“Was the Last Time I Saw Him”: Years After Former Mr. Olympia’s Death, Sergio Oliva Jr. Makes a Heartbreaking Confession

On 6th November 2021, the untimely demise of Jamaican bodybuilder, Shawn Rhoden saddened the bodybuilding world. The 46-year-old passed away after suffering a heart attack. Veteran bodybuilder Sergio Oliva’s son and Rhoden’s friend, Sergio Oliva Jr. was among the ones most affected by the loss. It devastated him. Now, more than a year later, Oliva Jr. continues to find ways to heal from the loss.

Recently, Sergio Oliva Jr. took to his Instagram to share a heartwarming post about Rhoden. He reminisced about his time together with the late bodybuilder and strongly regretted not valuing it back then.

Sergio Oliva Jr. remembers his late friend

Earlier today, Sergio Oliva Jr. shared a photo with his late friend, Shawn Rhoden. In the photo, Oliva was busy looking at his phone while Rhoden hugged him from the back. Oliva reflected on how the picture perfectly summed up their friendship. He wrote, “I love this photo because it shows how Shawn always had my back…”

However, regretting wasting his time on the phone, he added, “…but I hate this photo because it reminds me how much I miss and don’t appreciate while I’m distracted on my phone.” Remembering the time the photo was taken, he continued, “This competition was the last time I saw him. We never know what can happen tomorrow. #SmileAndWave.”

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Back in 2021, when the wounds of the loss were still fresh, Oliva blamed this death on the sport. In an Instagram post that year, Oliva Jr. detailed the cause of Rhoden’s death.

The stress and disappointment took his life

A day after Rhoden’s death, a heartbroken Oliva shared a video talking about the unfortunate incident. Oliva wanted to address the matter before any rumors about suicide or steroid intake started circulating about his late friend. He claimed Rhoden didn’t die by suicide and wasn’t on any gear that could affect his heart.

Instead, Oliva believed the constant stress and disappointment that Rhoden faced in the industry left him heartbroken. Rhoden had been the one to dethrone the seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath. But instead of steering his life for the better, it had taken a turn for the worse soon after. Constantly getting his hopes up and feelings toyed with had taken a toll on his body. Oliva agreed Rhoden died because of his heart, but he reasoned it was broken.

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Shawn Rhoden is no longer physically present in this world. But his memories continue to live on forever. Sergio Oliva Jr’s recent post proves just how loved he was.