It’s not every day that one could come across athletes attempting their luck at a sport miles away from their field. But veteran bodybuilder Shawn Ray has set out to do just that, or at least it seems like it. His recent Instagram video features his announcement of entering the Paris Olympics, particularly in the swimming category, as his latest venture.
Ray walked on the Mr. Olympia stage for the first time in 1990 and never placed below the fifth position till 2001. Known for his moniker ‘The Giant Killer’, his physique had once given a tough time to mass monsters like Dorian Yates during their prime. After retiring, he took to commentary as an analyst and shifted his career’s gears as life moved on.
Now, it looks like Ray has been having fun switching things up, with his potential swimming debut looking promising for Paris. The IG video shot at a swimming pool features the veteran bodybuilder holding on to the boundary as he mocked an announcement about showing up at the Paris Olympics.
He even justified his lack of muscle mass and a leaner figure to his ‘latest endeavor,’ saying,
“My latest challenge has been to get ready for Paris!…my new endeavor is swimming, so I’ve gotta lean out, I’ve gotta trim down, I’m building up my stamina with daily exercise.”
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While Ray invited fans to join him on his journey to supposedly prepare for the Olympics, everyone knew that it wasn’t as easy as he made it to be. The video ended with a shot of him attempting to flail in the swimming pool, and underneath the video, the caption had a motivational message.
“Mission Impossible!!!!
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with simply waking up!”
-SRay”
Yet, the bodybuilding world knew something was fishy and laughed about the mock announcement, including some who called him out. Some of the veterans even took to teasing Ray, maintaining the camaraderie and the fun tone of the video.
The Bodybuilding world joins in on Shawn Ray’s joke
Top personalities from the bodybuilding community immediately caught on to the practical joke, and Veteran Milos Sarcev was one of the many who teased him about including his retired self in the Olympics.
“What are you entering? New discipline: 4 meters whale…free-style?”
Bodybuilding icon Samir Bannout, on the other hand, claimed Ray had inspired him, saying,
“I am now motivated Shawn n gonna jump in my pool in a bit…”
One fan wondered about Ray’s hidden talents, although he assured them that he was far from a skilled swimmer.
“We didn’t know you could swim”
One immediately pointed out how a rookie swimmer like him could end up with 1.5 hours of swimming.
“1.5hrs in the pool…n get got gassed out in 10 strokes”
Finally, a fan quickly called out Ray’s prank and corrected him on the occasion.
“It’s Mother’s Day- not April Fools Day!! Why are you playing?”
His video might have been a mischievous trick to trap his fans, but Ray’s mention of the Olympics could be a hint at many possibilities. Given his experience as an analyst and commentator, one could still see his presence at the Paris Olympics being a possibility.
