The King Ronnie Coleman Accepted His Fate With No Regrets in 2016: “I Paid the Price to Be the Best”

The list of incredible bodybuilders of all time is incomplete without the name of Ronnie Coleman. His legacy of winning eight titles of Mr. Olympia is enough to charm bound anyone. However, lately, his followers are aware of his deteriorating health over the previous few years.

It disheartens everyone to see the legend needing assistance to walk because of his numerous operations. Once during an interview in 2016, King Coleman addressed how he is paying the price for being the best. 

Two sides of the coin in King Ronnie Coleman’s life

His extraordinary career shows the status he used to hold in his peak time of bodybuilding. However, the king of modern-day bodybuilding retired soon due to his health issues. Ronnie faced harsh surgeries for the past few years, breaking him from the inside. 

During an interview with SpotMeBro, Ronnie was asked, “Now I know lately you’ve had a few surgeries on your neck and back. Can you talk us through what has happened over the last couple of years and how you’ve pushed through it?”

READ MORE: “I Was Freaking Out”: Bodybuilding Legend Ronnie Coleman Couldn’t Believe It When He Weighed Himself After Going Through 13 Surgeries in 2021

In reply, Ronnie shared some words which are enough to shake any hardcore bodybuilding fan. He said, “Hey, I paid the price to be the best, and the only thing I regret is only doing 2 reps on that 800lb squat because I knew I could have done 4. That will haunt me forever. I approached recovery the same way I do anything, with a killer instinct and passion to be the best. The last surgery was actually just because of a part that malfunctioned from a prior surgery. The screws they put in weren’t big enough for my frame, so one of them snapped.”

Ronnie Coleman suffered throughout the year

Ronnie Coleman was recognized for lifting weights, which benefitted his job but eventually led to catastrophic body damage. He underwent 13 operations on her neck, hips, and back. In addition, due to all the mechanical reinforcement (14 screws, two cages, and 2 rods) that was inserted inside of him, he struggled to walk.

The first significant injury Coleman faced was at the age of 17. He initially hurt his back in high school; he broke it again while playing football. As a result, Coleman had to start seeing a chiropractor every day. Then, in 1996, he dislocated his disk while engaging in a rigorous gym squat routine. He was told to have surgery immediately but didn’t have it until almost ten years later when he retired. 

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