.

“We’re also proud of him for adding Pro status to his list of accomplishments,” she said.

On Sunday, Sneed added yet another accomplishment to his list, that of Male Model of the Year in the Allure of Style VII and Couture Perfection at the Embassy Suites in Montgomery.

“I’d never thought about entering a modeling competition until a friend mentioned it to me,” Sneed said. “I thought it sounded like fun and I decided to give it a try and see what happened.”

The models were judged on swimwear and in fashions by some of the “up and coming” designers in the region.

Sneed said he had no idea what was happening when he was told to report backstage.

“When I got there, they told me I had won Male Model of the Year,” he said. “I was surprised and honored.”

Sneed said he hopes that something beneficial will come from his accomplishments.

“I could get some modeling opportunities from the Allure,” he said. “One thing that I have learned is that exposure will get you places.”

How far he will go in Pro competitions and what opportunities await him as a model is yet to be seen. But so far, Sneed said he’s had a great ride.