Flex Lewis is 40 years old and has retired from competitive bodybuilding. However, his long career has provided him with an irrefutable hold in the industry. The 19-year-old boy who came from a humble background has made it to the annals of bodybuilding. But it was never as easy as it sounds. Lewis won seven consecutive 212 Mr. Olympia titles, and they came with their own set of challenges.

All these memories and incidents came back to him recently when he found a box in his old parental home. The box contains his whole life and more and he decided to share it with the world.

Lewis reminisces about his last Christmas in Wales

He uploaded an Instagram post where the carousel pictures showed a young and budding bodybuilder, from age 16 to 20. It was Lewis himself and he was posing in magazines, competitions, and his school rugby team. The young boy with dreams in his eyes was gleaming in the pictures with a perfect physique. The same man, now 40, wrote the most heartfelt note for his younger self in the captions.

“This is my last night at my parents, where I and my family have spent yet another incredible Christmas in my home country of Wales. As everyone is sleeping ready for our early departure back to the US tomorrow morning, I discovered a box.”

He found that box in the house where his parents lived for over four decades. He found several covers, articles, and photographs of himself. “In opening this box it was full of things I haven’t seen in some cases up to 20yrs…”

“One such article showed a young photo of me at 16 years old (pictured) here I was still playing rugby, and hitting my first ever side chest, that I was literally shown how to do, before this photo was taken.”

After visiting his parent’s home in Wales during the Holiday season, he remembered his dreams when he was young. Hence, he urged his followers to keep dreaming big regardless of their age.

Change is scary, but it’s a part of evolution

The bodybuilder acknowledged how fearful change can be. Yet it’s a part of life. Why else would a 19-year-old Lewis hop on the plane and visit America to chase the life he wanted?

He made his pro debut in 2008 at the Europa Supershow. There, the bodybuilder won the 202-pound division, which is now the 212 division.  The same year, he made his Olympia debut in the new 202 Showdown. He was placed third in that show, which was won by David Henry.

He was a rookie that season. However, as years passed, Lewis saw 20 victories. This included his seven Olympia wins from 2012-2018, which is the most for any non-heavyweight men’s competitor. Thus, he isn’t wrong in urging people to dream big.

He ended his post with, “You only have one shot on this spinning rock, so go all out and be happy doing what you love, and I loved nothing more than doing what I did!!!” He suffered in silence and now he is here.

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