Apoh (centre) during his win at the Malaysia Borneo Tourism 2014 in Kuala Lumpur.
File photo of Apoh when he weighed 87kg.
Apoh poses with his trophies from the competition.
Apoh (right) placed second in the 5th Borneo Model Search last March.
Apoh (centre) with former personal trainer Andy Tie (right) and another gym mate Jeff at the gym.
Apoh working hard at the gym.
SIBU: Apoh Rozy Ezrie tipped the scale at 87kg in 2007, rendering him low in self-esteem.
It’s no longer so today.
At 69kg today, Apoh, 33, will compete in the Mister United Continents – a beauty pageant for men – next month in Manila, the Philippines. The competition begins on May 15.
Apoh and another entry from the peninsula are the only two Malaysians competing.
For Apoh, a local Melanau, the upcoming pageant is not his first.
His previous beauty pageant was the ‘Malaysia Borneo Tourism 2014’ in Kuala Lumpur, where he emerged winner.
“I came to know of the competition in a Facebook page. I was then undergoing a fat-shedding-off programme.
“With friends’ encouragement, I entered the competition as an underdog to take on 12 other guys, most of whom were old-stagers,” Apoh recalled.
He said he entered the competition for the fun of it.
“I didn’t expect myself to win, particularly when I was comparatively bigger in size than most of other contenders.
“In fact, during an audition in Kuching, a panel member advised me to lose weight.
“But I failed to lose weight because of a family vacation I took to Indonesia just a week before the competition.
“I was 74kg when I stepped into the arena, but I was adjudged to be among the top five, and eventually the ultimate winner.”
In March, the Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) employee entered for a similar competition staged as part of the 5th Borneo Model Search in Bintulu and was adjudged the first runner-up.
To Apoh, weight is no longer a fear-factor but height is.
Standing at five feet eight inches, he reckoned most contenders at the Manila showdown to be taller than him.
“Particularly those from Puerto Rico, Canada, and the United States.”
He said he would take the upcoming competition for fun and for exposure.
“If I should win, it’s a bonus,” he said.
Apoh said he would be joining a few more competitions, after which, he would help others in personal grooming, including losing weight.
“I wasn’t big during my school days. My body started to balloon when I was 19.
“I was in university then. My serious thought about losing weight to stay fit and healthy only came at the age of 27.
“Being a glutton, it has been tedious. I actually stopped going to the gym for about a month when I noticed there was no progress made.”
When he picked it up again, Apoh engaged a personal trainer who guided him for about two months until he could stand on his own.
After the competition in the Philippines, he will spend six months training to become a certified personal trainer.