Kidney Disease Forces Wheeler Retirement
Found this story at Iron Man's web page.
Kidney Disease Forces Wheeler Retirement
He’s said he’s retiring in the past—more than once, in fact—but this time it’s for good. Due to a congenital kidney ailment, Ken (Flex) Wheeler has officially called it quits from bodybuilding competition.
One of the greatest bodybuilder’s of all-time, whose resume includes a record five wins at the Ironman Pro and four at the Arnold Classic, Wheeler has suffered from various health ailments over the past few years. He spent two weeks in the hospital after the 2002 Mr. Olympia, then fell ill again after returning to the stage for the Ironman Pro in February 15.
Soon after, the 37-year-old Wheeler was forced to begin dialysis due to a condition termed Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, which involves the formation of scar tissue in the internal structure of the kidneys.
An important note here: the medical community has not been able to determine the cause of the condition, and it is more prevalent in black people. It is not caused by anabolic drug usage. Wheeler says both of his parents have the disease. He’s now hoping to find a matching donor, in hopes of having a kidney transplant.
Wheeler, who turned pro in 1992 after winning the USA, is in good spirits
, and has been pushing the sale of his book, "Flex Ability: Flex Wheeler’s Story of Strength and Survival," which can be purchased on Amazon.com.
To find out more about Wheeler’s condition, and what’s happening in his life, log on to www.teamflex.com.
