Mike MacLean
(Fredericton, New Brunswick Canada.)
My name is Mike MacLean of Island View. I am a bodybuilder, outdoor enthusiast and former amateur Olympic wrestler. "My son Sebastian is a bodybuilder and operates Inches Weight Loss on Prospect Street. He inspired me to continue being active so I tried to find a more relaxing medium."
(Article
written by Sebastian MacLean)
In The Beginning (1967)
Many can recall a time in their past when they felt they had reach
their all time best physical condition. For my father, Mike MacLean,
the year was 1967, he was 23 years old and had just returned to cottage
country in Muskoka for another summer of water-ski instructing and
performing. My grandfather thought he had developed so much physically
while he was away that he took this photo. (See photo left)
As a water-ski instructor, wrestler, and gymnast my father was never a
lifter of weights. Although he didn't considered himself a bodybuilder,
the callisthenic exercises he did daily, and the physical demands of
his chosen activities, resulted in his achieving a highly developed
physique for a time when physique development was not popular.
However, over the coming months and years, as life presented new
responsibilities, the photo at left would become a marker for what he
considered to be his best ever condition. As the years rolled by, with
no knowledge of nutrition or weight training and no real interest in
what he understood to be bodybuilding, it became harder to hold on to
the physique he held in his youth. Although callisthenic exercise
always kept him above average, it was just assumed that he would never
be able to out do the physique of his youth.
Mike MacLean - 1967, Age 23
Defying Age and Hitting The Stage (2003)
Going into 2003, dad was 59 and more dedicated than ever. However,
although he was improving with every BFL challenge, he had been
struggling with a degenerative arthritis disorder in his knees since
his twenties. Back in his water-ski days a number of surgeries had been
done on his knees, which resulted in the removal of almost all of the
surrounding cartledge, causing the knee joints to rub bone against
bone. Doctors were amazed that he could even walk, let alone engage in
many of the water sports he still enjoyed. Over time dad had learned
how to lock out his legs or maneuver his knees to reduce stress on them
during physical tasks. Rather than get knee replacement surgery he was
advised by doctors to work around them until he no longer had a
choice.
Because of this condition, the knee joint was weak and badly worn,
making exercising his legs nearly impossible. Since his leg muscles
tended to be so much smaller than the rest of his physique, he had
often felt he would never have the symmetry to compete on stage.
Competing for his own physical best in the BFL contest was one thing,
but standing next to someone else and being compared body part for body
part seemed like quite another.
2003 BFL after photo, age 59
When discussing the challenges that dad faced, I would often refer to
the fact that many competitors have strengths and weaknesses. Where he
was strong others are likely to be week and vice versa.
These ideas, along with his own resolve, were enough for him to
decide that now might be the time for a contest on the bodybuilding
stage. Knowing dad's hesitations, I committed to providing all the diet
and training advice I could in order to get him as ripped as possible.
The idea would be that he would do another BFL challenge at the same
time as he prepared for the show. Since the BFL challenge would end 4
weeks before the provincial show, he would have the time to evaluate if
he should keep moving on to the contest stage.
After twelve weeks of training and dieting harder than ever, dad had
made his best transformation to date and committed to proceeding with
plans to compete in the provincials. This time dad would be under the
lights and I would be doing the backstage helping and cheering from the
crowd.
Improving with every challenge,
it was time to get on stage.
After
twelve weeks of training and dieting harder than ever, dad had made his
best transformation to date and committed to proceeding with plans to
compete in the provincials. This time dad would be under the lights and
I would be doing the backstage helping and cheering from the crowd.
Arriving at the provincial contest, dad found himself the oldest male
in the show. He was only two months away from turning 60 and the next
oldest male after dad was a man 45 years of age.
Watching my father step out on stage that night, after the years of
training, posing and traveling to shows together, I was overcome with
pride. Seeing him seize hold of this challenge at an age when many feel
afraid of new challenges left me speechless. He didn't walk away with a
trophy that night (even though I believe he should have), but he did
walk away with a sense of exhilaration and with the respect of everyone
who saw him that night.
As our whole family celebrated dad's achievement on the stage, he was
already talking about wanting to reach a new goal, one that he could
say he had reach at age 60. Before getting to that though, take a
second to check out my dad's on stage pictures.
Surrounding pictures are of Mike MacLean at the 2003 New Brunswick Bodybuilding Championships, Men's Masters Class.