Antoine Vaillant recently posted two videos on YouTube to discuss his recent relapse.
It is no secret that Antoine Vaillant has had a difficult past. He has battled drug addiction since his early days as a professional. After getting back on track a bit, Vaillant took to YouTube to discuss his recent relapse.
Vaillant burst onto the scene as a professional and quickly became one of the top Canadian bodybuilders. From the time he began competing, Vaillant faced problems with drugs. It has been a difficult road over the last few years for Vaillant. He competed in the 2018 Toronto Pro but took a break following the competition.
Vaillant came back onto the scene when he placed seventh in the 2020 New York Pro. It all came full circle for Vaillant when he stepped onto the stage once again. Vaillant took home first place in the 2020 California Pro and qualified for the 2020 Mr. Olympia, where he finished 14th.
After a few slip ups over the last year, Vaillant was able to stay the course and get back on track. He suffered a torn biceps and this opened the door once again. Vaillant filmed his YouTube videos on May 31 and posted them on the platform on July 1. This is where he was able to open up to the public about his recent relapse.
“Today is the 31st of May and you guys don’t know yet at this date, but tomorrow, I’m going back to rehab. Not the bicep rehab. Rehab rehab. The drug addiction rehab,” Vaillant said in the video.
Vaillant explains how he did not feel the need to use drugs while training for different competitions. He also did not attend any rehab meetings during 2020 because they were not being held due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Once there were no competitions, there was nothing left to “fill that void.”
Vaillant has leaned heavily on his friends and family throughout the recovery process.
“At some points, my friends were worried,” Vaillant said.
“You can hide it for a little bit but you hide it by avoiding people. If I’m avoiding people, if I’m not doing as many stories or my stories are different, my friends know me so at some point, they just knew. I knew I couldn’t hide it anymore.”
Vaillant has a chance to better himself and help others struggling with the same problem moving forward. Using his platform, Vaillant can do a lot of good and there is no doubt that he will make a difference and be an inspiration for many people out there.
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