Cordi bodybuilding icon Ayochok, 56

CORDILLERA bodybuilding icon Sammy Ayochok succumbed to cardiac arrest July 16, leaving not only the region in mourning but also the country where he has brought honors during his heyday muscle carver.

News reverberated the social networking site Facebook following his death in China where he works as a Senior Club Operations Consultant in Megafit China, one of the most distinguished fitness and leisure brands in that country.

Prior to his work stint in China, Ayochok earned distinctions in several bodybuilding competitions.

The 56-year-old body carver first won fame way back in 1975 when he won the gold medal in the National Body Building Championships junior division then followed it up with back to back gold medals in 1976 and 1977 in the same competitions.

And in 1986, posing in front of the Baguio crowd, he once again won the gold medal in the ASEAN Body Building Championship and was again victorious in the international circuit by bagging gold medals during the Asian Body Building Championships twice in Taiwan and in Malacca Malaysia.

During the 1987 Jakarta, Indonesian SEAG, Ayochok then bagged again another gold medal for the country before winning another gold medal in the Asian Body Building Championship in Singapore.

His golden streak then ended with a third runner up finish in the World Body Building Championships in Madrid, Spain in 1987 but went on to win another gold medal in the Asian Pro Body Building Championships in Hong Kong way back in 1994.

He then had two third runner-up finishes in the 1994 Mr. Universe in Shanghai, China and during the 2001 edition in Macon, France and a bronze medal finish in the 1997 Mr. World Championships in Athens, Greece.

Aside from his achievement in body building, Ayochok also worked for several body building outfits in Hong Kong as a Senior Fitness consultant at the Kenneth Ko Designs limited, Health Club Manager in Kowloon Club, Senior Fitness and Project Consultant at The Raffles Club, Sports Fitness and Recreations Manager at Hongkong Parkview Club and a Fitness Director at the Asia Fitness and Rehabilitation Center along Brookside.

Ayochok graduated in the University of Baguio after his primary and intermediate education in Bontoc and also took health and fitness specialist course (3 months) in organized by Hongkong Physical Fitness Association and Gym Tech Asia LTD.