TINLEY PARK, Ill. — In 2015, Doré Robinson met her husband LaMark while attending the annual Lighthouse Run in Racine, Wisc. The meeting paired the sports medicine physician with a personal trainer, who would begin a process that would ultimately change her life.

The chance meeting set things in motion for Robinson that would lead to her losing more than 80 pounds, from 233 to 150 pounds, over six months by implementing a very strict diet, eating clean with portion control, doing meal prep and—exercising. It also would lead to the couple being married in 2017.

Finding Excellence

On October 3, 2020 Robinson travelled to Phoenix to participate along with more than 50 competitors in six categories. Her hard work paid off with a 1st place finish at the Pro Level in the category of Pro Women’s Bodybuilding. In addition to the 1st place award, she also placed in the top-six in: Pro Women’s Figure (3rd); Pro Women’s Athletic (4th); Pro Women’s Sports Model (3rd); Pro Women’s Evening Gown (4th); and Pro Women’s Fitness Angels (6th).

The Phoenix event, which was her 15th competitive show, required the same strict preparation and training regimen, however, it would have to be accomplished under somewhat atypical circumstances with a pandemic looming large all around. She says LaMark definitely made the process of fitting in her training much easier.

“It has been challenging, however I am lucky that we have our gym in the basement and my husband is able to watch our daughter while I am at work, so it has not interrupted my training,” say Robinson, who also has a black belt in Isshin-Ryu Karate. “I will admit that mentally it has been much more difficult to stay motivated given the stress of being a healthcare provider during this time.”

Robinson, who somehow finds the time every day to be a mother to her 2-year-old daughter, Sky, spouse to LaMark, and a full-time physician, says that staying focused on her training is always challenging.

“It is always difficult, however due to the pandemic, for several months my workload increased significantly as I took on additional responsibilities at work. Thankfully, my workload is now back to normal,” she says.

Finding Bodybuilding

Robinson says when she and LaMark attended the 2016 Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio, she discovered women’s physique, figure and bikini contests and it’s where she found her next goal.

After buying a posing suit off the rack at the Arnold Classic, she signed up for a contest two weeks later, where she did well competing in Women’s physique. She did several more shows over the next few months. After five to six shows she began to realize she wasn’t getting anywhere and, while she was improving each show, she was not achieving the success she had hoped for.

“I was almost ready to quit the sport when I heard of a natural, drug-tested league called the International Physique League or IPL. I first competed in an IPL show in July 2016 in Madison, Wisconsin, and won my pro card in two events, bodybuilding and athletic,” says Robinson.

Returning to Form

On January 18, 2020, LaMark’s 50th birthday, and just weeks before the pandemic would impact future sporting events and millions of lives, Doré decided to make her return to competition in the evening gown and sports model divisions at an event in Burbank, Calif. This would also be Sky’s first chance to see her mom compete.

“I found an amazing asymmetrical green dress with iridescent crystals and I competed for the first time as a professional in the Evening Gown event, winning second place,” says Robinson. “I also took third place in Pro Sports Model, where I used a discus as my theme.”

One More Time

Robinson says she is setting her sight on competing one more time in 2020. “I will be turning forty (in October) and I will enter the master’s divisions in bodybuilding, figure, athletic, and fitness angels, and I will be attempting to earn pro-cards as a master’s athlete,” she says. “After this, I will take a break for a few years as we would like to attempt to grow our family.”

According to Robinson, the family’s favorite pastime to do together is golf. “We have a special seat for the golf cart to strap Sky into and she comes with us, she enjoys being outside with mommy and daddy and watching us play, absorbing the game for when she is old enough to play herself.”

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