Erin Kelly looks at a young disabled bodybuilder’s story, and how it reflects on the impulses of society.
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“Life is what you make it!” is an expression that’s been echoed by the commoners and trailblazers of society since the beginning of time. It’s a code of sorts that—when one invests their whole heart and soul into—becomes less about inspiration and more about proving themselves.
It becomes a proclamation that says they not only can crawl out of whatever hole life put them in, but proves that they also have the ability to be selfless and share a piece of their lives with others.
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In fact, some may say that’s where the root of opportunity is planted. Some may even say that’s the very place where every human emotion is born, felt and tested to their absolute limit. Then, however, the question is no longer one of, ‘Are people watching me?’ or ‘Do they see and approve of the effort I‘m making?’ It instead becomes a matter of, ‘Why am I doing what I’m doing?’ or perhaps even ‘Why does anyone do what they do at all?’
While the quest to find these answers must be an individual one, it doesn’t always mean it has to end. Nor does it have to be perceived as the negative piece of news that many have come to expect from tragedy—as this recent article from KFVS12 News proves.
The June 17 report recounts the steps of Brandon Strop, a 21-year-old athlete from Scott County, Missouri, who’s making positive waves in the world of bodybuilding—as well as across the country.
Strop is on his way to becoming a professional bodybuilder after doctors told him, “It’s amazing you’re still alive—because you should have been dead,” following a nearly fatal car accident during his junior year in high school.
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The accident reportedly left paralyzed from his belly-button region down, fracturing his skull due to the impact and losing the ability to walk. He has used a wheelchair since, and the blow to his head also caused him to completely lose his sense of smell—which sent him into a downward spiral:
“That took its toll. Then, in February [of my junior year], I had a heart attack,” Strop said in an interview with KFVS12 News.
Strop went on to say that is world began to change even more when he attended a bodybuilding competition as a spectator last October—on the five-year anniversary of his accident. This was his first time at a bodybuilding event of any kind, and it prompted him to do something that no one saw coming.
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He started working out at a local gym, got himself in the best physical shape that his body would allow and started lifting weights. He says continuing on the road to becoming a professional bodybuilder is his main focus, but his list of goals keeps getting longer by the day—even by the minute:
“I could come up with a world of excuses [for myself], but it comes down to, ‘What do I want in the end?’
Strop concluded by emphasizing the work and reward that come with following one’s true passion, and turning that passion into a goal. While he didn’t mention whether or not he thought his journey would inspire or motivate anyone when he first started lifting weights, it remains clear that he has no plans of stopping or slowing down any time soon.
Brandon continues to work out at his local gym for three hours a day, every day. According to the original article in which this story surfaced, Brandon will be one of fewer than 25 disabled bodybuilders in the world after he completes training and receives his official bodybuilding card—allowing him to compete on a national level. He’ll also set an International record for becoming the youngest wheelchair-bound bodybuilder in history, at 21 years old.
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I think it’s easy to look at the scope of this gentleman’s journey and say, “Oh wow, he’s beating the odds!” or “He’s just another underdog telling his story.” However, I don’t think that’s what it’s about—nor why Brandon is making these big, bold decisions.
I think he’s doing what he’s doing simply for “the love of the game.” There’s a lot to be said for that, because so many of us do things based on our own impulses for vanity and spoils. We often do things because we’re asked or expected to do them—or because we believe they will bring something tangible or material into our lives that we’ve deemed an absolute necessity, even though there’s no guarantee that we’ll get it.
That’s not our minds or our gut feelings talking. It’s the world we live in that’s calling most of the shots—the society which we have helped build with our words and actions. It may be true that we can all relate to Brandon and his story in some way, but it inadvertently begs the question, ‘How many of us would willingly trade places with him?’
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By the same token, would we learn to have the same outlook he has—or would we stay the way we were before giving up our personal freedom?
Moreover, what does this particular story say about the mechanical hand and its power to gain control? If anything, I think it’s a gentle, subtle reminder to constantly be aware of that power—and how hard we need to work to keep from falling under its spell.
One thing’s for sure: the mechanical hand of society is always working. The real question is if we’re willing to let it catch and control us from the inside out.
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Photo Credit; KFVS12 News
Hi Erin. As an aspiring amputee masters body builder and the Uncle of a niece with cerebral palsy I was particularly moved and inspired by this story.
Thanks!