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“I Am Recovering From Same Surgery”: 57-Year-Old Legend Inspires Bodybuilding World With His Struggles

Published 02/13/2023, 8:00 AM EST

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The world sees bodybuilders as strong, powerful, and probably as the epitome of dominance. In fact, their obstacles and difficulties often get hidden under their well-built structure. Flex Wheeler, an IFBB legend, had to endure over 40 surgeries to date because of different reasons. Not only that, his series of injuries are still on. Recently, the bodybuilding pro shared yet another injury that he faced in his left rotator cuff. Enduring pain, Wheeler talked about how he again went to the gym and did the exercises with his right arm only. This courage from the Arnold Classic winner amused his fan once again, and they ended up appreciating him in the comments section.

The former IFBB professional tried to motivate his viewers with his difficulties. His followers seemed to love it and ended up penning about him.

Fans reacted to the heartfelt message from Flex Wheeler

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Evidently, no other of his mates might have suffered more injuries than Flex Wheeler. From his starting years of bodybuilding, he had one of the best physiques in the field. But he had to face a good deal of health issues afterward. Recently, the fitness freak talked about another injury of him in a post on his Instagram. The post went with the caption, “Roadblocks and setbacks will happen. Maybe you’ve just gotten off track over the years, life will do that. That does not mean it’s too late, it’s never over…”. Along with the post, he shared a video of him doing the workouts with only one hand. His audience loved the video, and praising his dedication they wrote –

“Flex, thank you for such a heartfelt, uplifting message.”

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“…The Sultan never gives up! You got this! 🙏🏽”

“sending love, respect, and healing energy. You’ve been an inspiration to me for over 30 years. Keep bringing the motivation and knowledge.👏”

“Thank you for sharing ! A very powerful message . Wishing you a very successful recovery”

“Damn. I am recovering from the same surgery…can empathize with you brother. I still need my left shoulder fixed too. You’re going through a lot, all seemingly at once! Stay strong champ, this too shall pass.”

Evidently, his downfall started when Wheeler was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease. It was his utmost dedication and passion for the sport that the 57-year-old bodybuilder still hits the gym. He is on his way to train others to get the perfect body. Wheeler started a new initiative to closely analyze his clients and provide unique and suitable workouts and diets that focuses on individual needs.

Wheeler’s plethora of injuries

Early in his career, Wheeler discovered he had focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a rare kidney problem. He even had to go through a kidney transplant due to this. Going through surgeries one after another was not easy for him. The Sultan of Symmetry even met with depression after he retired from bodybuilding in 2000.

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His fighting saga continued when the fitness pro had to abscise his right leg in 2019. And when he tore his left rotator cuff, it was the third time he underwent injuries in his left hand.

Read More – Despite Suffering a Serious Neck Injury, Legend Flex Wheeler Recalled His Speedy Comeback to the Stage in 2020: “Not Even Breaking My Neck C5 and C6”

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Though he confronted many challenges and stops throughout, the Sultan of Symmetry chose to be dominant, passionate and dedicated to what he does. Do you get inspiration from his story too? Let us know.

Watch This Story – Revealed: Here Are The Final Qualified Athletes For Mr. Olympia From All-Division

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Written by:

Soumili Chatterjee

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Soumili Chatterjee is a US Sports author for EssentiallySports. She secured her bachelor’s and master's degree in English literature from the University of Calcutta. After being a technical and blog writer for nearly three years, it was her ardent love for sports that steered her career toward the sports industry.
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Edited by:

Simar Singh Wadhwa