Bodybuilder 'The Beast' laid to rest

Veteran national bodybuilder Lawrence “The Beast” Marshall was laid to rest on Friday.

He was remembered by members of his family and the local bodybuilding fraternity as a “father figure,”“confidant” and “true friend”.

The ex-national athlete, 58, died of renal failure on Saturday after being admitted to hospital the day before. Marshall had had previous kidney problems.

His brothers Lindsay and Lyndon delivered his eulogy and revealed how the legendary bodybuilder got his famed nickname.

“He was called ‘The Beast’ not because he was a beast, but because when he set out to do something, he goes at it hard and all the way. With that mentality, he earned the title of ‘The Beast,’” said Lindsay.

Marshall was the second bodybuilder from TT to turn professional and was a prominent name in the sport in the 1990s and early 2000s.

His dominance of the local circuit saw him compete at the Central American and Caribbean Games. He also competed at the iconic international Olympia, where he placed a creditable 15th.

Marshall remained active on the local circuit, nurturing the next generation and keeping the sport alive.

He was also an International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness professional trainer at the Bar by the Beast at Grand Bazaar, Valsayn and D’Dial Fitness Club, at Long Circular Mall, St James and Arima.

Lindsay added, “His first sporting love was karate. He also tried his hand as a DJ and played in house parties in the community.

"You could call uponhim any time and he would be there, especially in your time of need.

“He found love in the last four years of his life through his daughter, whom he loved dearly. She gave him reason to fight and live on. His fight is over now.”

During Lyndon’s short address, he was almost inconsolable.

Owing to covid19 restrictions, the funeral was streamed online. A few members of the bodybuilding fraternity were allowed to say a short final word to their late trainer.

His former student and training partner Zelus Williams said, “He was a father figure and my confidant and I worked with him since I was a teenager. He had me like a son. I never travelled to compete without Lawrence.

"On January 1, 2021, I was glad to tell him how much I appreciate and love him. We will continue his legacy.”

Another training partner, Khalil Ransubhag, hailed Marshall as his inspiration, motivator and a teacher of life lessons through bodybuilding.

“All he did was focus on positivity. He did it through fitness and exercise. He didn’t train you for competition or for the body you wanted, he trained us to take on life.

“Lawrence figured out, a long time ago, that to help people understand the mastery of the body and physical mind, he figured this was a way of teaching them to live. A life trainer, he was.”

Fitness trainer Dexter Simon and several other people who worked alongside Marshall were unable to deliver their planned personal addresses to fellow mourners because of the limited amount of time for the funeral.