In a sport that relies so much on strength, there is no time for weakness.

John Ligsay Jr. is proof of that.

Despite the death of his father two weeks ago, Ligsay Jr. has been training every day — twice a day — in preparation for the Hawaiian Islands Bodybuilding Championship Saturday.

"Mentally, I'm a little messed up," Ligsay Jr. said. "But physically, I know I can do this. I don't know how to explain it, but it's like my dad is keeping me going. I didn't even take one day off. It's like my dad is pushing me to win this."

Ligsay Jr., who resides in Wahiawa, will enter the open bantamweight division of the Hawaiian Islands contest. At 5 feet and 143 pounds, he will be one of the smallest bodybuilders in the competition; at 41, he will also be one of the oldest.

"That doesn't matter to me," Ligsay Jr. said. "A lot of people tell me I should enter the masters (for ages 35 and older) and win that, but I don't feel like I want to do that. I like going up against everybody in the open division."

Ligsay Jr.'s goal Saturday is to win the open bantamweight division as well as the overall title. He is returning to the Hawaiian Islands contest for the first time since 2000, when he won the open bantamweight championship. He has spent most of the past six years training for national events.

No bantamweight has ever won the overall Hawaiian Islands championship.

"That's my dream," he said. "I don't have a big chest or big arms — I don't have one body part stronger than the others. They call it (being) symmetrical, and I hope that helps me if I have to go up against the heavyweights."

If anything, Ligsay Jr. will have his father on his side.

John Ligsay Sr. died in a motorcycle accident June 9. Ligsay Jr. bought the Harley-Davidson Sportster as a birthday gift for his father only two days prior to the accident.

"My dad's been riding (motorcycles) almost all his life," Ligsay Jr. said. "So for him to crash when he was just cruising ... something is not right."

Ligsay Jr. described his father as his best friend, and said they would often repair cars and motorcycles together.

"I used to see him every day, that's how close we were," said Ligsay Jr., the second of Ligsay Sr.'s seven children. "It's like I still talk to him every day. When I need advice, I go to his house and wait for him to tell me what to do."

Ligsay Jr. said his father was in good health at the time of his death, so the family was not prepared. He said some of the clubs and organizations his father belonged to are helping to raise money.

The funeral is scheduled for Wednesday, and the timing is significant — although unplanned — to Ligsay Jr.

"As Catholics, we believe that after you bury somebody, three days later the body rises to heaven," he said. "It's weird it turned out that way, because that's the only day that was open for us to have the funeral. But three days after we bury my dad is the (Hawaiian Islands) show, so I know my dad is going to be with me that day."

A lot of other family members will be there as well.

"We have family coming from Maui and the Mainland for the funeral, and they're all going to stay for the show," Ligsay Jr. said. "It's dedicated to my dad, but it's a big thing to have my family there also."

Regardless of how Ligsay Jr. does Saturday, he is also scheduled to compete at the USA Bodybuilding & Figure Championships in Las Vegas, July 28 and 29. Last year, he finished runner-up in the bantamweight division at the USA Championships.

"The past few weeks have been a real stress, and stress is normally bad for your body," Ligsay Jr. said. "But I can't let it affect me. I have to keep going strong. That's what my dad wants."

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.