When Sarnia jail employee Bernie Mockler goes to a bodybuilding show, he has support from both sides of the bars.

Co-workers root for him and so do the inmates.

“I come back in and all the inmates know I’ve won,” said Mockler, 62. “It’s neat to get congratulated by the people you work with.

“They’re good. They respect it. They respect physicality. They ask me for training advice. They ask me for diet advice. It’s something positive to focus on with them.”

Mockler is scheduled to compete Saturday at the Canadian Physique Alliance’s Toronto international pro qualifier. If he does well, he’ll be eligible for the National Physique Committee’s 2026 North American championships.

He recently won gold at the 2025 North American championships in Pittsburgh. He also won gold in 2023 and silver

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