
25 Years in the Making
All my life growing up I have been surrounded by bodybuilding. It was my Dad’s passion, and now it’s also my passion. So growing up I always wanted to be bigger and better than Dad, like the song in “Pumping Iron”.
This year (2018) I had the opportunity to step on stage with my hero and father, which will forever be one of the greatest moments in my life.
This opportunity was 25 years in the making (my age at the time). We originally planned on competing together in 2014. This didn’t get to happen, adversity had gotten in the way.
You see, a few years ago now Dad was diagnosed with bladder cancer. He had to get cancerous tumours cut out of his bladder, and then was catheterized for almost a month. He got past that obstacle. But then he had to have more tumours removed, from his feet and torso that could have potentially been cancerous. He hobbled around the gym after that and still trained, and he even helped prep athletes backstage despite his condition. It’s a testament to his drive and work ethic, and passion for bodybuilding, that he has persevered through these challenges, including neck, knee and back injuries.
So, the last few years it’s been great to be able to watch Dad back on stage doing what he loves. And the time came this year for us to do it together.
As we were preparing for the show, people would ask me what’s more important to me, winning the show or beating my Dad. But of course, I never set out to beat my Dad. And I didn’t! He was able to win his Masters category, the Open and the Overall, whilst I took second to him in the Opens.
I was so proud of my Dad at that moment. That win was the result of a lifetime dedicated to bodybuilding, and it was well deserved.
But the show meant so much more than trophies or placing. The show was the realisation of a life long bond between father and son.


I’ll be sharing more posts on my journey in bodybuilding. If you’re interested follow along in the Ryan’s Blog section of the website.