7NJ0103C0826 7NJ0103C0826 ZALLCALL 15 00:07:17 08/26/07 B

Flagler teachers
reject state
merit-pay money,
cite unfairness
PAGE 3C
Local
FINAL EDITION: NEWS FROM YOUR COMMUNITY AND YOUR STATE
SECTION C
SUNDAY
AUGUST 26, 2007
THE NEWS-JOURNAL

PUMPED FOR GLORY

Mark Lane

FOOTNOTE

Finding
fault with
no-fault
T
he medical expense and
personal injury part of
Florida’s no-fault auto
insurance law expires Oct.1.
And given the rate at which
Florida drivers plow into each
other on roadways, the effects
could be huge.
Because the issues sur-
rounding this debate combine
the arcane worlds of health-
care policy, automobile insur-
ance and tort reform, the argu-
ments are hard to grasp.
That’s why these issues de-
mand the awesome clarifying
power of Frequently Asked
Questions:
Q. Will I be required by the
state to carry auto insurance
after Oct. 1?
No. Yes. Maybe. Well, yes, but
the state won’t be able to
check up on you as closely as
it had. Actually, some very
smart people in Tallahassee
are figuring this out as you
are reading this.
Q. Is that what you mean by
‘‘the awesome clarifying pow-
er of Frequently Asked Ques-
tions’’?
Yes, indeedy.
Q. Why is the law expiring
like this, and why is every-
body acting like it’s a big
News-Journal photos/JUSTIN YURKANIN
surprise?
DANNY McDONALD, 32, of Ormond Beach poses during the 13th annual Debbie Kruck Classic bodybuilding and figure competition in Daytona Beach at
Back in 2004, the law was
given an expiration date to the Peabody Auditorium on Aug. 18. McDonald, who trained with Phoenix Gym, has won titles in the past, but an illness kept him from competing for
prod somebody into fixing it. seven years. Now, he is moving up a weight class to light heavyweight and vying to return to championship form. See below for his regimen.
But everybody got busy with
the work of government and
passing more important legis-
lation like designating an offi- Meet the Other Phoenix Gym Bodybuilders
4 bodybuilders muscle
cial state pie and requiring
American flags in every their way to competition
school classroom. Spring BONNIE TYLER BRANDON CHAVIS RUAH KOZAK By SETH ROBBINS were sullen
turned to summer and winter 25, Ormond Beach 22, Daytona Beach 27, Ormond Beach
turned to spring and then all STAFF WRITER and his face
the calendars started saying DAYTONA BEACH — A gold drooped. He
‘‘2007.’’ chain hangs around Manny looked wan,
Naturally, legislators were Sotirin’s neck, proclaiming a n d h e
shocked and embarrassed him Mr. Daytona. wasn’t even
that nothing happened. There Ever heard of him? competing.
was talk of appointing a com- Six years ago, at age 48, He owns
mission or blue-ribbon study Sotirin flexed his biceps, Phoenix the Phoenix
group, but nobody seemed up shredded his abs, and Gym on Sea-
stomped the competition at
Gym own- breeze Boule-
for it.
the Daytona Beach Muscle er Manny vard, where
Q. What does PIP stand for? Classic. He was awarded the Sotirin he was help-
Pay, insurers! Pay! title on a pendant. helped ing train four
‘‘It was my 15 seconds of contestants,
Q. And who wanted to end it? fame,’’ he said.
train four two men and
Insurers. Duh. Did he mean minutes? contes- two women.
‘‘No, in my case, it was tants. F o r
Q. What was the big problem, seconds.’’ months the
anyway? Isn’t paying for acci- But he has worn the four pushed one another
dent claims what auto insur- BACKGROUND: Tyler is a BACKGROUND: Chavis is a BACKGROUND: Kozak is a first- charm ever since. and scrutinized their phy-
ance is for? fitness trainer and has competed first-time competitor. time competitor. She lost 40 ‘‘I’m very proud of this,’’ siques. Each wanted abs
PIP has a problem with fraud. in a few competitions in the past. pounds for the show. he said, ‘‘Very proud.’’ like a cheese grater, a ‘‘tree’’
Phony-baloney claims of soft- Just two days before the of back muscles bulging in
