Chuck Carter: Heart of a Champion
Perspective is a funny thing. We tend to view our problems
as being the worst, or the most severe until we see a story that reminds us how lucky we are. It put things in perspective. It allows us to view things through another lens, even if that glimpse is brief. That’s how I felt when I heard about the story of Chuck Carter. His is a story of strength, perseverance, and overcoming odds, even when the deck is stacked against you. This year, at Masters Nationals, Chuck is trying to fulfill a lifelong dream by earning his pro card. Recently, Chuck decided to share the details of his incredible life with Rx Muscle.
Q.) Your story is pretty incredible, but to tell it we need to stat from the beginning. When you were born doctors diagnosed you with congenital hip dislocation. Explain what that means, and what you had to go through as a child to overcome it.
A.) Well a congenital hip dislocation is when the ball of the hip is not fully covered by the socket. The ball not being fully covered allows for the ball to slip out of the socket when you walk, and makes it very difficult to walk at all. I was admitted into the Shriners hospital around the age of 8 months old. I had 9 surgical procedures by the time I was 2 years old. I spent many months in a full body cast up to my lower chest. I couldn’t crawl because I couldn’t move my legs so I always just pulled myself with my arms and upper body. When I first came home from the hospital I had to go back to Lexington, Kentucky every 3 months for check up’s and then it went to 6 months. I remember wanting to play baseball at 6 years old, when we went for the checkup the doctor said I could play but told my parents I would not be able to keep up with the normal kids. It set something off in my head even at 6 years old. I thought I am not going through life not being able to do what the normal kids can do. I had to try and work harder than the others and at times I wanted to quit because it was hard. Sometimes kids would say I was slow and I couldn’t keep up. Things like that just drove me harder. As I got older into Junior High School and athletics became more involved and more important to be good at, I ran every day, or rode a bicycle for miles to build up my legs and jumped a lot of rope to develop quickness. By the time I was in the 8th grade I was on both the varsity baseball and basketball teams. I had to work even harder because I wasn’t as fast as some so I trained harder to become stronger and have more endurance, and to become quicker than the rest. God blessed me with people in my life that would push me my like Junior High School coach , Lebron Sterchi, who is a godly man. He pushed me harder than ever, I didn’t know what quit meant by that time. I entered high school and played basketba
ll and baseball, again God blessed me with coaches that made me work hard and didn’t allow for any weaknesses I had, they worked me through it pushed to become the best I could be. I am very thankful that God placed these men in my life and that God allowed me the opportunity to do the things I did as a young person. It allows a person to persevere and know there is nothing you can’t accomplish if you work hard and believe in yourself.
Q.) In your early adult life you struggled with addiction. What do you think it was that led you to use drugs initially?
A.) WOW! That’s a tough question. I’m not sure anyone is really lead to do drugs. I think we forget about obedience, we get away from the things we know are right and the things we know are true. We tend to meet up with people that make a party life seem to be the right way to go. I tried cocaine and it was a high that kept me going, I didn’t feel bummed out or tired, I could go for days. I thought I was accomplishing a lot. I was self employed at the time, framed houses and did remodel work. I thought man I am getting a lot done on this job when I was using, to find out I was just messing things up more.
Q.) How long did your struggle with addiction last? What happened that made you decide it was time to turn your life around?
A.) I struggled with it for about a year and a half. I turned around one day, and realized I had gone through about $30,000 in a month. I was losing guys that worked for me, I had no money left and jobs were not getting done and I had gone through all the money left on the jobs and had no way to pay the guys that worked for me. I had written several bad checks in which I was getting calls from collection people on. My landlord was knocking on my door and I owed several months in back rent. I probably weighed all of about 140 lbs dressed and soaking wet. I was losing everything, I woke up one morning and looked in the mirror, and said “self, there has to be a better way.” I asked myself , how did a former athlete get this dark place? I called my aunt who was a nurse and said “I have a problem and I need some help.” She made some phone calls and my grandparents came and got me. I admitted myself into a rehab center. I stayed for 7 days to detox and clear my head. I had no insurance and no money to stay in a 28 day program so I did it as an outpatient. I called every person I could think of I had ever done wrong while doing drugs and sat down with them and explained why things had gotten the way they had, I tried to make a wrong a right. I worked 2 years working 2 or more jobs to earn money to live and pay back all I owed. God saw me though it and always provided, even when I was too stubborn to see it.
