User:Pmcdaniel81/sandbox

James-Michael Lavigne

Personal information
Born	(1963-07-16) July 16, 1963 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Alma mater	Vanier College Concordia University
Occupations	Bodybuilder (1990–1998) Strength Trainer Olympic Coach Model
Medal record 1990 Vancouver Gay Games 1991 San Francisco The International Gay and Lesbian Body Building Championships - Individuals 1991 San Francisco The International Gay and Lesbian Body Building Championships - Pairs 1992 Dallas The North American Gay and Lesbian Bodybuilding Competition - Individials 1992 Dallas The North American Gay and Lesbian Bodybuilding Competition - Overall 1998 Amsterdam Bodybuilding Championships

James-Michael Lavigne (b. 16 July 1963) is a Canadian trainer, model, businessman, philanthropist, and former bodybuilder. He is a five-time gold medalist in international bodybuilding competition.

Lavigne is from southwestern Montréal, Québec, Canada. His athletic career began in 1979. Lavigne won 10 Quebec Provincial Track & Field medals between 1979 and 1982. In 1990, he competed in his first Gay Games in Vancouver, British Colombia where he was awarded the silver medal. In 1991, he was a double gold medalist at The International Gay and Lesbian Bodybuilding Championships in San Francisco, California. In 1992, he won two more gold medals in The North American Gay and Lesbian Bodybuilding Competition in Dallas, Texas. In 1998, he was the Gay Games gold medal Bodybuilding Champion in Amsterdam, Netherlands, making him the first Canadian in history to do so. He was the first non-American to win the title.

Lavigne is fluent in both French and English.

Today, Lavigne is an in-demand strength trainer for clients of ever walk of life as well as Olympic athletes from all around the globe.

Early life

Lavigne was born and raised in St. Henri in southwestern Montréal, Québec, Canada in July 16, 1963. He was born to a young couple in a lower class district of Montreal. It was not one of the easiest starts to life and indeed his childhood and adolescence would present him with great difficulty to overcome. In achieving his goal to be the best in his field, James-Michael has won not only a personal battle, he has also won a battle for countless young gay people everywhere in proving that nothing is impossible when you have faith in yourself. As a teenager, Lavigne found his bodybuilding inspiration in German bodybuilder Jusup Wilkosz. However, Lavigne found his greatest drive to pursue bodybuilding to be promoting physical fitness, health, nutrition, and sports in the gay and lesbian community as well as challenging and encouraging gay and lesbian athletes from around the world to take part in international gay and lesbian sporting events. With HIV, AIDS, alcohol addiction, drug addiction, depression, and suicide so rampant in the gay and lesbian community, he wanted to use sports as a means to build self-esteem especially among homosexual teenagers who are 25 times more likely to commit suicide over their heterosexual counterparts. His message was that even in a world thinks that the love between a man and a man or a woman and a woman is inadequate or lesser than the love between a man and woman, that anyone can be the very best that you can be.

Lavigne attended Verdun Protestant High School in Montreal where he became a decorated Track & Field athlete winning ten provincial medals. He also earned his degree from Concordia University in Montreal where he studied Community and Public Affairs.

Bodybuilding Career

Lavigne broke into the bodybuilding scene in the early nineties competing in the middle weight category of 165-176 lbs. In 1991, he won gold medals in the individual middle weight category as well as pairs with counterpart Tracy Nicole Lewis. In 1992, he won gold medals in middle weight for individual and overall. After a six year hiatus, Lavigne emerged back to the scene. This time competing in the welterweight category, Lavigne made history by becoming the first Canadian awarded the gold medal at the Gay Games Body Building Competition in Amsterdam. To this day, he remains the most decorated Canadian bodybuilder. On July 16, 2005, Lavigne officially announced his retirement from competitive bodybuilding.

Media Appearances

Lavigne appeared in several publications in Quebec including: the cover of Fugues, Quebec's biggest gay magazine, the cover of Etre, Quebec's second biggest gay magazine, Voir, Mirror, the cover of Frontiers Magazine, the cover of Allo Vedetes, Echo Vedetes, Le Lundi, 7 Jours, Eyes on, Go Big (Life & Style), Le Journal de Montreal, La Presse, Le Devoir, and front page of the Montreal Gazette.

He gained international exposure with interviews in magazines from France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

He was a featured interview on programs like Sortie Gaie and other Canadian broadcasts on CTV News National, CTV News Local Montreal, Radio Canada News, and CBC News local Montreal. Additionally, he has gained exposure in over 150 countries through his website and social media.

Professional Career

After finishing his studies at Concordia University's School of Community & Public Affairs in 1986, Lavigne joined the family business. His father owned a local, provincial, national, US and international courier service similar to Fedex, DHL or UPS. He spent four years working in the family business and then moved on to become Sales Manager for a subsidiary of KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines) and the Royal Dutch Post Office called Interpost. Interpost later became known as TNT Mailfast in the mid 1990's. He spent ten years in this role as the head of international mail and publication distribution services for the Province of Quebec and Eastern Canada. Lavigne was responsible for the generation of millions of dollars in sales for the companies where he worked; achieving the number one spot in sales performance nationwide eight out of nine years. He also assisted his brother, David, at Planète Courrier, one of the largest courier companies in Montreal.

Lavigne is one of the most sought after trainers in Quebec. Quebec's biggest TV, film and music stars, models, Olympic athletes, national champions, aspiring young athletes, police and military men and women, CEOs, professional business people, seniors between 70 and 90 years, and men and women recovering from drug and alcohol treatment centers. He has had the opportunity to work with celebrities such as actress Véronique Cloutier, comedian Patrick Huard, musician Éric Lapointe, and some American actors. He has trained athletes in an array of sports. Since 2016, he has been the strength trainer for Olympic Ice Dance Figure Skaters from Great Britain, Japan, Spain, and the United States.

Personal Life

In the pursuance of his goals, James-Michael has had two role models that he has continuously looked-up to in order to give him the strength to go on. The first is Martin Luther King Jr., because of his courage in repeatedly speaking-out for the equal rights of African Americans in the face of adversity. The second is Princess Diana because of her acts of compassion and genuine love. From these two, he says he learned the importance of speaking out against injustice.

Lavigne is a proud Godfather and uncle who is often called "m'oncle pique pique". In 2017, his niece Tracy-Anne Lavigne, was drafted by Les Canadiennes de Montreal in the Canadian Women's Hockey League.

With such a busy, high pressure life, Lavigne often finds relaxation by enjoying a good cigar and listening to R&B music.

Public Life

Lavigne has been a well known figure in the cigar smoking community. In 2017, Lavigne began to acquire a large following on Instagram under the name JMLGold.

Awards/Honors

Lavigne was elected President of the Student Council at Verdun Protestant High School 1979-80. He was an honour role student, and graduated with fifth highest academic standing despite bullying from peers.

Lavigne won 10 Quebec Provincial Track & Field medals in men’s 400m hurdles, 4x400m relay between 1979 and 1982. In 1990, he competed in his first Gay Games in Vancouver, British Colombia where he was awarded the silver medal. In 1991, he was a double gold medalist at The International Gay and Lesbian Bodybuilding Championships in San Francisco, California. In 1992, he won two more gold medals in The North American Gay and Lesbian Bodybuilding Competition in Dallas, Texas. In 1998, he was the Gay Game gold medal Bodybuilding Champion in Amsterdam, Netherlands, making him the first Canadian in history to do so. He was the first non-American to win the title.