HELENA, Mont. — For months, competitors have been counting calories, pushing through early-morning workouts and fine-tuning their physiques for a few moments under the spotlight.
Now, for the first time, Helena will host a bodybuilding and physique competition of its own.
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The inaugural Helena Classic is set for Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Great Northern Hotel, with 23 competitors signed up to take the stage.
“Fitness is growing. Bodybuilding’s growing,” said Michael Hubner, owner of Adonis Strength and Fitness in Butte.
For Helena Classic founder Stephanie Jolley, however, creating the competition comes from a personal connection to the sport.
Jolley is a former competitor and personal trainer whose own journey into bodybuilding began after surviving cancer.
“When I first started, it was because I was a cancer survivor,” Jolley said.
What she found through bodybuilding eventually inspired her to create something for others.
“It was just something that lit me. It lit a fire inside me, and I just chased it after that, and everybody started supporting me and backing me up,” Jolley said.
Nine months ago, she began turning that passion into the Helena Classic. Jolley said organizing the event has since become a nearly around-the-clock commitment.
“It is 24/7. It’s become my other child,” she said. “I don’t think there’s actually any part of my day that doesn’t at this point involve Helena Classic.”
As a personal trainer, Jolley has worked with a wide range of people, including seniors, people with disabilities and people with autism. Her goal with the Helena Classic is to create another place where people can challenge themselves and recognize how far they have come.
“This became something of giving a stage or platform to other people so that other people can prove themselves or grow, start something new,” Jolley said.
One of those people is Harley Larson, who will make her competitive debut in the fit model division.
Larson began preparing in May and has spent roughly two hours a day training almost every day of the week.
“It’s a little intense,” Larson said. “You have a very strict food program. A gallon of water a day, 10,000 steps, you gotta get your cardio, get your lifts in.”
Larson said having a competition in Helena helped convince her to finally step onto the stage.
“Since it’s Helena’s first show, I decided why not it be my first show?” Larson said. “I kinda just wanted to prove to myself that I could do hard things and take the gym to the next level.”
She said Jolley has also helped her with posing as she prepares for competition day.
Despite the physical demands, Larson said much of the challenge has been internal.
“It’s honestly a huge mental game,” she said. “Just keep pushing through, have the discipline and motivation to show up every day and give it your all.”
That dedication extends to more experienced competitors as well.
Matthew Mohar has been bodybuilding for four years and has been lifting for much of his life. After previously competing in Missoula, he said he jumped at the opportunity to compete closer to home.
“The discipline. The discipline is what I enjoy,” Mohar said. “My entire life is all structured out.”
For Mohar, competition preparation can begin as early as 4 a.m. with morning cardio.
“It’s a lot of discipline. A lot of sacrifice. Hard work, routine, regiment, it takes everything from ya,” he said.
Jolley said those sacrifices are part of why she believes everyone who reaches the stage deserves recognition, regardless of their final placing.
“When you get up there, those people deserve a round of applause,” Jolley said. “Some people have lost a hundred pounds. Some of them are recovering addicts.”
The Helena Classic has also received support from outside the Capital City.
Hubner, whose Butte gym opened in 2025, connected with Jolley while the event was being organized. He is contributing $10,000 toward the competition, helping cover expenses including tanning and other fees. Six competitors from Butte are also expected to compete.
Hubner said the event is part of a larger growth in bodybuilding across Montana.
“It’s about time that we have a few more shows here,” Hubner said. “Montana itself is growing with bodybuilding. Gyms are popping up everywhere.”
The Helena Classic will feature bodybuilding and strongman competition. Jolley has also discussed potentially expanding future events to include powerlifting and a 5K.
A silent auction during the event will help support community partners, including Victory Alliance, Toys for Tots and Pink Ladies.
For Larson, though, Saturday will ultimately be about seeing five months of work come together under the lights.
“Obviously I want to win, but just to be up on that stage and feel confident and proud of myself will be the most rewarding,” Larson said.
The Helena Classic takes place Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Great Northern Hotel in downtown Helena. The national anthem and strongman competition are scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m., with finals scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
Organizers hope this year’s inaugural competition is the first of many, creating an opportunity for Montana athletes to compete closer to home while continuing to grow Helena’s health and fitness community.
