“I Want to Forget About Bodybuilding”: GOAT Ronnie Coleman Confesses Why He Didn’t Ditch His $ 50,000-a-Year Police Job Despite Earning Millions

Ronnie Coleman, a retired American professional bodybuilder, spent a long period of time juggling two careers. During his initial wins at Mr. Olympia, he also worked with the Texas police department till 2003. However, what sets him apart from other bodybuilders is that despite earning millions of dollars from bodybuilding, he never wanted to quit his job as a police officer, which paid him a modest salary of $50,000 a year.

The recent revelation has shocked many people knowing that the 8x Mr. Olympia had other priorities.  

Ronnie Coleman wanted to find an escape from bodybuilding.

Coleman’s decision to keep his job as a police officer, even after achieving enormous success in bodybuilding, surprised many. Many fans would wonder why someone who had achieved such financial success and international fame would continue to work a job that paid him a fraction of his bodybuilding earnings. The answer to this question lies in Coleman’s unique perspective on bodybuilding and the hardships that come with it.

Despite his phenomenal success in bodybuilding, Coleman never forgot the hardships that came with it. In a recent interview with bodybuilding star Derek Lunsford, Coleman revealed that he understood that the sport would be a tough climb and that not everyone gets to see the peak view.

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 For Coleman, working as a police officer was a way to escape from pushing himself into the world of bodybuilding. It also gave him a sense of purpose outside of bodybuilding, which helped him maintain a healthy work-life balance. “That’s why I went to the police department every day because I want to forget about bodybuilding and think about some different work.” However, things didn’t turn out the way he wanted as he was forced to finally quit the job.

Why Coleman had to quit the job?

By 2003, The King had created a winning streak of Mr. Olympia’s title. Even Ronnie’s department encouraged him to pursue his passion because they were pleased with his success. His Police Chief was a massive supporter of his during his early years as a professional bodybuilder. Ronnie was able to work at his own pace without being under any time constraints from him. Nevertheless, once a new Chief joined the force, he found it a little more challenging to control things.

In his documentary, Ronnie recalled his new chief’s words “I can’t do what he was doing. I’m new here.” Ronnie tried working part-time for a while, but juggling everything was becoming a little too much for him. Things were exhausting due to the professional obligations and guest appearances. So, he ultimately made the decision to bid farewell to the job. 

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However, Coleman’s decision to quit his job as a police officer was the turning point in his career that opened up a new fortune for him. Little did Coleman know then that he would create a legacy that will be intact forever.