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Battled Through Suicidal Thoughts as a Child, Bodybuilding Legend Flex Wheeler Admits to Developing a Dual Personality to Protect Himself

Published 04/07/2023, 4:48 AM EDT

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Throughout his life, bodybuilding veteran Flex Wheeler has had his share of struggles and fought a tough battle against suicidal thoughts. Early in his life, when Wheeler was learning how to fight, he struggled to land a punch on the opponent. This resulted in him constantly being on the receiving end of these punches. The Sultan of Symmetry was afraid as he thought he might end up breaking someone’s nose or ribs. However, he soon realized that having a soft personality will just make it easy for people to identify his weaknesses and use them against him.

In his recent Instagram post, Wheeler revealed how he found a way out of the moral predicament. He confessed to having developed a dual personality, which was bold and arrogant, to hide his weaknesses from the world.

What made Flex Wheeler develop a dual personality?

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As recently as 7th April, Flex Wheeler posted a video revealing his real self to the world. In the video, he spoke about how he created a fake impression of himself to prevent his weaknesses from being exploited. Explaining his reasons, Wheeler said, “My point is I learned at a young age that people take your weaknesses and use them against you.” Wheeler believes even the most innocent person in the world is at risk of such exploitation if he/she encounters the wrong person.

He further adds, “So, not really understanding, you know Jay, but this, I developed, I didn’t even know what was going on and I can’t really take credit for it, but, I developed this Flex Wheeler who just didn’t take no s****.” Furthermore, Wheeler revealed, while he as Kenny refused to fight, his Flex character didn’t mind fighting. Therefore, Wheeler switched between his personalities whenever the situation demanded.

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Read More: “You’re a Human Being”: Flex Wheeler Got Candid About Being a Bodybuilding Icon

With time, people started buying the Flex Wheeler character more which led Wheeler to let it shine better. “So, that was that c*cky, arrogant, you know, person who walked through the door but it was truly never me. It was just me being, you know, pretending to be that way.” Wheeler’s confession brings us to the question: Is the person in front of us now Kenny Wheeler or Flex Wheeler?

Does the dual personality still exist?

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Through the caption of his post, Wheeler revealed that the character ‘Flex’ is a thing from the past now. Wheeler claims that ‘Flex’ no longer exists as he doesn’t need it anymore. Instead, there are other roles Wheeler wishes to be acknowledged for.

via Getty

Rather than an arrogant fighter, Wheeler wants to be seen as a lifestyle coach now. This would include him as a former bodybuilder, businessman, and life-long martial artist. Moreover, Wheeler extended a helping hand to those who want to improve themselves and be pain-free. He asserts it won’t be just to perform better at work or shine on stage. Instead, he wants to prepare them for the “REAL game, LIFE!”

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Watch this story: Arnold Schwarzenegger vs Andre The Giant: Who Is Stronger?

After struggling for decades to come to terms with his reality, Flex Wheeler claims to be finally comfortable in his own skin. His recent confession just proves how the bodybuilding legend has dropped the act and embraced himself.

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Written by:

Aaradhana Singh

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Aaradhana Singh is a sports writer at EssentiallySports, who specializes in American sports. With a background in Journalism and Mass Communication, Aaradhana has honed her craft through years of experience working as an editor and writer for various reputable publications before joining the esteemed team at EssentiallySports. As a sports enthusiast at heart, Aaradhana's passion for the industry is evident in her work.
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Edited by:

Jahnabi Choudhury