Martyn Ford took to Instagram yesterday to share some of his memories of the late Rich Piana, whom he called “one of the realist [sic] and nicest guys I’ve ever been around.”
Bodybuilder Martyn Ford was a close friend of the late Piana, who died at 46 in August 2017, in part due to complications from steroid use. Ford shared a touching tribute to Piana on his Instagram this morning and explored some of what he learned from their friendship with his fans. You can check out the post in full below.
Although it’s been nearly three years since the bodybuilding and fitness icon has died, his legacy has left a lasting impact on those who followed him and those who were his friends. Martyn Ford clearly has some very happy memories of their time together, saying Piana was “very unique, genuine and humble” and adding that the late bodybuilder inspired him to “make sure you stay true to yourself, unique and proud.”
Although he was a controversial figure in the industry, there’s no denying that Rich Piana touched the lives of many and inspired people to renew their love for bodybuilding. His death was also an important wake-up call for the entire community about the dangers of performance-enhancing drug abuse. Piana’s official cause of death was due to cardiac arrest, but an autopsy revealed that his organs were severely enlarged after decades of steroid abuse. Drug abuse is a specter that haunts the sport of bodybuilding and this loss, though traumatizing, shed light on a very serious issue that is unfortunately still unsolved.
Hundreds fans commented on the post sharing personal stories about how Piana touched their lives and their grief at such a profound loss. Many called him an inspiration or talked about how they still miss his videos and YouTube updates, even three years later.
Piana is associated with steroids because of how often he talked about them in his videos, but that honesty was important. Many bodybuilders do use these drugs and they need to be talked about. Piana was unafraid to have challenging conversations about steroids, conversations that made more than a few people in the industry uncomfortable. But those conversations informed an untold number of men who were using drugs about the dangers and the risks associated with their use. Piana himself fell victim to a cycle of drug abuse that has swallowed the lives of so many other talented athletes before their time.
Piana is a powerful reminder of the dangers of drug abuse and the fact that long-term damage can still be done to your body even if the consequences are not immediately felt. Hopefully, his example made other people safer and more informed about this dangerous issue. Even though many feel deep sadness at this loss, Martyn Ford is able to remember the happier moments and reflect with happiness on the positive legacy of his friend’s life. We should all share in that loving remembrance and hug our loved ones a little closer today.
*All media courtesy of Instagram.
