Shanique Grant To Return To Competitive Bodybuilding as Wellness Athlete

Presser

1 day ago

Two-time Women’s Physique Olympia champion Shanique Grant intends to return to competitive bodybuilding to compete in the Wellness division.

Wellness debut 2025.

—Shanique Grant

Grant made her intentions to end her retirement from the stage known in an Instagram post on Jan. 6, 2025, which can be seen below:

Before her retirement on Dec. 31, 2020, the then-25-year-old Grant completed her seventh pro season and won the Women’s Physique Olympia in 2018 and 2019. She placed second to Sarah Villegas at the 2020 Women’s Physique Olympia, which was Grant’s final contest.

The Wellness division was in its early stages and had not been held at the Olympia during Grant’s career. It was introduced to the Olympia in 2021 and has become one of the most popular divisions in bodybuilding.

Wellness is quite the contrast from Women’s Physique. There is a greater need for superb conditioning, definition, and complete symmetry for Women’s Physique. Wellness competitors must still be lean but have more size and development in the legs and glutes to succeed.

Grant is the second former Olympia champion to announce a change in divisions. Three-time Fitness Olympia winner Missy Truscott announced her plans to compete in Figure for the 2025 season a few days before Grant’s announcement.

Grant is in a similar situation to Truscott regarding Olympia qualification. Grant has lifetime eligibility to enter the Olympia in her original division but must qualify by winning a pro show to enter the 2025 Olympia in another category. The only other path to the Olympia stage is a special invite from the Olympia promoters.

Grant has not shared which pro show she intends to compete in for her return. The first Wellness show of the 2025 season is the 2025 Wellness International at the Arnold Classic in Columbus, OH, from Feb. 28 through March 1, 2025. Grant is not on the roster for that show, which is invitational only.

The next show after that is the 2025 Sampson Showdown Pro, which will be held on March 29, 2025, in Las Vegas, NV. According to her Instagram bio, Grant resides in Las Vegas.

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