…sprinting and standing positions, wearing shorts with nothing to cover his prosthetic legs. The photographer shared his photos of Edgard with the Facebook community, and Edgard was shocked by the overwhelming positivity and praise he received. He used the kind comments to inspire others struggling with similar physical handicaps and thought up the name “Bionic Body” to create his motivational brand, posting pictures of his daily life and workouts with his prosthetic legs on display.
Workouts continued and day by day, Edgard got stronger.
“With my prostheses, I am able to perform a variety of leg work,” he explains. “I love doing leg presses, hack squats, leg extensions, and leg curls, as I am able to safely control the weight on those exercises. Barbell squats and deadlifts can also be executed, though I tend to go lighter with these movements, since balance can become an issue if I go too heavy.”
In September 2014, upon the urging of friends and colleagues, Edgard hired a coach to prepare for his first competition. “To be honest, I had never considered competing,” he admits. “It just wasn’t something I thought I had in me, or that I had potential for. But since a lot of people I knew had been encouraging me to compete, I decided to try my hand at it.”
A year later, Edgard competed in France’s Grand Prix Des Pyrenees in April of 2015 and even though the contest didn’t accommodate wheelchair bodybuilding, the contest director arranged for Edgard to stand with alongside regular competitors without being judged in the competition. To Edgard, it was a priceless experience to walk with and stand next to non-handicapped athletes even though he belongs to a wheelchair bodybuilding division.
Following the competition, Edgard was asked to compete a few weeks later at a European Championship occurring in Spain. Edgard agreed, and three weeks later he became the European Wheelchair Bodybuilding Champion in May 2015. Edgard still competes today and continues to inspire men (and women) all over the world.
For more information on Edgard and his bionic body, click here.