Q.) When did you develop an interest in bodybuilding?
A.) Actually, after spending about 2 years clean from drugs, my weight went to over 200 lbs, and the wrong type of 200 lbs if you know what I mean. I joined a gym just to get back in shape, as a former athlete I somewhat knew a little about training and just wanted to feel better. The drugs had damaged my self esteem. They also damaged me physically and mentally. I worked out for about a year, which was in 1991-1992, and got back pretty good. A few of the guys talked me into doing a bench press contest, which I did. At 181 pounds I benched 405 and won the contest. Then they said man you should do the bodybuilding show coming up. I said to myself why not, even though I knew nothing about how to diet. I thought a diet was no cakes, cokes or sweets. I didn’t know anything about protein, carbs and fat intake. I didn’t even know what a protein drink was. Anyway, I entered the Mr. Chattanooga bodybuilding show in 1993, I got 3rd in a class that had 3 people in it, so 
yes I was last. I remember some of the guys at the show somewhat snickered at me because I didn’t know anything, not even how to tan. I then meet this lady named Sassey Easton, she was a former bodybuilder that was training people, I got with her and she taught me how to eat and what supplements to take and I of course studied stuff myself. She and I would discuss it and put into the routine. I trained for a whole year and re-entered the Mr. Chattanooga again in 1994, I was completely different, even had a good tan! I won the Novice lightweight, the Overall Novice, I also entered the Open Division in that show and won the open lightweight and overall open as well. I went 4 weeks later and won the open lightweight and overall open at the Mr. Tennessee. By this time it was in my blood and I loved the sport. I loved the hard work. I loved to push to be better than I was the last time. Bodybuilding is “U” vs “U”
Q.) In 1995 you won the lightweight class at Junior Nationals, a show which also featured a young Dave Palumbo. Talk about what that win meant to you, and what you remember about that show.
A.) Brother, I remember getting to the hotel to check in, 1995 was my third year to compete in the sport and I had never really seen a contest were every single contestant was in shape. I was standing in line at the desk and Dave walked in and I thought DANG!!!! This guy is huge. He must eat Buick’s for breakfast! I was nervous and scared that I wouldn’t make weight because I had to fight to get down and was afraid to eat or drink water on the plane flight over. I thought “Lord, please don’t let me get beat bad.” Well, I checked in and went to my room and that night was eating downstairs and there was Dave again, I introduced myself and we talked for a few and I thought I had just gone to another world. I remember seeing Willie Stallings in the lobby as well, he won the overall at that show. Standing in the line up getting ready to go out for pre-judging I remember looking down the line and saying “man they are all good.” That line up had Jack Smith, who went on to win Nationals and a pro card that year, Michael Ryan, who won the USA 3 weeks later, man they were good. When the night show came and I was told I was top 5 I couldn’t believe it, and then when they announced I was the winner and I almost cried. I had worked so hard and it was finally here, and I had done it! I thought to myself that I had finally accomplished something. It was a milestone at the time, I had been told that no one from Tennessee had been to a National Level show and won their first time out. I’m not sure if that is really true, but I was told that. I remember coming off stage that night to be interviewed by Shawn Ray, one of the great bodybuilder’s in that day, it was an unreal feeling. I remember thanking God for not letting others beat me bad and allowing me the opp
ortunity to stand on that stage and compete, and bringing me through the things and difficult times he had brought me through. I thank him again now for the memory.
Q.) You went on to later compete at the 1997 Nationals, but following that show you decided to retire from competing and you didn’t set foot onstage again until 2012. Why did you decide to stop competing after having some success at the National level? What made you decide to take the stage again after 15 years away?
