Almost two years after he was voted out of office, former Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez has re-emerged – as a bodybuilder.
Alvarez, 60, won the National Physique Committee’s South Florida “Over 60s” Master’s bodybuilding contest in November at Miami’s James L. Knight Center, The Miami Herald reported.
“When I saw him walk in, I said, ‘Wow, I know him,’” said event promoter Sergio Pacheco, who told the Herald he had no idea that the former mayor had entered the bodybuilding competition.
Alvarez was ousted in the first successful recall election in Miami-Dade’s history in March 2011, when more than 88 percent of residents casting ballots voted to remove him from office. Alvarez was criticized for pushing to use public money to build Marlins Park.
Carlos Gimenez was elected in June 2011 to replace Alvarez, and Gimenez went on to win a full four-year term in August 2012.
Alvarez, who is also a former Miami-Dade Police director, has rarely been seen in public since he left office, according to the Herald.
But he has been spending a lot of time at Equinox Gym Coral Gables, the newspaper reported. A spokeswoman confirmed that Alvarez works out there but would not disclose details about his regimen, the Herald added.
Alvarez could not be reached for comment, the Herald said.
Michael Sansevero, who took photos of the bodybuilding contest, said Alvarez paid over $75 for photos and video.
“I was kind of surprised when I saw him,” Sansevero said. “He must always have been in good shape, but he was in real good shape.”
Below: Another photo of Alvarez as a bodybuilder, courtesy of NorthAmericanBodies.com.
