Update on 18 years of dedication
February 19, 2010 by Ryan Irwin · Leave a Comment
This week (Feb 17th to be exact, right after the IA state wrestling tournament) marks 18 years of when I decided to be a natural bodybuilder. I made a conscious decision that I was going to stay dedicated and put forth the required effort and discipline needed for the sport. I wasn’t shortly after that (thankfully) that I realized I wasn’t going to look like the guys on the cover of the muscle mags without the use of steroids and that WASN’T for me. I did however discover natural bodybuilding and found fulfillment in pushing myself as far as I can naturally to achieve the best ‘me’ I can.
At the time, my goal was to turn pro in 6 years (at least I had enough sense back then to know it wouldn’t happen overnight). Little did I know that it would actually take 17 years to achieve that goal. Certainly there were times that I though ‘am I ever going to make it?’ but I kept on working towards achieving the best me I could.
This past year I won my IFPA pro card and I also won the overall in NASA Powerlifting Nationals (which has been a more recent undertaking). It really feels like the past 18 years are starting to reap the rewards of all the hard work (although every single workout gives me a sense of accomplishment). It continues to motivate me to work harder and to keep working towards achieving the best me I can.
Can’t wait to see what the next 18 years brings!
Ryan Irwin onstage at 2009 NANBF USA
Ryan Irwin
Nutri-Sport & Full Potential Training
www.nutrisportfpt.com
