Who Is Flex Wheeler? The ‘Sultan of Symmetry’ Who Is Still Battling Horrifying Health Issues Despite 40+ Surgeries

Flex Wheeler is an indispensable Bodybuilding champion and is a name that has been synonymous with the sport for several decades. He is a legendary figure in the industry and anyone who loves fitness and bodybuilding knows his name in the blink of an eye. He has left a lasting impact on sport and even after having several physical setbacks, he has still emerged victorious.

He succeeded in winning the Arnold Classic four times and was once described by Arnold Schwarzenegger as one of the greatest bodybuilders he had ever seen.

Flex Wheeler the Sultan of symmetry

His intense perseverance made him succeed in his first competition Mr California title in 1989. This victory catapulted him into the national spotlight and set him on the blazing path to becoming one of the biggest bodybuilders of all time. He went on to win the Arnold Classic four times and the Iron Man Pro 5 times.

He was not only known for his achievements but also for his incredible sculpture physique which had the perfect symmetry of size and aesthetics that were unparalleled. This earned him the nickname of the Sultan of Symmetry.

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He also had another surprising talent which was being extremely flexible and doing splits on stage which no other bodybuilding champion could ever do. This was because he learned martial arts before he came into bodybuilding. Despite his successful career, he did face a lot of challenges from a very young age. In addition to kidney disease, he had suffered from several injuries that included a car accident in 1994. However, he refused to bow down to the setbacks.

Life, health, and career

He was surprisingly a police officer before he started his bodybuilding journey. He took the nickname of Flex and competed for the first time in 1983 but was not famous until 1989 when he secured first place at NPC Mr. California. He had the best IFBB debut in history with four consecutive wins in the Pro Iron Man, Arnold Classic, German Grand Prix, French Grand Prix, and second in his first Mr. Olympia.

Unfortunately, in 1999 he discovered that he had Focal Glomerulosclerosis. This is a form of kidney disease and despite speculation from the press as to the cause of the failure, he pointed out that the condition is hereditary and not something that came because of his lifestyle.

He also faced a leg amputation in October 2019 due to escalating circulation difficulties in his right leg that became life-threatening. He has always openly talked about the pain progression and his difficulty with the decision in November 2019 in the decision of amputating his leg. However, he has always had a positive outlook and had and shared a post on Instagram of his recovery on 31st December 2019. He had started to walk with his prosthetic leg just after the surgery. Even in this situation he was thankful to God and appreciated his life.

Retirement

Since retirement, he has focused on martial arts and also Kemp Condo which is a variant of Kempo and Tae Kwon Do. He also succeeded in getting the Hall of Fame from one Arnold Schwarzenegger.

His speech was inspiring after getting the award and he looked amazing standing tall and proud on the stage. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time and has inspired countless athletes to follow their dreams. Wheeler has also worked as a coach and mentor for younger bodybuilders and continues to be a prominent figure in the industry.

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His statements and outlook towards life hint at the fact of how he became such a legendary figure in the world of fitness.