'KEEP GOING'
THIS man was once called the greatest bodybuilder ever before he had to have part of his leg amputated, however he still stays fit at the gym.
Flex Wheeler was an award-winning bodybuilder in the 1990s, where he won competitive titles including the Arnold Classic four times and the Ironman Pro fives times.
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Bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman said Wheeler was his toughest competitor.
The Terminator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, even called him one of the greatest bodybuilders ever.
Wheeler was admired for his body's symmetry and strength, but in 2019, while he was in retirement, he had to have emergency surgery where he would lose his lower right leg.
According to The Daily Star, Wheeler said that it was either a case of losing his leg or losing his life.
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In 1999, Wheeler was diagnosed with kidney disease, however doctors couldn't explain why his kidneys were failing.
Wheeler said he noticed his body getting worse after every competition.
He would gain 30 to 40 pounds and have extreme swelling in his hands, feet, and even his genitals, the outlet reported.
It was speculated that drug use may have contributed to the disease, but Wheeler said his condition was hereditary.
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Wheeler admitted to taking steroids on The Menace podcast with Dennis James.
He said: “I put on like thirty pounds, and I was like ‘is this safe?’
"I remember asking one of the old timers, and he goes ‘don’t stop son. Don’t stop, keep going,’ and I’m like ‘yeah, but look what’s happening.’
“(I had) stretch marks everywhere. They were so painful, they were like big worms…you can still see them on my forearm, in between my legs. They were huge and red, it was horrible.”
After multiple procedures, Wheeler said his amputation was “due to escalating circulation difficulties" that had become life-threatening, the outlet reported.
“At that time, the doctor just stared at me, and I started crying because I knew. She said ‘Flex we’re there.’
"So I said ‘just take it.'"
FIGHT BACK
Despite Wheeler's unfortunate health issues, he did not give up on his fitness.
While he might not be the same as he was when he was in his prime bodybuilder days, he can still lift weights even with a prosthetic leg.
In an Instagram video, Wheeler is seen working out both of his legs on a leg press.
The video was captioned: “I will not be denied. Let’s go.”
However, Wheeler is still at risk of losing more limbs because of his disease.
According to the outlet, Wheeler said: “I’m at risk of losing my left leg. I’m at risk of losing my right arm, my left arm, because it attacks your limbs."
Wheeler was awarded the Olympia Inspiration and Courage Award, which honors bodybuilders who show extreme courage while facing adversity.
"Everybody goes through problems in life," Wheeler said at the award reception.
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He added: "Everybody’s had their challenges. My challenges are no different than anyone else.
"I’m definitely not Superman. But what I’ve really tried to learn through this process is accepting what I can’t change and change what I can’t accept, and just let that be that."