“Leg Continues to…Shrink”: After 40 Surgeries and an Amputation, Veteran Bodybuilder Admits How He Ploughs Through Struggles

Flex Wheeler, once a Police Officer, came into the world of bodybuilding and etched an impression no one can ever replace. The Californian IFBB Professional bodybuilder started competing from the year 1983. In 1989, he took home first place at the NPC Mr. California competition and received his first trophy. Despite finishing second in 1993, he was unable to win the Mr. Olympia title.

Apart from these victories, his most recognized victories of Wheeler were winning the Arnold Classic 4 times and becoming a 5-time Ironman Pro Winner. Just like having to face difficulties while reaching any pedestal in life, Wheeler too had to go through a tipsy turvy road before actually becoming The Flex Wheeler! 

Challenges life threw at Flex Wheeler

Flex Wheeler grew up in extreme poverty in California. He also experienced a great deal of child abuse and was suicidal for most of his childhood. During his school days, Wheeler had always been excellent at sports, but he suffered from dyslexia. As a result of his distraught past, he grew up to be an introverted and insecure kid. In 1994, he met with a data car accident that had the possibility of leaving him with lifelong paralysis. He fell into depression after the accident and had to start from the top.

In October 2019, he underwent amputation of his right leg from the knee due to a diagnosis of circulatory vascular system problems.

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He had to go through nearly 40 surgeries to get himself back on foot. This was a huge setback for him and it made him sadder. However, he stayed extremely optimistic and kept himself motivated and dedicated.

Life is tough, so is Wheeler

Even after 4 years of the diagnosis, Wheeler continues to undergo treatments and constantly works on improving his condition. In one of his recent Instagram videos, he discusses his visit to the Prosthetic clinic for another surgery. He mentions having made more than 10 sockets for his leg, yet his leg remains restrictive and shrinks. Now, he needs to create another new socket to ensure proper functionality of his leg. He says, “I have to pull my socket off without even depressing the pressure, so you know it sucks.”

Having faced so many struggles and still struggling to get better, he does not give up. Instead, he encourages people to deal with life ferociously. He says, “I’ll take on any problem life throws at me.” To this, he also adds concluding the video, “Always believe in yourself, especially when others don’t”.

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