Flex Wheeler had one of the most aesthetically fit physiques in the history of bodybuilding. However, Wheeler couldn’t get through some legendary bodybuilders, hence, never won a Mr. Olympia title. Wheeler competed with Lee Haney, Dorian Yates, and Ronnie Coleman. Even though Flex had an impeccable physique, these other legends were massively built as well.
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The specialty of Flex Wheeler was his determination and perseverance for bodybuilding. Despite having a kidney problem since he was 14, he opted to become a bodybuilder. Moreover, he had to fight against his opponents in addition to his own body as well. Four years ago, Wheeler confessed the point in his life when he used to blame himself for his condition. He also explained how he got through that point.
Flex Wheeler was going into a dark phase
Flex Wheeler was first diagnosed with Proteinuria when doctors found traces of protein in his urine. However, because of the lack of research and knowledge about the topic, it went untreated properly. Later, Wheeler became a bodybuilder and trained hard, and at the same time, he used anabolic steroids to improve his physique.
While fighting his kidney disease, Wheeler continued to train hard and take steroids. But in the late 90s, doctors again diagnosed Flex with a kidney issue. He was diagnosed with FSGS, a condition where the kidney fails to filter blood properly.
In an interview in 2018, Flex said, “Did I do this? Did I do this to myself based on what I use? What I have done, you know? If I pissed in the bed, I gotta sleep in it.”
Wheeler gradually came to know the reality of the disease
Flex Wheeler kept going hard on himself when he came to know about his diagnosis in the late 90s. But as time passed by, he came to know about various other people who were suffering from the same disease. Eventually, Wheeler realized it was not the steroids that resulted in his kidney failure.
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Wheeler confessed, “I remember him saying there’s a famous basketball player that has the same disease, and we know he didn’t do what you do. And they wouldn’t tell me his name then, but now I know what it is. It’s Alonzo Mourning. And then later on I started meeting families you had kids that obviously didn’t do what I did.”
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Flex Wheeler had a hard time accepting the reality when he got diagnosed with FSGS. He blamed himself for his condition until he found out anabolic steroids were not the trigger to cause kidney failure. This gave him a sigh of relief from all the massive problems he had back then.