“Ended in Hospital I Was 12”: Bodybuilding Icon Flex Wheeler Confessed to Jay Cutler about His Suicidal Attempts in Childhood

Everything that glitters is not gold. Seeing the smiling photos of your favorite athletes, you may think their life is perfect, but sometimes the reality may be different. Not all pictures tell the truth. Some can be deceptive. Flex Wheeler may have had one of the most successful bodybuilding careers, but his personal battles posed the biggest challenge. It was not just his fellow competitors that he had to defeat!

In an emotional talk with Jay Cuttler, Flex shared about some of his life’s darkest secrets. Taking his fans down the memory lane, Flex talked about his “attempted suicide at 12.” 

Flex talks about the horrors 

When Wheeler started his bodybuilding career, he was unaware of its technicalities. He had no clue what to do or which supplements to take, but he knew one thing for sure, and that was not the spirit of not giving up. He kept working to achieve his dreams. But on his road to achieving those dreams, he emerged as his biggest competitor.

Since a young age, Flex suffered from mental issues. His struggles with mental health were so severe that he did not just think about killing himself, but he also attempted it. He confessed, “The first time I tried to kill myself, and I am not talking about thoughts but act, you know, the first time I acted and ended up in the hospital, I was 12 years old.”

Read More: “I Burnt Everything in My Thirties…”: Bodybuilding Legend Flex Wheeler Wasn’t Sure He Would Survive Life Beyond His 20’s

Sadly, it was not the only time, he took such adverse steps. Even at his professional peak, he tried doing certain acts to take his life. However, later in life, he realized that the way he thought or the step he took was not ideal. 

Flex Wheeler regrets his decision

Looking back at the pictures, Mr. Olympia Champion hoped he loved himself more. Recalling his last stay in the hospital, he confessed the horrors. He quoted, “I was told I had to keep breathing or else I would be taken off with medication.”

His dark thoughts kept him from sleeping early, but he was determined not to give up so easily. He decided to live as hard as he could and embrace life, the pain, and everything else. Standing true to his realization, Flex now enjoys his life to the fullest. The legend now continues to work as a coach and trainer while being active in the gym himself.

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