Ronnie Coleman’s legendary bodybuilding career almost ended before it began — in earnest, at least. Most bodybuilding fans (rightfully) recognize Coleman as the eight-time Mr. Olympia and debatable modern G.O.A.T. His early days, on the other hand, were anything but glorious:
- “Bodybuilding is dragging me down,” Coleman recalls telling his then-partner while reflecting on his early days in physique sports. “I don’t need this sh*t.”
As Coleman tells it, he was teetering on the edge of giving up bodybuilding altogether before his luck turned in 1998. Here’s how it happened.
Ronnie Coleman’s Pity Party
Coleman’s reign atop competitive bodybuilding began with his win at the 1998 Mr. Olympia. It came as a shock to everyone, including and especially Coleman himself, who didn’t expect to do any better than third.
- “Fourth place was called, and it wasn’t me,” Coleman told former colleague (and four-time Mr. “O”) Jay Cutler during an Oct. 28, 2024 episode of the Cutlercast podcast. “I was like, ‘Thank you Jesus, I’ve accomplished my life goal.’”
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Coleman had spent the previous competitive season getting trounced by a smaller, meaner, and more polished Lee Priest. “Lee was in front of me again, and I really had a pity party with myself,” Coleman said.
He was referring to the 1997 IFBB Ironman Pro Invitational. Ken Wheeler won that show; Priest got second, bumping Coleman back to bronze despite being of smaller stature, which frustrated Coleman to the point of despair.
- “I didn’t know what to think. I was kind of in shock,” Coleman continued. “How can a guy this short and nowhere near as big as I am beat me?”
He’d finish a modest ninth at the ‘97 Mr. Olympia. Priest got sixth. Coleman, momentarily, considered giving up bodybuilding to focus on his career in law enforcement — he was passionate about physique sports, but confessed he had mainly stayed in the game to keep his free gym membership.
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The wind changed in ‘98 when Coleman won his first Mr. Olympia. In a move that many contemporary bodybuilders would balk at, Coleman also competed in five pro shows that year. He won them all, save for a second-place finish to Kevin Levrone at the San Francisco Pro.
“Vickie [Gates, bodybuilder and Coleman’s then-partner] told me, ‘Boy, shut up,’” Coleman recalled to Cutler. To this day he remains glad that Gates pushed him to stay in the bodybuilding game — heck, so are we.
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Featured Image: @ronniecoleman8 / Instagram
