Everybody: FLEX readers reveal how bodybuilding shaped their lives as well as their physiques - Readers - Letter to the Editor

Flex, Dec, 2002

NEVER GIVE UP

I am a 36-year-old bodybuilder, and bodybuilding has meant many different things to me throughout my life. When I was younger and not a very skilled athlete, I always felt awkward and out of place. Then I saw [Lee] Haney, [Bertil] Fox and [Tom] Platz in the pages of FLEX and I looked to them for inspiration. I began to train and I learned discipline, patience and sacrifice. I took pride in my gains and became more self-confident.

In 1988, I was 22 years old, 6' tall and 235 pounds. I was dedicated to training and thought it was only a matter of time before my dreams would come true. However, in February of that year, I was diagnosed with kidney failure. I was told that if I didn't begin dialysis, I would die. It was a low point in my life. Once I was on dialysis, it became very hard to maintain muscle mass. I was frustrated, but I still trained. In March 1999, I was called to receive a transplant, but during my preoperation physical, a mass was detected in my nonfunctioning kidneys. It was found to be cancerous. I was then put on a mandatory two-year waiting list for a transplant, during which time I continued to train.

I believe my dedication to this sport has enabled me to cope physically and mentally with the challenges life placed before me. I have a full-time job and have endured 41/2-hour sessions of dialysis three days a week for 14 years. I continue to train four days a week. In August 2002, I got my long-awaited transplant.

Bodybuilding is my anchor, my safe harbor, my sanity and my health. Bodybuilding has enabled me to live a normal and active life despite my dialysis and other medical problems. It has given me a better standard of living than most in my condition have. It has taught me to never give up and to stay true to myself.

Donny Collins

North Las Vegas, NV

A FORMER BUTTERBALL

At 20, I still have much to learn, but I'm glad that when I started out, I chose to arm myself with the most powerful bodybuilding supplement of all: knowledge.

I want to impress people with the fact that I know as much as I do at such a young age. I want to impress them with the fact that I alone transformed myself from a pudgy butterball whose life was going nowhere into a hard and focused bodybuilder. Knowledge was key. Learning about the types of supplements, formulating diet and exercise programs from scratch and learning about human physiology were my secret weapons.

I realized long ago that the only way to get the body I wanted was not to wait for a miracle pill or surgery, but to be exact about my diet, to accept no compromise and to work my ass off! I have to be die-hard, devoted and have intense passion and absolute desire to be the best. I try, and then I try harder.

I have learned that bodybuilding not only makes your body powerful, but it also does wonders for your mental well-being. How one approaches bodybuilding is highly individual. Your plans, gains and techniques are yours alone.

I currently work in construction 45 to 50 hours a week. I am also majoring in exercise science and hit the gym twice a day. The rest of the time I spend with my daughter, Ariana. Bodybuilding has allowed me a chance to show everyone how serious I can be about something. It is the greatest sport on earth.

Brandon Harris

Derry, NH

EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL

Like many, I lifted my first dumbbell in high school. We all have our reasons. Some do it for football, some for the social aspect. I did it in an attempt to win over a girl as my prom date. As if that isn't "macho" enough, I did it by lifting my mom's 15-pound dumbbells in my bathroom. What a he-man! For my 18th birthday, I asked for 30-pounders. I was on the "shoulder presses every night in front of the mirror" plan. I made some progress and, in April 1998, I joined Gold's Gym.

Every time I pushed those weights, I envisioned myself as someone who could be respected. In the gym, I was as big as I pictured myself and as confident as I wanted to be. It was my release and I loved it. After gaining my first 10 pounds, I hit a plateau. That was when I started reading FLEX magazine and it opened up a whole new world. I learned I needed recovery time; I read about supplements and contests; and I got tips on how to pack on mass.

I eventually gained more than 30 pounds of muscle. Every time. I walked into a room, I could feel those 30 pounds, not just in my arms or legs, but in my spirit. Bodybuilding made me realize that hard work pays you back tenfold. I am currently at Purdue University, majoring in secondary education and I plan to compete in my first show, sponsored by the Purdue Bodybuilding Club, in spring 2003. By the way, I never got that girl, but I know that I won in the long run.

Kevin "Chuck" Vannatta

Bloomington, IL