Ron Avidan met Keith a few years ago.
Re: The photo you've been waiting for...ONLYME!
« Reply #163 on: September 30, 2007, 09:01:51 PM » Quote
Well, back from Las Vegas. Very tired from the weekend. Had a great time. met Keith (Only Me) at the booth, and kudos are Keith for actually coming to the expo and Olympia. Much respect for that. I know that Keith spoke to a number of people, including J.M. Manion, and hopefully settled some things out. Keith was very positive about the IFBB and the NPC when we spoke to him.
As for his weight, here is more info from Keith about what is occuring...
"In 1998 I moved back to Los Angeles to train for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. I was on my way to possibly break the world record in the Discus. With more than 2 years to train I was throwing the Discus 196 feet. Less than 50 feet from the current world record. I felt I could have done very well in Sydney and even had a great chance to break the record and bring it back to the United States. On March 1, 1998 everything changed.
I woke up and my lower leg was killing me. I went to the hospital with 103 fever and barely able to walk. I was bit by what the doctors told me was a brown recluse spider. To make a very long story short, I spent the next 28 days in the hospital and the following 6 months barely able to walk and actually crawling on my hands and knees and spending hours in the bath tub cause I couldn’t get out. I also moved to Vegas.
I opted to keep my leg against the doctors recommendation of amputation. There are times I regret that decision, but overall I am happy I did. I have had many complications and other medical things happen to me as a result of this bite. The most damaging and discouraging is the weight gain due to the inactivity and depression that had set-in because I just couldn’t workout or do things I am accustomed to doing. I went from riding my bike 28 miles a day 3 to 4 days a week and pulling a 120 lb. truck tire around Diamond Head Crater, still benching 500, to being stuck in the bathtub for hours because of the pain I had in my leg and lower back.
I would literally at times be crawling through my condo in Las Vegas on my hands and knees and collapse in the middle of the floor for an hour or more. This intense pain lasted for the next 4 years. Monthly reactions to my lower leg resulted in 103 degree fever, severe reddening of the lower leg, peeling of the skin, tremendous swelling (calf would measure 31"+), fluid leakage from the lower leg and extreme pain.
As recent as Christmas of 2006 I spent two weeks in the hospital because my leg swelled to over 31", my leg is still bothering me.
My strength has diminished greatly too (from bench pressing just shy of 600 lbs. to barely doing 225 lbs.) This was the most embarrassing and humiliating part of the past several years besides the weight gain. I loved going to the gym everyday and riding my bike and rollerblading. That is what I missed more than anything. And it's unbelievable the depression that sets in. There are so many stories yet so little space.
Well, now I am feeling 100 times better and am back in the gym. My strength is what is coming back very fast. I have set a goal for myself and look forward to reaching it soon. When I do, look for me on Oprah. I will post progress pics as I go along."