A.) I had trained for the Nationals hard in 1996 and blew out a knee and had surgery so I missed the 96’ show and decided I would move up a weight class in 97’ to the middleweights. I did the Eastern States early in 97’ and won the middleweights and overall at that show, but had to hold the diet and stuff for an additional 12 weeks, by the time I got to the National’s I was burnt. I had peaked about 2 weeks before the show, no excuses, I was not at my best but the competition was excellent. That year Johnny Moya won the middleweight, and he was nothing but stellar. I changed jobs in the beginning of 98’ in which I was traveling as a construction superintendant, which made it difficult to train and diet like I should, also at the time, there was not a 212 class at the pro level, I felt the most I could ever be in top condition was around 200 lbs and I wasn’t going to beat a guy that weighed 260 or more at the pro level. I look back and know now I should have continued, but back then things were different in the sport, it was about how big you were and I also was doing it for the wrong reasons. I was doing it for my own ego. I had gotten away from what God had allowed me to do, I wasn’t giving back, it was mine, all mine.
Most people don’t like to practice obedience, especially once we reach adulthood. We strive to be independent, making our own choices, uninfluenced by others. I rededicated my life to Christ at the age of 40. He took me through some tough personal issues again. I turned around and was by myself and down. I told myself I was going back to the one thing that I always knew would be there, and that was the gym. I went and watched a contest in Chattanooga in 2011, The Battle of the River, it fired me up and I saw that there was a place for us old guys now, and that was the Master’s Division, and man it wasn’t any joke. Those guys came to win and I decided I wanted back in the game. It was different this time, I wanted to do it to help others, the young guy’s that wanted to learn, I wanted to give back, I wanted to have fun, but the competitor in me also wants to win , wants to be the best I can be every time I step on that stage.
Q.) During your time away from the stage did you continue to train? How long had you been training before making your comeback to the competition in 2012?
A.) I wouldn’t call it training at all. I would hit it for about 2-3 weeks, and then get side tracked, and stop for a month and back and forth that went. I started really having trouble with my right hip in 2006 and finally had total hip replacement in 2008, which was a bit hard to recover from as the doctor had to actually cut my glute muscle to allow enough room to get in there and work and, while putting in the replacement, my femur was cracked so I had to rehab a hip, a cut glute, and somewhat a broken leg. I didn’t really start true real training back again until .png)
May of 2010, which at that time I was just trying to get back in shape. After I attended the contest in Chattanooga, which was in June of 2011, did I really start training hard. I trained for 9 months before I started a contest diet to get ready for the Hub City Fitness in Jackson,Tennessee. I did that as my first show back, then I did the Battle of the River in Chattanooga 2 weeks later, and then the North American 10 weeks later.
Q.) You competed at the 2012 North American Championships in the Master Middleweight 50+ class. How would you compare the level of competition in 2012 to your last experience on a national stage 15 years prior?
A.) The Masters division is tough. It is as tough as before. We all have some age on us, but we all have experience, these guys don’t play, they are there to win pro cards. At the North American, every guy in the top 6-7 all had a National resume, they were all good and it is a privilege to be on that stage with these guys. We all train hard and probably now train a little smarter than we did in our 30’s, but we all are competitors and want to win. We know what it is to diet and we know the time it takes to be your best, I respect each and every one of these men. I’m not sure but I think most of the guys in the Masters also crossed over and were open competitors as well. Man, when you have guys that are 35 and over like Dan Decker, it’s a fight out there.
Q.) You're currently planning to compete at the 2013 Master Nationals. What would it mean to you to earn your pro card 20 years after stepping onstage for the very first time?
A.) It would be a dream come true!!! I would hope it may inspire some people to see that the time invested is worth it and that anything is possible if you work hard and trust the lord in the doors that are open for you. I would hope to be in a position to give back, to help people realize their own dream. If you think about of all the sports in the world, especially the big 3, football, baseball and basketball, and look at how many get a chance to compete for pro status every year. Bodybuilding doesn’t give that many chances, it’s tough. You have to have stamina, staying power, and a work ethic that drives you to be the best you can be.
There’s an old Converse commercial that featured Dwayne Wade that featured the slogan “Fall down seven times, get up eight.” That same mantra could very well be used to describe the life of Chuck Carter. He hasn’t allowed birth defects, addiction, or losing everything and having to rebuild his life from the ground up stop him from putting one foot forward and continuing down the path that is going to lead him to happiness. Chuck isn’t here because he fell down, he’s here because he got up, and if there’s something to be learned from Chuck it’s this. Nobody hits harder than life, but in order to succeed you’ve got to be willing to take the hit. You’ve got to be willing to get up.
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