INSPIRATION

ANDRÉ SLABBERT wants bodybuilding shows in South Africa to have disabled representation. Compared with the long journey that he has made since a near fatal shooting in 2012, this challenge does not seem insurmountable for the Centurionbased bodybuilder and personal trainer, who gives new meaning to the saying“ that which does not kill us, makes us stronger”.

Your life changed in a matter of minutes on 30 August 2012. What happened? I was shot in the neck in an attempted hijacking. I drove straight into a concrete wall while trying to get away from the hijackers. I was dead for 10 minutes and 25 seconds. Doctors revived and stabilised me. I was later told I would never walk, talk or compete in bodybuilding shows again due to multiple injuries. All that I had in my head was to get back to where I was before as a bodybuilder and personal trainer. I was in an induced coma for months to allow my body to heal and to get through the pain. When I came out of the coma I was moved to a rehabilitation facility. It took 150 days of fighting to survive, to recover and to walk and talk again. The journey back to a normal life was extremely difficult, and although I’ ve had moments of doubt along the way, the thought of stepping on stage again motivated me to not give up! I’ m particularly grateful for all the support and encouragement I have received over the past few years. It has been invaluable. The fact that I can walk and talk and function is nothing short of a miracle. I’ m nothing without God.

Have you made a full recovery? I’ m still in recovery and follow a weekly rehabilitation programme. The nerves in my hands and legs were badly damaged and I need to exercise on a daily basis, which is not a bad thing when you’ re a bodybuilder! My goal is to compete at the next show that caters for disabled bodybuilders.

ANDRÉ’ S BULKING SHAKE: 35g of whey protein( isolate / concentrate / hydrolysate)

20g of casein protein 10g of L-glutamine

10g of creatine monohydrate

400ml full-cream, lactose-free milk

2 bananas

100ml full-cream yoghurt

2 tbsp peanut butter

When you got out of hospital after your hijacking incident you weighed 64kg. How did you bulk up? I immediately started building my strength and still follow the same routine. I believe the body will counter extreme conditions and wants consistency when it comes to diet and training. To this day I still drink the same high calorie shake I used when I got out of hospital. I drink this shake four times a day with my usual meals.

Tell us what it felt like, after months of training and dieting, to stand backstage at your first competition as a disabled athlete? It was the NABBA Provincials in 2015. I entered the over 45 years division and, although I was extremely nervous, no one even looked at me in a weird way or treated me differently than other athletes. Organisers Manie and Alet Lemmer asked me to share a few words with my fellow athletes. It was an amazing experience and from that moment I knew the stage is where I belonged! Since then I have competed at other competitions, such as the Rossi Classic in 2015 where I achieved 3rd place in the disabled category.

Has bodybuilding always been a way of life for you? Bodybuilding is one of the most competitive sports in the world, but I find no aspect of it to be overly difficult. It is all about how you apply yourself. I see bodybuilding as an art form and not just about what you eat and how you train. It is either in your DNA or it isn’ t. I believe we should have disabled representation at more shows in South Africa. Disabled athletes go though the same prep as able-bodied bodybuilders and should be given the opportunity to compete. There are many talented disabled bodybuilders out there and they only need a platform where their hard work, dedication and discipline can be acknowledged and rewarded. I’ m appealing to all federations, role players, organisers and sponsors to give us, the disabled component of this majestic sport, a chance to compete at your shows. Anyone is welcome to contact me regarding disabled representation at bodybuilding shows.

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Muscle Evolution

Slabbert1968 Andre Slabbert AndreSlabbert99 @ gmail. com