“Determination, dedication and desire.”

That is Heath Warren’s mantra.

Spurred by those personal qualities, he has pushed himself toward a successful bodybuilding career.

Warren graduated from Oak Harbor High School in 1994 and wrestled for the Wildcats in the 103-pound class. Warren, 35 and 5-foot-2, now tips the scales at 190 pounds in the off season, but the extra weight isn’t from Snickers and Ho-Hos but from dedication to his craft.

During the competition season, he hones his body to meet the 143.25-pound limit of the bantam class.

Recently he won the his division in a bodybuilding competition in Las Vegas; next up is the national championships in South Beach, Fla., Nov. 18 and 19.

There he hopes to earn his pro card. A pro card qualifies competitors for all the professional shows and allows them to earn cash prizes if they finish in the top 10.

Warren said, “As an amateur, you get endorsements, but you do not get paid if you win at the show. If I win a professional show or place within the top five, I then get invited to do the Arnold Classic and the Mr. Olympia.”

He added, “My goal is to be the best at this sport at my height and weight. Eventually, I will have to compete with the big boys, but I will try to do it without going beyond what my body can handle.”

Ironically, Warren’s journey into bodybuilding started because of his poor behavior. He said, “During my senior year of high school, I was getting into a lot of trouble and could only spend time at school.”

His father, Doug Warren, said because of his son’s misdeeds, he left nothing but a bed and weight set in Heath’s room.

Doug Warren said those shaky times have long since vanished: “He has matured into a wonderful father and son. Couldn’t be more proud of him.”

Restricted to home and school and with little do after classes ended for the day, Heath Warren would hit the Oak Harbor High School weight room. There he met his best friend, Eric Perez, who was “pretty big and strong,” and the two began working out together.

He was also inspired by another classmate, Charlie Shannon, who told Warren he could never be a bodybuilder because Warren was smaller than him.

The critique turned into a prod for Warren: “I would personally like to thank him because it has given me motivation.”

Warren’s first competition was in 1996 and it “ended badly” and was “an eye-opening experience.”

Since then he has competed 11 times and won the 1999 bantam class at the Emerald Cup in the Seattle area. He competed in the USA championships for the first time in 2002 and finished in the top five, and then was third in the 2004 national championships, missing his pro card by one point.

As he approaches competitions, he works out four hours a day, six days a week. The regiment usually includes one-and-a-half hours of cardiovascular work, one-and-a-half hours of lifting and an hour of practicing his routine and posing.

Warren said, “In the off season, I don’t even look at a cardio machine. However, I do lift longer and heavier.”

He currently lives in Denver and holds two-full time jobs as a dialysis technician for American Renal Associates and a biomedical technician for Western Nephrology.

His wife of 11 years, Becci, is supportive, having competed herself, and understands “how hard it gets at times.”

He said, “She knows how to prepare my food when I am competing and knows what needs to be done to make sure I am ready on the day of the competition. My wife works with my trainer so I stay focused and dialed in for the show.”

The couple have a daughter, Emma. Warren said, “She is 5 years old, going on 30. She keeps us on our toes.”

Warren likes to talk to groups about reaching goals and hopes to have more opportunities to share his story and insights in the future. He said, “Anything is possible if you keep on trying to reach your dream.” (He can be reached at 303-915-7782.)

He said, “With today’s economy, people sometimes give up on their dreams. I would like to encourage them to keep trying.”