Bodybuilding champion lost legs

The accident happened when John-Augustin and his brother and mother were on the highway for the wedding, and his mother lost control. Waking up in the hospital bed, the four-year-old realized that the legs he was still running around were gone. “My brother lost one leg, and me both. Fortunately, a man was present at the scene of the accident, took us to the hospital. He saved our lives.” 35 years old doctor mentioned above Sun Sport.

Witnessing two children lose their legs, but John-Augustin’s mother is the most severely affected. During the years that followed, she still tormented herself for making both sons handicapped. But John-Augustin himself quickly overcame shock and adversity.

After the accident, John-Augustin spent a full year at a rehabilitation center in Paris – a specially designed place to assist people who lost their arms or legs in an accident. The 4-year-old boy was then taught how to walk, first with crutches and then to practice with prosthetic legs. Because prosthetics and prostheses do not maintain good balance and are difficult to rotate, John-Augustin had to learn from an early age to use software on the body to balance himself.

It has been a difficult and painful year, but nowhere compared to the obstacles in the next journey that the five-year-old has not yet envisioned while practicing recovery. Back home, John-Augustin immediately faced teasing from his classmates about new feet. Not only that, the frequent need to be in a wheelchair after the surgery makes the boy shy and overweight.

“I was not only fortunate to survive the accident, but also survived the depression that followed because of this incident,” John-Augustin said. The boy gradually identifies his physical defects as a part of life, and decides not to let that hold back. The sad thing about John-Augustin having a blanket is just because he lost his legs, he can’t continue his love for running, and loses his happy moments on the run between home and school.

After graduating from high school in his hometown – the colonial island of French Guiana, on the north coast of South America, John-Augustin went to France to work and study for a BTS senior technician degree. And thanks to this transfer service, he found his passion in life for bodybuilding. The athlete recounted: “I was exercising at the age of 20 to reduce stress. At that time, I had just moved from home to France. The university exams and new life in Paris were extremely stressful, and thanks to bodybuilding. , I’m more relieved. “

But during that period, John-Augustin wanted to keep his disability a secret. He wears pants to cover his prosthetic legs. Even when exercising, the student from South America also wears pants. Only best friends know.

A few years later, once in shape, John-Augustin boldly contacted a photographer – who was looking for a model with the right physique. And this man was immediately impressed by the student’s prosthetic legs. A special photo shoot was born, showing John-Augustin in sprinting positions, wearing shorts and not covering his prosthetic legs. The photographer then shared the set of photos on social media, and John-Augustin was shocked and then delighted by the storm of praise from the community.

The positive feedback inspired the student with a disability to step up to help people in the same situation. He thought of giving himself the nickname “Bionic Body”, practicing harder and harder, and boldly sharing pictures of daily life, training process with fake legs.

“With prosthetic legs, I can do many different exercises. I like to do leg presses, crunches, leg pulls, leg curls … because I can control my weight with those exercises “, the 35-year-old athlete shared. “Barbell squats and deadlifts – two exercises that require weights – are also possible, but I usually only do light movements when do these exercises because it is difficult for my body to balance if it is too heavy.

In September 2014, after a period of urging from friends, John-Augustin decided to hire his own coach to prepare for the first competition. “Honestly, I’ve never thought of competing in bodybuilding competitions. But a lot of people I know have encouraged me to play to try my best,” he said.

Grand Prix Des Pyrenees – French bodybuilding disbandment in April 2015 – opens a new chapter in John-Augustin’s life. The organizers of the tournament arranged for John-Augustin to stand side by side with other healthy athletes. For him, it was an invaluable experience of being with and standing next to his non-disabled colleagues, even though he performed in bodybuilding content in a wheelchair.

After the competition, John-Augustin was invited to participate in the European Bodybuilding Championship, which took place in Spain. He became the European wheelchair champion in 2015. John-Augustin still plays until now, and has become the inspiration of bodybuilders around the world.

“My motivation comes from many sides. For me, my disability has taught me to take responsibility for my own life and I have made a decision about who I want to be in this life. God has a plan for each of us and our decision is to submit Because of the post-accident surgery, childhood was a difficult time for me, they left my parents financially out of whack. Not to mention that the kids in school are always looking at me and making fun of me. Now, I want to make my kids, my wife and my family proud of me. These motivations keep me focused, ”John-Augustin confess.

The 35-year-old athlete doesn’t think he’s stronger than others, just more resilient and refuses to give up. John-Augustin builds new muscles and builds the foundation with a variety of exercise methods. Sometimes he does heavy weights, 6 to 8 beats each time. Sometimes, he does lighter weights or a combination of the two. Chest and back exercises also help him develop upper body muscles.

John-Augustin’s workout schedule usually focuses on a certain muscle group. On Monday, he mainly practices the front and inner thighs. Tuesday is for back and biceps exercises. Wednesday is chest training. Thursday is a group of role-play exercises. Fridays, he does a full body workout with a combination of muscle presses, squats … Saturdays and Sundays are used to rest and relax.

John-Augustin’s diet is flexibly altered, depending on whether he is in a state of muscle discharge or tightening. If he relaxes, he will eat five to six meals a day. If he tightens, he eats 5 meals a day and reduces his carbohydrate intake by 10% per week. John-Augustin is very consistent in maintaining his diet and drinking six liters of water per day. Three days before the match, he will begin to gradually reduce the amount of water. He often eats egg whites, chicken, white fish, sweet potatoes, asparagus, broccoli, spinach … During meals, he adds a lot of starch. His supplement is whey, BCAA, multivitamin, Glutamine, fish oil, Glucosamine …

According to John-Augustin, what he loves most about this sport is his dedication to his best. Bodybuilding gives him a sense of accomplishment every day, gives him a goal to strive non-stop. “I often hurt from wearing a prosthesis, but that doesn’t stop me,” he stressed.

Thuy Lien synthetic