Canadas Best Chances To Win The 2022 Olympia - Wellness
The second edition of the Wellness Olympia may be the most anticipated of all 11 pro contests taking place on the weekend of December 16th and 17th in Las Vegas, Nevada. This division is young, but it has a large international fanbase, and the number of athletes competing has grown significantly.
The defending champion is Francielle Mattos, but she faces serious competition this year in the form of Isabelle Nunes, Sunny Andrews, Angela Borges, and Yarishna Ayala. There is even a Canadian in this lineup that could make an impact. The full lineup is below, in the order of which they qualified, including that Canadian competitor, Kassandra Gillis.
- Casey DeLong (USA)
- Francielle Mattos (Brazil)
- Angela Borges (Brazil)
- Isabelle Nunes (Brazil)
- Giselle Machado (Brazil)
- Anna Mroczkowska (Poland)
- Yarishna Ayala (Puerto Rico)
- Sunny Andrews (USA)
- Juliana Mota Esteso (France)
- Kassandra Gillis (Canada)
- Barbara Cesar (USA)
- Julia Chitarra (Brazil)
- Marissa Andrews (USA)
- Devone Martin (USA)
- Daisha Johnson (USA)
- Kelly Purcell (USA)
- Hannah Son (South Korea)
- Rayane Fogal de Souza Santana (Brazil)
- Synara Santana (Brazil)
- Isamara Santos (Brazil)
- Catarina de Sousa (Portugal)
- Diana Laura Verduzco Carreno (Mexico)
- Devyn Cambre (USA)
- Bruna Seredich (USA)
- Michelle Ibata (Brazil)
- Mallory Myers (USA)
- Andreia Gadelha Da Silva (Brazil)
- Amanda Burnett (USA)
- Nadia Moreira Santos (Brazil)
- Lisa Meiswinkel (Germany)
- Jacqueline Huescas Rios (Mexico)
- Renee Harshey (USA)
- Mari Carvalho (Brazil)
- Joy A. Bey (USA)
- Maria Paulette Aranguren (Spain)
- Leonida Ciobu (Moldova)
- Jasmine Payne (USA)
- Nerilde Garcia Strey (Spain)
- Carina Marques (Switzerland)
Canada's Chances
Kassandra Gillis
Gillis was 11th at the 2021 Olympia, but she won the 2021 Toronto Pro to qualify for the 2022 contest. Since then, she’s competed three times in 2022. She started the year by placing sixth at the Wellness International in the Arnold Classic. She then scored two second-place finishes in the Pittsburgh Pro and New York Pro. Andrews won both of those contests.
As the lone Canadian in this lineup, Gillis can break into the top ten and maybe finish even higher if the judges like what they see. It may be another year or two before Gillis competes for the title, but she has shown that she has the potential to do so based on her 2022 success.
Keep checking back to Muscle Insider as we continue to preview each of the pro divisions leading up to the big weekend in Las Vegas. You can also order the pay-per-view at www.olympiaproductions.com so you can watch all the action as it unfolds at the 2022 Olympia weekend.