Manions = PoS's
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‘Get the f--- out of my gym’
Like Shelton, Drabant was a relative newcomer to the bodybuilding industry. She said she hired James Ayotte (Coach) in 2021 after seeing his name repeatedly on Instagram and noticing the success he had helping athletes get their pro cards, which allow amateur bodybuilders to compete professionally.
Ayotte, on the podcast, described himself as a marketing expert, saying, “I know how to manipulate social media. … I make a joke that, you know, my marketing is even better than my coaching.”
Drabant said she hadn’t heard about Ayotte’s lifetime suspension or the misconduct allegations against him. Ayotte was still welcomed at contests in the United States, and his company regularly advertised with the NPC and the IFBB Pro League.
But Drabant grew alarmed within minutes of meeting her new coach. Ayotte, she said, told her to take off her clothes, then touched her glutes and legs as she posed in a thong and bra. She claims he insisted on massaging her after she said no, and asked her to stay the night. Drabant posted a video on Instagram about the encounter to warn other bodybuilders, and later filed a complaint with police.
Drabant received a “legal notice” from an attorney demanding that she take down the video and remove her comments. But she decided to post a second video after hearing from many other women who, she says, shared similar experiences. She hoped to get the attention of federation leaders, including Jim Manion, who runs the NPC and IFBB Pro League.
She did. When Drabant showed up to the NPC gym in Pittsburgh in September 2021, she said, J.M. Manion, the son of Jim Manion, confronted her, saying she was trying to bring down the family and hurt their business.
“Get the f--- out of my gym,” J.M. Manion barked at Drabant, warning her not to bother competing again. A witness confirmed the encounter on the condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation.
Drabant later emailed the Manions to “apologize for any pain or harm I have caused the NPC/IFBB and the Manion family,” according to a copy reviewed by The Post.
But she urged them to take action: “I am very willing to work with you, and all of the victims who have approached me, to find the appropriate actions/solutions to make the bodybuilding industry a safer place for everyone.”
Drabant said no one ever responded. The Manions declined to answer specific questions about Drabant and Ayotte, but issued a statement that Ayotte’s suspension in 2018 had “no bearing on the NPC or IFBB Pro League. These [other] organizations are not connected in any way and there is no way for the NPC or IFBB Pro League to know about the actions taken by other, foreign-based, organizations against individuals.”
Ayotte acknowledged touching Drabant as he helped her pose, but called her other allegations “100 percent fake, on my mother’s life.” Police did not issue criminal charges.
Ayotte said he has been falsely accused in the past, referencing a lawsuit he filed in Canada against two female athletes. Court records show Ayotte dropped his claim against one woman, and a $25,000 judgment was entered against the other after the matter proceeded by default when the woman did not respond to the claim against her.
Drabant ultimately discovered that the legal threat she had received in response to her Instagram video was not from a lawyer, but Ayotte posing as one. She filed a complaint with the Bar of Montreal. Ayotte was found guilty this year and fined $3,250, according to documents posted by the agency.
Ayotte acknowledged to The Post that he sent the letter to Drabant using “a fake lawyer’s name,” and compared the fine to a parking ticket.
