Nick Scott shares his thoughts on Ronnie Coleman’s refusal to stop training even after his serious injuries.
Nick Scott is a pro wheelchair bodybuilder and a man with injuries that can never be fully reversed. But his love of bodybuilding is so strong that it has impassioned him to build up the Pro Wheelchair Bodybuilding division to the biggest stages in the sport. So what does Nick Scott think of someone like Ronnie Coleman?
Ronnie is a bodybuilder who had trained so hard it has led to multiple spinal injuries and put him on and off into crutches and a wheelchair. Should Ronnie still be training and pushing his limits into potential more injury? In our latest GI Exclusive, Nick Scott shares his perspective on Ronnie Coleman’s non-stop training and injuries.
The story of Ronnie Coleman has been discussed for decades at this point. But the latest developments in his story – his surgeries and injuries – have put the iconic bodybuilders legacy into a different light for some people.
Some believe that the injuries and pain in his post-retirement life wasn’t worth the glory. Others believe that it’s the sacrifice of being the greatest of all time. As for Ronnie, he simply regrets that he didn’t lift even heavier in his prime.
During our conversation with Pro Wheelchair bodybuilder Nick Scott, we asked for his opinion on Ronnie Coleman’s present situation. Nick Scott became paralyzed from the waist down after a near-fatal car accident. It’s an injury he can never fully recover from.
While Ronnie Coleman’s injuries aren’t paralyzing, he continues to train against doctor’s wishes. It’s simply in his blood. It’s his passion and he would rather train and potentially get hurt again than to not train at all.
What does Nick Scott think of that mindset? When we brought it up in our interview, he was able to relate it to wheelchair bodybuilding. He describes that athletes such as himself and other pro wheelchair bodybuilders sometimes have metal rods in their backs due to surgery. When they train they can sometime and pose on stage the metal rods can bend or break. When this happens that leads to more surgery to get those metal rods replaced.
But for many pro bodybuilders, the passion for bodybuilding and the warrior mindset overshadows all else. These pro wheelchair bodybuilders are willing to go through the surgeries and rod replacements. They’ll do whatever is necessary to become the best.
The same holds true for Ronnie Coleman. Nick Scott points out that at the end of the day, it’s only the individual’s choice. No matter anyone else’s opinion, so long as Ronnie or any other athlete is not hurting other people – their choice is their own. Yes, some of those looking from the outside might not think it’s worth it. But that’s not for them to decide.
Nick Scott understands this directly from his life experience. And he understands that there was no other option for Ronnie Coleman. This is the man he was always going to be.
You can watch Nick Scott’s full comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!