We have an award winning body builder in our midst after Eugowra man Marc Wheeldon came away with the NABBA/WFF NSW title.
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Wheeldon was named the winner of the Mr Athletic Open Class 1 division at the National Amateurs Body-Builders’ Association (NABBA) and World Fitness Federation (WFF) NSW titles which were held at Bankstown on Sunday, September 14.
The 38-year-old lives on a farm between Eugowra and Canowindra and to win the overall state title is impressive considering this was his very first body building competition.
“I’m stoked,” Wheeldon said.
“I didn’t know what to expect - I train by myself in a shed on the farm, so I have nothing to compare against.”
However, Wheeldon comes from an elite sporting background and has played rugby league for Manly, has won state boxing titles, and even tried out for the 100m athletics team for the Sydney Olympics in 2000, so he knows what it takes to be successful.
“I’ve been involved in elite sports for a long time,” he said.“12 months ago I decided to have a crack at body building – I’ve been lifting weights my whole life but decided last year to focus on it.”
“It was ticking another thing off my sporting list.”
While he didn’t set out to win a state title, Wheeldon said as he got into the training he decided he’d have a go at the state body building competition.
Wheeldon said it has taken a lot of hard work and dedication to get to where he is.
“I’m always training…I don’t think I’ve missed a workout or a meal,” he said.
“I trained on Christmas day – I give it everything I’ve got.
“In the off-season it’s all about lifting weights and getting as much as you can, five times a week.
“I then did a huge amount of cardio and changed my diet leading into it.”
Wheeldon said he currently trains three times a day, doing cardio and weights training for a total of 3.5 hours every day.
WFF is a natural body building competition that includes a weight restriction along with the height classification.
Wheeldon is in Class 1, a tall man’s class for anyone above 179cm.
In this class the maximum weight is 87kg.
Wheeldon got down to an impressive 86.5kg, with just three per cent body fat on the day of the competition.
“I was 112kg 15 weeks ago… in the last week before the competition I did a lot of saunas and dieting to get rid of excess fluids,” he said.
“I’m not naturally 87kg at all.
“24 hours after the competition I was 12kg heavier.”
Wheeldon hopes to do at least another year of body building since he is only very new to the sport.
He is currently training for the NABBA/WFF Australian championships on Sunday, October 12 before he competes in the World championships which are in Australia, on the Gold Coast on Sunday, November 2, which he automatically qualified for by winning the state title.
