Hector Ruiz Romo got his kicks in a lot of different ways through the years — literally, as the 23-year-old from Alta Loma, CA began training in martial arts at four years of age, achieving red and black belts in taekwondo by the tender age of nine. He also competed in Muay Thai, Jiu Jitsu and the Israeli Forces close combat Krav Maga.
Along the way Romo wrestled in high school, and added boxing to his list of extracurricular activities. These days he’s knocking out opponents as an NPC men’s physique competitor. The 6’3″, 225-pound Romo decided to put on the board shorts in June of last year, finishing second in the tall 4 class in his debut at the West Coast Classic, 1 before moving on to garner a ninth-place slot at the USA Championships a month later. ‘‘I decided I not only wanted to take my physique to the next level,” he says, “but I also wanted to showcase the hard work I’d put in both in and out of the gym.”
Romo, a full-time student at the University of La Verne (CA), is a personal trainer who hopes to wind up with a pro card before the 2012 season is out. He’d get a real kick out of that, eh?