Nordine Zouareg is an Algeria

Algeria

Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...

n born fitness personality, coach and author who has won Mr. France, Mr. Europe, Mr. World and Mr. Universe in 1986. He currently resides in Arizona

Arizona

Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

 with his wife and their two children.

Early life

Nordine Zouareg was born in Algeria to Bedouin parents in the back of a French army truck. He was a sickly infant with a birth weigh of two pounds and constantly fell ill. In order to seek advanced medical care for their newborn, Zouareg’s parents took him to France where he was diagnosed with rickets.
Zouareg’s parents settled in France where he spent a major of part of his childhood in the suburbs of Paris with the 13 siblings that followed him. Poor health eclipsed a major part of Zouareg’s childhood, resulting in a weak constitution which made him an easy target for school bullies.

Introduction to bodybuilding

During his teens, he focused on becoming a gymnast. In his struggle to become a successful gymnast, Zouareg broke his wrists and moved into the world of professional body building. He claims that as his physical presence improved his resolve to become a body builder strengthened. In 1985 Zouareg won his first title of Mr. France.

Awards and Recognition

Zouareg was overall winner of the World Amateur Bodybuilding Association (WABBA) in 1986. Zouareg added the titles of Mr. France, Mr. Europe and Mr. Universe

Universe Championships

The Universe Championships are an annual bodybuilding event organised by the National Amateur Bodybuilders Association . It has a number of competitions: NABBA Amateur Mr. Universe, Miss Figure, and Miss Toned Figure....

 twice, once in 1986 and once in 1988 in Guadalupe. In 1987 Zouareg turned pro and joined the International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB)

International Federation of BodyBuilders

The International Federation of BodyBuilders is a competitive bodybuilding organization founded in 1946 by brothers Ben and Joe Weider and is the highest level of competitive bodybuilding in the world. Currently, the IFBB consists of seven different sub-divisions for different competitors ,...

. Shortly afterward, he took second place at the Italian Grand Prix in Rimini and 15th at the Night of Champions in New York, both in 1991.

The "Mind Over Body" Philosophy

In an effort to increase public awareness of what he calls a "mind over body" philosophy, Zouareg moved to the United States to reach a wider audience.

Present

In 2007, Zouareg's Mind Over Body was released by Springboard Publishing. The book details Zouareg’s life experience, the personal struggles and challenges he has overcome to succeed in life, and a detailed explanation of the positive influence of mind over body. Zouareg worked as fitness manager at the Miraval, Life in Balance Resort & Spa in Tucson, Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...

 from 1999 to 2004, where he created their fitness program, and now works independently

Independent contractor

An independent contractor is a natural person, business, or corporation that provides goods or services to another entity under terms specified in a contract or within a verbal agreement. Unlike an employee, an independent contractor does not work regularly for an employer but works as and when...

 as Miraval's professional fitness coach and has his own business as a motivational speaker

Motivational speaker

A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...

 toward fitness and health.

Book

• • Review (third from bottom) of Mind Over Body in Publisher's Weekly 4/16/2007, Vol. 254 Issue 16, p47-48.

Additional sources

• Arizona Star, by Bob Oro, January 8, 2009, "Nordine Zouareg's international experience with health and bodybuilding drew me in — Zouareg is a former Mr. Universe — but his understanding of lifestyle changes blew me away."
• Armchair Interviews, by Cerri Ellis, review of Mind Over Body: "...oddly enough I enjoyed the stretching exercises, even found them relaxing. The more strenuous exercises…well, I’m still working on those"

External links

• Nordine Zouareg Official Site
• Nordine Zouareg at Muscle Memory
• New England School of Whole Health Education, "Nordine Zouareg’s personal story is an inspirational one"
• Nourdine Zouareg at Selfgrowth.com
• Sante-et-Sport magazine, Number 250 cover "Nordine Zouareg", 240 cover Says "Champion of the world, Nordine Zouareg" on the cover