Being an athlete, especially a bodybuilding champion is not an easy job. It is one of the most difficult sports that a person can get involved in. It needs extreme dedication and perseverance and a desperation to be perfect. Mr Olympia winner Derek Lunsford knows this all too well. The bodybuilding champion who recently became a father, has seen all the ups and downs of life.

Recently, Mr. Olympia 2023 talked about his struggle in 2020 with depression. Lunsford also described the reason for his mental state and opened up about the battle and why motivation is at an all-time high for him at the moment.

Derek Lunsford talks about his previous experience with depression

In a YouTube video uploaded by Desktop Bodybuilding, the Mr. Olympia winner and IFBB Pro had an extensive talk with Xavier Wills where they discussed the battle that he had with mental health and finding his true identity. Lunsford narrated how in 2020 he was not in a good mental state. He said, “Coming into 2020, the whole world was crazy but besides that um I was just going through the worst depression of my life. Like, so bad I mean, I just didn’t even want to be here. I think people know that by now and if they don’t know, now they know.”

Derek Lunsford described how he admired bodybuilders before him such as Ronnie Coleman, Flex Lewis, Jay Cutler, and Phil Heath. Lunsford put them on a pedestal and pressured himself that he needed to be as perfect as his idols to become Mr. Olympia and win the Sandow Trophy. This is the pressure that took him into depression because his love for the sport was being snatched away due to the expectations that came with success.

Watch This Story: “How Bad Do You Want It?”: Unstoppable Mark Wahlberg Delivers Yet Another Eye-Opening Reality Check During His 4 Am Fitness Grind

Even after facing such hardships though, Lunsford loves his career and would never change it for anything. He had once described his bodybuilding journey from not being able to afford a diet that was needed to becoming Mr. Olympia.

Derek Lunsford talks about his journey

In an Instagram post previously, Lunsford started his story by saying that sometimes he had no money to afford the diet that was needed to become a bodybuilder. He also admitted that he took help from his mother to buy groceries for his protein diet sometimes.

The champion declared that he saw bodybuilding as an investment and had practiced it also while going to school. He never stopped hustling while also pursuing his dream on the side and finally, he is an Olympia-winning champion. He captioned the post saying, “It takes a lot of sweat equity and patience, but it was all worth it. The sacrifices made and having to live with very little for several years wasn’t easy and there were times I questioned myself.”

Read More: Derek Lunsford Reveals His Secret Champion Mentality Weeks After Dethroning Reigning Olympia Champion

What do you think about Derek Lunsford’s journey and his strength in coming out of his mental state?