Fame brings both fortune and performance pressure, and bodybuilding icon Chris Bumstead is well aware of the downsides. The star may have eased through five consecutive Mr. Olympia titles, but he has equally felt the crushing moments that the stage brought him. Recently, he confessed that the title wasn’t his priority and would never be.
In a conversation with Patrick Bet-David and Vincent Oshana at the PBD Podcast, Bumstead pondered his health issues in the industry and how he copes with them. Since the star already suffers from an autoimmune disease, where does that put him in terms of aiming for more titles? After his recent announcement of becoming a father, the champion has his eyes locked on another goal already.
In 2018, Bumstead was diagnosed with a rare kidney autoimmune disease called IGA Nephropathy. This causes his immune system to attack itself. Given the high risks of the condition, the bodybuilding icon remained in the hospital for quite some time. But this hampered his Olympia prep.
“I was in the hospital for like a week in the middle of prep, and I came out of that, and I didn’t know if I’d be able to compete again. I didn’t know if it would be my last year competing. I didn’t know what was going to happen.”
This prompted Bumstead to prioritize his health over everything. He confessed how his Olympia prep consisted of a series of health checkups and blood work that determined his status. And of course, if he felt that competing that particular year wouldn’t be in his best interest, he wouldn’t hesitate to take a break.
“I knew I wouldn’t have a 10-15-year career. As much as I would love to keep going because I know I could keep getting better and do this for 10 Olympias or so, it’s not my dream.”
So what’s Bumstead’s first and most important goal, then? A recent announcement at Thanksgiving turned into a joyous affair as the Canadian declared he was having a baby with his fiancée, Courtney King. And Bumstead takes more pride in that.
“The number one thing I’ve always wanted to be in my life was a dad. And if being ten times Mr. Olympia would take away from me being dad, f**k 10 times Mr. Olympia! That’s not what I care about.”
And thus, the champion mindset prevailed. Fans praise Bumstead for his honesty surrounding the sport. And the icon has a lot to thank for.
Chris Bumstead thrives on love, family, and transparency
In a previous podcast with Chris Williamson, Bumstead gushed about the support he received from his family, particularly his partner. King and he have been together for a while, and now that they’re all set to embark upon a new chapter together, one could attest to his lady luck playing a huge role.
As mentioned earlier, the stage tends to bring in a lot of pressure. Bumstead confessed how King pulled him out of an episode one day as he broke down on the bathroom floor owing to a crushing sense of stress. Not only is he an icon for being able to fight through all that and grab the title, but also admitting to a weakness is not for the weak. Bumstead, therefore, proves time and again that he is the GOAT.