tissue injuries attested to by Debbie Kruck Classic, an sharp relief, and perfect
dubious clinics and helpful GET PUMPED — ONLINE annual bodybuilding con-
chiropractors and all helped test held in the Peabody Au- SEE PUMPED, PAGE 5C
Go inside the Phoenix Gym to follow four local Hear the grunts, see the sweat and feel their ditorium last week, Sotirin
along by no-money-down per-
sonal-injury attorneys are weightlifters and the man who wants to make struggles with this video shot before and during pounded Red Bulls. His eyes seth.robbins@news-jrnl.com
common. them champs at: news-journalonline.com. last week’s competition.
More photos inside, PAGE 7C
Q. So will those guys be out
of business now?
Heavens, no. They’ll just sue
drivers in court more often. Timeline of Light-Heavyweight Bodybuilder Danny McDonald’s Weight and Diet Before Competition
That’s why both personal in-
jury attorneys and insurers A light heavyweight must be 198.4 pounds and under. Each of these meals was eaten seven times a day.
are OK with this. Everyone’s
happy except hospitals. 8 WEEKS AWAY 3 WEEKS AWAY 2 WEEKS AWAY 1 WEEK AWAY 3 DAYS AWAY 2 DAYS AWAY 1 DAY AWAY DAY OF SHOW
Q. Why are hospitals unhap- 226 lbs. 210 lbs. 205 lbs. 200 lbs. 201 lbs. N/A 196.3 lbs. 194 lbs.
py? 8 oz. chicken, 8 oz. chicken, Boiled chicken. 4 oz. chicken 4 oz. chicken Rice cakes No water
Because they got paid prompt- 8 oz. broccoli 8 oz. broccoli No salt, sugar. 2.5 oz. broccoli 2.5 oz. broccoli and peanut butter and no food
ly under the old system. Par- or potatoes or potatoes 7.5 oz. chicken or potatoes or potatoes No more water
ticularly emergency rooms, 5 oz. broccoli Can drink only
which are where a lot of legit or potatoes 1 gallon of water.
PIP-covered injuries get treat-
ed.
Q. But my auto insurance
will go down, right?
For now. Then the claims in-
dustry will learn to work the
new system and the costs will
Friends of slain man ON THE Evelyn Jackson, 53
rise anew. Plus, indigent care
expenses will cost taxpayers fight tears at memorial SPOT JOB: Retired from a computer
company
more. BORN IN: New York City
By HEATHER SCOFIELD Dyer, 22, and his girlfriend, NOW LIVES IN: Holly Hill
Q. This sounds bad. Can it be WHAT MAKES YOU SMILE? A
fixed? STAFF WRITER Skyler Meekins, 17, were
found slain early Tuesday in sunny day, friendly people and
Some Republicans in the FLAGLER BEACH — The crowd
grew silent as sounds of the Meekins’ grandparents’ home my dog, Buddy.
House are talking about filing
a quick and massive rewrite Guns N’ Roses rendition of near Flagler Beach, investiga- — Eleanor Knelly
of the law that will zip ‘‘Knocking on Heaven’s Door’’ tors say.
through the Legislature be- filled the room. The Flagler County Sheriff’s
fore legislators can read it. News-Journal/DAVID TUCKER
Shoulders shook with sobs Office has not charged anyone
Then, everybody will figure in each row of guests as photos in the pair’s death. They were
Kevin Dalton, best friend of Daniel Dyer — of the energetic young boy killed with a shotgun found in
out later what really hap- MUSICAL GENIUS: Before
pened. who was shot to death along with Dyer’s girl- growing into manhood played the Meekins home, family
Q. Is that what they call ‘‘a
friend — brings some laughter to the memo- on two television screens.
About 200 people filed into
members said. COMING dawn every day, 91-year-old
Carl Saliani plays as long and
Tallahassee special’’? rial service with tales of his friend’s driving.
The Rev. Harry Gilman, left, led Saturday’s
Craig-Flagler Palms Funeral
Sheriff’s officials have said
SEE SLAIN, PAGE 8C
MONDAY as loud as he likes on a
Steinway at Stetson
It’s not as special as all that. Home & Memorial Gardens in
service at Craig-Flagler Palms Funeral Home, Flagler Beach on Saturday to University.
mark.lane@news-jrnl.com Flagler Beach. say goodbye to Daniel A. Dyer. heather.scofield@news-jrnl.com
ï

