User:Relentless Determination/sandbox

Chris Lentino (born November 10, 1979) is an American amateur bodybuilder who has won multiple titles and awards in Bodybuilding and Powerlifting, most notably the title of Mr. New Jersey in 2011 by winning the NPC New Jersey State Bodybuilding Championships Light-Heavyweight Class and Overall winner.

Biography
Christopher Lentino was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 10, 1979 to Angelo and Marianne Lentino. While Lentino was still an infant, his mother moved from her South Phila. residence which she shared with his Father, back to her parent's home a few blocks away. Lentino shared this three-bedroom row home with his mother, Grandmother and Grandfather (Rose and Frank Cerminaro), Aunt (Roseanne Cerminaro), and Uncle (Frankie Cerminaro). It was at this residence that Lentino spent the majority of his early childhood, though he would regularly visit his father on the weekends. He attended Epiphany of Our Lord church, a South Phila private Catholic school, from Kindergarden to 4th grade. Lentino seemed to have a creative streek and a natural talent for drawing, a talent he shared with his Grandfather Frank and Uncle Frankie. Chris often drew his favorite characters from movies, nintendo video games, dinosaurs as well as original work. Chris often wrote and illustrated his own story books as well as creating the story and characters for his own video game which he eventually adapted into a functioning board game, "Fire Rock Mountain", which he often played with his Father on the weekends. In 1990, Lentino's mother married Jeff Gomez and relocated, with Christopher, to Jeff's hometown of Morristown/Morris Plains, New Jersey.

Lentino found middleschool challenging in North Jersey. Coming into 5th Grade as the proverbial "new kid" he was subjected to bullying through most of his adolescense. This combined with a stressfull homelife caused Lentino to become extremely introverted, often sitting at his school desk, face buried in folded arms and head hidden under a plain, black baseball cap, leaving just enough of a gap to see out of. At the end of his senior year, Lentino and his highschool peers voted for students who would fit different categories eg: most likely to succed, best dressed, etc. Lentino recieved top votes for two categories, "most artistic" and "most quiet". Lentino's peers stripped him of the former title leaving him with "most quiet", which he resented.

Lentino did not participate in any sports until his sophomore year of high school, when the cross country coach approached him after witnessing Lentino's gym class run the mile. Coach Barnicle noticed that Chris was the only one running and told him if he enjoyed running to join the Cross Country team. This was the first time that Lentino was asked to be included in something and accepted the invitation. At Lentino's very first day of Cross Country practice the skies opened up and poured. The other runners and Coach told Chris "we don't cancel practice in Cross Country." Chris started to learn how to push the limits of his body and to ignore external deteraments. Chris enjoyed three more years of running Cross Country and later, Track & Field. Chris was a slightly above average runner, hindered by persistant shin splints. During Lentino's senior year, at the last race of his high school running career, Chris ran vigorously with severe shin splints, leaving him unable to walk or bear weight on his legs for a week and unable to run for several months.

Competiton History

 * 2002 INBF Warrior Challenge - 2nd place Novice
 * 2003 INBF Warrior Challenge - 1st place Novice
 * 2003 USAPL Heavy Metal Classic - 1st place Junior
 * 2003 USAPL NJ State Powerlifting Championships - 1st place Junior
 * 2006 NPC Muscle Beach Bodybuilding Championships - 1st place Novice Light-Heavyweight, Novice Overall Winner, 1st place Open Light-Heavyweight
 * 2010 NPC NJ State Bodybuilding Championships - 3rd place Open Light-Heavyweight
 * 2010 Gold's Strongest Man - 1st place Heavyweight
 * 2011 NPC NJ State Bodybuilding Championships - 1st place Open Light-Heavyweight, Open Overall Winner