The waning years of bodybuilding heroes are often not that peaceful. For a lot of them, it is more than leading a comfortable and mobile life. And, for every instance of a healthy bodybuilder we see like Arnold, we see a Flex Wheeler. Born in the mid-1960s, Wheeler is an IFBB pro bodybuilder. In his prime, Wheeler was known to have of the best physiques of his era.

And, although he never won the formal title of Mr. Olympia, Kenneth “Flex” Wheeler was always counted among the best. He was the record holder as a four-time Arnold Classic Champion. Further, he had the approval of ‘The Austrian Oak’ himself. Arnie also regarded Wheeler to be a legend. Sadly, all of it went downhill starting in 2019.

Flex Wheeler speaks on his terrible physical condition

Flex Wheeler is having a rough patch in his life since 2019. After stepping off stage, Wheeler’s cardiovascular health hasn’t been the finest and in 2019 the bodybuilding world woke up to a piece of mournful news. Our beloved Flex had to be rushed into emergency and had to be operated. And, in the end, his right leg had to be amputated from below the knee. Wheeler later came clean about his use of both anabolics and androgens during his competing days. So, his verdict was one led to another and got him to that stage.  But, that was not the end of the problem. He had developed quite an array of complications like Kidney damage and a clogged artery.

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But, the last straw came in 2000 when Wheeler was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease called FSG. And to ease things for his system, he had to get the amputation done. But, even with the procedure, there were other apprehensions. For example, there was a possibility of losing other appendages as well.

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Wheeler remembers saying, “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.” And, for him, this battle is far from being over. 

The daunting saga of a man named Wheeler 

Wheeler initially began his sporting days with martial arts before shifting to bodybuilding. And even in bodybuilding, he started doing stage shows as a natty. He was a beautiful stack of muscles, weighing in about 225-235lbs at his peak. He had an impressive chest of 56 inches. 

Flex was the predecessor of names like Ronnie Coleman and Kevin Levrone. He had contested in multiple bodybuilding shows with his greatest wins being South beach pro and Arnold classic among the others. In the case of Mr. Olympia, he wasn’t so lucky. Wheeler had a good chance once in ’93 but he lost it to Dorian Yates. 

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Till today Flex Wheeler is considered to be one of those legends of bodybuilding that didn’t need a Mr. Olympia title to be an influence. Even in his late 50s, he remains active, working out despite his many complications. And, for that, he deserves a salute!