Flex Wheeler is a guy who took his body almost to the edge of an explosion. The bodybuilding masterpiece his body has become is simply the stuff dreams are made of. Driven by incredible determination and consistency, Flex has literally flexed his body muscles to the extreme maximum.
Flex Wheeler Bio (Age)
Kenneth Flex Wheeler is a famous American professional bodybuilder of the IFBB, born on August 23, 1965. Flex was born and raised in a small town called Fresno, California. Born into abject poverty, Flex fought dyslexia, child abuse, and suicidal thoughts, but found well-deserved comfort in sport.
His problems with dyslexia in high school meant that education and academic training would always be a struggle. Wheeler, however, discovered strength training as a teenager and started doing both martial arts and bodybuilding.
ALSO READ: Marco Reus Girlfriend, Wife, Age, Height, Weight, Biography, Other Facts
In his personal notes, Wheeler sees himself first as a martial artist and then as a bodybuilder. For someone with his body mass, Wheeler is known for his remarkable flexibility. He has the ability to perform complete splits, which earned him the nickname “Sultan of Symmetry”.
For a short time after high school, Flex went into law enforcement, he had a short career as a police officer before he decided to refocus and pursue his dream of becoming a professional bodybuilder. Although he had been competing since 1983, it was only when he won first place in the NPC Mr. California Championships in 1989 that people became aware of his impressive talent.
His career could have ended before it even began when he was involved in a terrible car accident in 1994 that paralyzed him for almost his entire life. Wheeler’s life got worse and worse when it was discovered in 1999 that he was suffering from a rare kidney disease called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.
For athletes, consistency is probably the most underrated attribute necessary for continued success. With his growing health challenges, maintaining the required high level of consistent fitness became almost impossible, Flex slipped into depression and his slow journey towards the end of elite bodybuilding had begun.
After his diagnosis, there was a debate in the media about the course of his kidney problems and there were hints that his use of ster*ids was catching up with him. Wheeler insisted that his condition was hereditary. Due to chronic health conditions, Flex Wheeler had to announce his retirement from professional and competitive bodybuilding in 2000 but continued to compete until he finally quit in 2003.
His retirement in 2003 was not the last time the professional bodybuilding community heard of Flex. He was not just another athlete, but one of the greatest bodybuilders the sport had ever seen, and his obsession with fitness was amazing.
In 2017, Flex made a comeback to the only title that had eluded him – Mr. Olympia. Unfortunately, he finished the race in a low 15th place, but as a serial winner Flex realized that there was no point in continuing to fight when his body was slowing down.
He said goodbye to professional bodybuilding and decided to concentrate on his martial arts career, focusing on Tae Kwon Do, Kempo, and Aikido.
Wife, Family
Flex Wheeler married his long-time girlfriend Madeline Wheeler in the spring of 1997, and the couple had a son – Darius Wheeler. Flex Wheeler’s parents are Owen and Gloria Wheeler.
ALSO READ: Who Is Ali Wong Husband? Her Net Worth, Baby And Family Life
Height And Body Measurements
The bend is about 1.79 m (5 ft 10 1/2inch). His arm size is certainly one of the largest and so large that most greenhorn bodybuilders can only try to have one. His arms are 58 cm tall, while his leg size is 80 cm. His chest size is 138 cm.
Net Worth
The net worth of Flex Wheeler amount to approximately $2.2 million. His main sources of income could be limited to sponsorship of nutritional brands and prize money.
Other Facts You Need To Know About Flex Wheeler
After a kidney transplant in 2003, he participated in the Arnold Classic in 2005. He received praise from the icon Arnold Schwarzenegger, who called Flex the best bodybuilder he had ever seen.
According to Flex, Jet Lee and Jackie Chan had the greatest influence on his career.
Flex Wheeler is a 5-time Ironman Pro winner, a 4-time winner of the Arnold Classic, and has won the French Grand Prix, the South Beach Pro Invitational, the Night of Champions, and the Hungarian Grand Prix. He is also the winner of the 1996 Florida Cup Pro.
Despite his impressive laurels, Flex Wheeler continued to elude Mr. Olympia, whom he narrowly missed three times and finished second in 1993, 1998, and 1999.
