Australia is part of the world that has a powerful ardour for bodybuilding and health. Apart from legendary promoter and fitness center proprietor Tony Doherty, a number of the biggest champions to return from Down Beneath embrace Lee Priest and Sonny Schmidt. The most recent famous person to emerge within the IFBB Professional League was Josh Lenartowicz.
“The King of the Health club” made his presence identified within the sport in 2015 when he gained each the Ferrigno Legacy Present and the San Marino Professional. He then made an excellent larger affect when he positioned third on the 2016 Arnold Basic. He would go on to put 9th at each the 2016 and 2017 Olympia. Followers had been sure that they had been seeing the rise of a famous person.
Then, he positioned 11th on the 2020 Arnold Basic, which got here as a shock to many followers, who thought he may win the present. He defined to Dennis James on The Menace Podcast that he was coping with a number of points directly main as much as that contest. He recalled that it started with complications.
“I began getting these bizarre complications, and I used to be like, ‘I by no means get complications, what’s occurring right here?’ And so I went to the physician, and I simply stated, ‘Hey, I’m getting these complications and I by no means get complications,” Lenartowicz stated. “And he’s like, take some aspirin.’ And I stated, ‘no, I acquired like a bit lump right here.’”
That lump was really a tumor, and this wasn’t the primary time he had heard of this. His brother had one in his previous as nicely. It took some convincing, however docs ultimately determined to get a scan to verify it. Lenartowicz had surgical procedure to have it eliminated, however his issues weren’t over but. His mind began swelling, and he must be put in a coma. He virtually died at one level resulting from fluid buildup in his lungs whereas he was out. By the point he wakened and was in a position to go house, he was a far completely different athlete than he was once.
“Days earlier than, I used to be doing tremendous heavy squats, like seven plates a aspect, and that was days earlier than. After which after every week (within the coma), I couldn’t even rise up,” stated Lenartowicz. “So, I needed to study to stroll once more. Think about that, preparing for the Olympia, and doing all this cardio, then I couldn’t even rise up.”
Lenartowicz had a protracted street to restoration forward of him, which he talked about in the course of the episode. Nevertheless, resulting from his prolonged absence from the bodybuilding scene, many followers speculated that he quietly retired. James requested him outright if he has known as it a profession.
“No, by no means,” he stated emphatically. He didn’t say when he’ll return to the stage, however that information will likely be sufficient to excite bodybuilding followers for the long run.
Lenartowicz and James spoke extra in regards to the Australian’s restoration, gymnastics, fatherhood, and extra. Subscribe to the M&F YouTube channel to catch each episode of TMP and watch previous episodes as nicely.