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7NJ0503C0826 NEWS-JOURNALÀ 7NJ0503C0826 ZALLCALL 15 00:03:06 08/26/07 B

The Daytona Beach News-Journal CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1C R Sunday, August 26, 2007 5C

PUMPED: Tension, emotions run high

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1C
symmetry.
But the once-solid quartet had
frayed under the strain of di-
eting and exercise. They were
getting testy with each other,
and with Sotirin.
Bodybuilders, when training
for a competition, must starve
themselves until they are al-
most sick. The hunger plays
havoc with their moods.
‘‘You feel like death,’’ Sotirin
said.
Danny McDonald, Phoenix
Gym’s top contender, had
stopped taking everyone’s
phone calls that morning.
McDonald, 32, was the favorite
in the light heavyweight divi-
sion, and to take the overall
competition. From his cone-
shaped thighs popped muscles
you’ve never seen or heard of.
But a few days before, he threat-
ened to quit. Then he went si-
lent. The others, who sought his
counsel about what and when to
eat, now had no one to turn to.
Except Sotirin, whom they
could always find.
An Ormond Beach man
named Gino paced Sotirin’s of-
fice at Phoenix Gym. He was
panicked about his wife’s regi-
men. Gino’s wife, Ruah Kozak,
was competing for the first time.
She fretted about her tiny meals
— just a few ounces of chicken
and vegetables, with snacks of
sliced cucumbers — and when
she should start to take diuret-
ics, or water pills, to tighten the
skin around her muscles. If she
took them too soon, she might
appear too thin by competition
day.
‘‘That’s not bad,’’ Sotirin said,
to the couple. ‘‘You’re fine. You
can see the muscles around the
spine. Don’t worry about a
thing. I got you guys covered all
the way.’’
McDonald might have offered
more specifics.
But he had chosen to suffer
alone. His fellow competitors
grumbled.
‘‘He’s scared to lose,’’ Sotirin
said. ‘‘But he’s not going to
lose.’’
Then, the afternoon before the
competition, McDonald showed
up in a surprisingly good mood
for the weigh-in. All three com-
petitors were tanned, and the
act of painting each other with
Pro Tan, a skin darkener, had
relaxed them. All talk about
food, though, remained off lim-
its. By now, they weren’t eating
at all. Instead of drinking, they
dabbed water on their lips. Only
24 hours of this torture re-
mained.
In the stifling heat, Sotirin
ran around outside the Peabody
Auditorium like a kid on a
school trip. The competition
had started. This time, though,
he wasn’t fueled by caffeine. By
midafternoon, he hadn’t even
drunk his first Red Bull. In the
pump-up room, where contes-
tants lift weights just before
walking onstage, Sotirin dabbed
Muscle Juice, a shiny oil, on his
contestants. The scent of mint,
mixed with sweat, overpowered
the room.
‘‘It smells like competition,’’
one bodybuilder said.
Just before the start of the
show, Sotirin handed his win-
ning red trunks to McDonald.
McDonald didn’t wear them.
‘‘This man is perfectly bal-
anced,’’ Sotirin said of McDon-
PAID NOTICE
Request for Proposals from Licensed Residential Building
Contractors/Developers
MORE PHOTOS
Phoenix
See a photojournalist Gym owner
showcase of the
bodybuilders as they strive Manuel Soti-
for their titles: rin, center,
PAGE 7C shares the
victory of
Danny
ald. ‘‘Not one big arm, not one
small arm, they’re both perfect. McDonald,
I’m not saying he’s gonna win, center right,
but I got a good idea of what the
competition is.’’ who won the
To Sotirin, McDonald is a annual com-
thoroughbred and he is his jock-
petition
ey. McDonald views the rela-
tionship differently. To him overall. Con-
Sotirin is a gym owner and a test owner
confidante, but nobody trains
Debbie
McDonald. Kruck, left,
‘‘Manny is like a father to me.
But I did everything myself,’’ he celebrates in
said. the 13th an-
Throughout their training,
nual body-
Sotirin’s clients complained
that his tips weren’t always building
helpful. Some of his poses are competition
outdated, they said, and his diet
on Aug. 18.
advice can be vague. Sotirin be-
rated first-time competitor
Brandon Chavis for not using
more Pro Tan on his pale be- News-Journal photos/JUSTIN YURKANIN
hind. The advice came a bit late;
Chavis had just finished posing
before the judges.
Yet Sotirin, for all his quirks,
had been there. He’d done it. He
stood behind all of them when
hunger gnawed and another
sprint on the treadmill seemed Brandon
impossible. He told them to keep Chavis
moving, keep going. The wins
wins the
piled up for Phoenix Gym.
novice di-
‘‘We’re three for three,’’ he
said, about Kozak, Bonnie Tyl- vision for
er, and Chavis winning. ‘‘Dan- men’s
ny’s going to make it four.’’ body-
As McDonald took the stage, building.
Sotirin watched from the side-
lines like an expectant father.
‘‘Most muscular!’’ he yelled,
meaning flex everything you
got. ‘‘Cover up them holes! (i.e.,
hold your arms tight against
your sides.) That’s it Danny,
That’s it.’’
McDonald triumphed in his
class. Sotirin dashed out on
stage and kissed him. Bonnie Tyler reacts to winning Ruah Kozak is thrilled after
‘‘You shouldn’t have come the overall competition for the winning her division in wom-
out,’’ McDonald said, scolding women’s open figure division. en’s figure.
Sotirin. ‘‘The judges shook their
heads at me. Don’t do it again.’’ 0000648238
In the final stage, McDonald
trumped his rivals, posing past
them. His physique was the
sharpest of the bunch. The sym-
metry of his musculature even
impressed Deke Warner, a pro-
fessional bodybuilder.
‘‘His body fat had to be about 2
percent,’’ Warner said. ‘‘It takes
a lot of hard work to do that.’’
Contest owner Debbie Kruck
raised McDonald’s Herculean
arm in triumph.
Sotirin ducked beneath it for
the championship photo. He
couldn’t help himself.
Throngs of people pushed So-
tirin to the back of the stage as
they clamored to shake McDon-
ald’s hand. Sotirin was left hold-
ing McDonald’s ceremonial
battle axe — the top trophy
awarded in the Debbie Kruck
Classic.
‘‘This makes me want to com-
pete again next year,’’ Sotirin
said from the crowd. ‘‘To go
back in there.’’
‘‘What did you just say?’’ a
woman asked.
‘‘I want to compete again. I’ve
Charles Howell III
PGA TOUR PLAYER
73”
got it in my blood. I can do it.
You’re never too old.’’
The Mr. Daytona pendant GUARANTEED LOWEST
dangled beneath his shirt.
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