NDO Champ didn’t even know the sport of bodybuilding existed… and then everything changed.

NDO Champ is one of the most unique personalities in bodybuilding today. Known for his hardcore and loud persona, NDO has gone viral on several occasions due to his intensity, ability to entertain, and of course an amazing physique. But before his journey into bodybuilding, he didn’t even know the sport existed. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, NDO Champ details how he found bodybuilding after his time in prison. He also details the wild journey over the past decade to make bodybuilding his career.

NDO Champ’s history is a long and complicated one filled with trauma and turmoil. He is a child of the Liberian civil war – an event that shaped him and his family’s life. He eventually was fortunate enough to escape to America with his family to avoid the chaos and bloodshed of the war.

But transitioning to life in America wasn’t easy and NDO fell in with the wrong crowd. This eventually led to some bad decisions which got him incarcerated. After being released from prison, NDO Champ wanted to give back to the community. It was through these initial steps that he discovered the sport of bodybuilding.

Working at a foundation with the youth, his physique was eventually noticed by an older man. That man asked him whether or not he would be competing in an upcoming nearby bodybuilding show. NDO Champ was confused and initially thought he was being pranked. He had never heard of bodybuilding as a sport before. He loved training in the gym and building his physique – but had no clue that there were competitions in that realm.

NDO Champ ended up jumping into a competition not knowing anything of what he should be doing or how he should prepare. He even jokes about not having the right attire before jumping onto stage. Despite not being fully prepared – he was able to bring an insane amount of entertainment for the crowd. He was a standout and suddenly NDO was on the fast track towards bodybuilding success.

He then spent the next decade working his ass off to ensure he can maintain a bodybuilding lifestyle. He had to work multiple jobs at once so he can continue to train. There were moments in time where he would barely sleep for weeks in order to work and train to succeed. He learned more about how to be a successful bodybuilder and eventually journeyed to becoming an IFBB Pro.

You can watch NDO Champ’s full story of discovering bodybuilding in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!

Derek Dufour
Derek Dufour has been managing all digital operations on the Generation Iron Network for over six years. He currently manages a team of editors, writers, and designers to provide up-to-date content across the GI Network.