Haney spoke on his current situation and answered many claiming that steroids played a role.
Bodybuilding legend Lee Haney recently shared that his kidney is failing and is now looking for a living donor. Haney was told in the past that he would eventually need a kidney transplant and the time has come. After sharing this news, many cited his bodybuilding career and steroid use for a reason that this might be happening. Haney cleared these accusations up in a recent interview.
Haney joined Ron Harris for an interview where he was able to share more about his recent announcement. He claims that steroids were not a factor in his kidney failing and spoke on his family history.
“I saw that online but you don’t know what you don’t know. I don’t blame people who make those assumptions because it’s true in our industry. In my case, my uncle was 75, he never competed in a competition. Several of my cousins, they never competed in competitions, and they dealt with kidney disease. My career in bodybuilding was very short anyway.”
Lee Haney was challenged by many competitive bodybuilders in the Golden Age of Bodybuilding, including Shawn Ray and the “Original Mass Monster” Dorian Yates. He surpassed Arnold Schwarzenegger’s total Mr. Olympia title wins and held onto the record until Coleman came along to tie him in 2005. After winning his final Mr. Olympia in 1991, Haney retired.
| Full Name: Lee “Hercules” Haney | ||
| Weight | Height | Nationality |
| 250-260 pounds | 5’11” | American |
| Date of Birth | Profession | Era |
| 11/11/59 | Bodybuilder | 80s |
Lee Haney Talks Mindset During Current Situation
Lee Haney discussed all aspects of this with Harris during their interview. This includes how he originally found out about his diagnosis of polycystic kidney disease. Haney chased down a billy goat that had gotten loose and caught a “shot to the gut” after catching him.
“He didn’t hit me. I jumped on top of him. I later had blood in my urine and went to my doctor to get it checked out. He said, Lee you have a cyst on your kidneys. I said, cyst, what is that. He said somebody in your family was born with polycystic kidney disease.”
Lee Haney has kept up with the current happenings in the bodybuilding world as a lifelong fan. Haney began his bodybuilding career at a young age. He found a passion for weightlifting and this led to an impressive physique. Haney received an athletic scholarship and graduated with a degree in youth counseling from Spartanburg Methodist College. Ultimately, his passion for bodybuilding led him down a career as a bodybuilder. This eventually led to eight Olympia titles, which is tied for the most all-time with Ronnie Coleman.
Now, Haney is fighting a new battle and shared his mentality as he enters this portion of his life.
“I feel great. I’m functional. I’m at peace with whatever situation arises, I’m happy that several people have already chimed in saying that they would go in and follow the links that we placed on the site to get tested. If I get a second chance, hey there you go, but I’ve lived an awesome lifetime already. All is well with me.”
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