Bodybuilder reaches Olympia after transplant

Tyler Smith competed at Mr Olympia - the competition Arnold Schwarzenegger won seven times

A bodybuilder says he has reached his "ceiling" by becoming what is believed to be the first person to compete at Mr Olympia following an organ transplant.

Tyler Smith, from Ashby in Leicestershire, was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 2015 and received a transplant three years later.

The 42-year-old competed in the Men's Physique category at the famous competition, which took place in Las Vegas on 11 October.

He said reaching the highest level of the sport was his "pinnacle" and after trying to qualify for years he had felt "an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and belonging " on stage.

"As far as I am aware, I am the only person in the world to undergo a kidney transplant, and then become professional and then qualify for the Mr Olympia competition in America," he said.

"For the last few years I always felt like I could do it but I always fell short. To qualify for Mr Olympia you have to win a tour event so it is similar to other sports like golf.

"I would always come second, but I knew it was there. So this year to finally win that tour competition, which was in Thailand, for me it was an overwhelming sense of belonging.

"I suppose that acceptance of being in that elite group of other athletes that haven't necessarily had the challenges I have had."

Mr Smith was told in 2018 he would need a kidney transplant after three years of managing his condition.

"It was a scary time because when you are told from a doctor 'look this is what needs to happen' and that you need a major operation – it scares you," he said.

"Nobody wants to undergo major operations but then you come to the reality very quickly that your life is going to change. I was, I think, sort of defiant to a degree that I did not want it to change my life that much.

"I knew it was something I was going to have to live with for the rest of my life, but I did not want it to define the rest of my life."

'Competitive streak'

Mr Smith said that the transplant meant he has to carefully monitor his water and protein intake.

"The thing is with the kidney transplant, people think it is a cure," he said.

"It is not a cure because we have to take medication every twelve hours and that is for the rest of our lives to stop our body rejecting it.

"So everything has to be monitored very carefully in a sense that maybe someone who is healthy with two kidneys wouldn't have to take into consideration."

Mr Smith said after the transplant he wanted to regain his fitness and then "one thing just led to another".

He always had a "sporty background" and a "competitive streak" which motivated him to reach Mr Olimpia.

Mr Smith said that he had received "wonderful" support from his gym in Coalville since returning from the states.

Looking forward, he is planning to rest and re-evaluate his fitness goals next year.