Natural Bodybuilding, Figure and Fitness News

Beating the odds can be done. Its all in the heart

My name is Richard (Rich) Knapp and this is my story.

I was your average run of the mill farms boy that didn't play sports. I was small but strong. In Junior High when I set the pull up record there was a reason like “He is so light that's why” or had a massive squat for a person that never worked out in High School “He didn't go all the way down” had 2nd fastest 880 yard time and it was in western boots it was “It is cooler today than yesterday when we ran”.

You know the type we all had them in school.

After getting out of the US NAVY I worked as a chipper/grinder for a founder and ended up with Carpel Tunnel in both hands and never had the surgery.

Then I landed a job in a paper mill.

Time went on and in 1992 I was diagnostic with Lyme disease. A year later I became worse and lost the use of my right arm and my legs were always bent, I talked like a drunk when I made sense. In 1993 at the age of 27, after more tests and a spinal tap they told me I didn't have Lyme disease, instead it was Multiple Scleroses.

I didn't like the shots so I started researching the disease. I found that exercise and a low saturated fat diet helped. I also found out people with M.S. had low Creatine levels.
My work put me on a less active job so I got a home gym and started to work out and eat healthy. I put on some nice size, got use of my arm back and my legs started working right again. People at work talked me into doing bodybuilding and competing.

My first show was FORD SHERIDAN'S Midwest Natural Bodybuilding Championships in 1999 and I took 3rd place Novice and I was hooked. I went on to do another 10 shows and placed in top 3 for 9 of them.

* 2000 Great Lakes Pro-Qualifier - 3rd Place in the Lightweight Open Class.
* 2000 Northeast Championship - 1st Place in the Lightweight Open Class.
* 2000 Midwest Championships - 1st Place in the Lightweight Open Class
* 2001 Great Lakes Pro-Qualifier - 2nd Place in the Lightweight Open Class
* 2001 Wisconsin State Championships - 2nd place Open Lightweight Class
* 2002 Wisconsin State Championships - 1st place Open Lightweight Class
* 2002 Great Lakes Pro-Qualifier - 2nd place Open Class Lightweight  Class
* 2003 Great Lakes Por-Qualifier - 3rd place Open Lightweight Class
* 2004 Great Lakes Pro-Qualifier -  2nd place Open Lightweight Class 

In 2004 I was doing so well I asked to be put on a machine at work. After they approved it, I was over on machine side working and making more money ( I worked in a paper mill).

 Later that year I was working long hours and my left arm got pulled into a paper re-winder up to my shoulder. I was 1 in a million that was able to keep my arm. Doctors said it was due to the extra muscle mass to protect the arm, but I did end up with nerve damage in it. They also found a bone cyst in my upper right arm the size of a grape. The family doctor took me off lifting heavy weights.

This about killed me. So I left the mill work to work as a diesel tech to keep in shape. We moved to Tucson, AZ. On a job transfer because of my M.S. Things were good, BUT we missed our 7 kids and 2 grand kids so we moved back to Wisconsin. knowing the risks.

This is were it got hard. I began to get worse and had my back checked. They found arthritis and 2 herniated disks in my low back. This got so bad along with my memory and cognitive functions that I can no longer work. I am in a wheelchair now for almost everything, I have post-its and note pads all over the house to remind me of things, I use a computer program to log and keep track of the workouts and food, I no longer can drive because I get lost even close to the apartment, one day I forgot how to spell ”at”. Yes I have good days now and then when things are better. My spell check got killed writing this up. LOL!

In October 2009 I found out about Wheelchair Bodybuilding. BAM! My heart swelled and burned. I looked at Tammy (my wonderful, supporting wife) and said “Hun, the heck with the doctors I am going back into bodybuilding. It brought me back once maybe it will bring some things back again.”

I am now doing INBF shows with a wheelchair class. I am calling out to all you 100% natural wheelchair bodybuilders to please get involved and compete. INBF don't let this class fade away!

I have made a sedition to make wheelchair bodybuilding my full time job in the INBF and hopefully one day WNBF. Tammy supports me 100% in this.

In closing I would like to make this point. People call me inspirational and motivational and I have even been called a hero of theirs. STOP! The one you should look up to is Tammy. Her dedication to getting up, makes sure I am all set, drives me to the gym and helps me with the equipment and weights, logs my work out at the gym as we go. Then when we get home she makes sure I remember to eat at the right times. She puts up with my memory problem on what workout day it is, what exercise is next. She does all this because she loves me and knows how much I love to do it. So if anyone should be inspirational it is her and how she is helping me reach my goals, and she never asks for anything for herself.

Rich Knapp can be contacted at richknapp66@hotmail.com.