Bodybuilding isn't just a sport, it's a lifestyle. There's media in virtually every format imaginable from print to DVDs to the vast world of cyberspace. The theme is always a powerful one, where athletes' lives are scrutinized from their diets to their training methods to where they get their macros. But these larger than life men and women who help construct the fantasy world we all strive to be part of - are actually human. And as with any human, life happens.
Going back just
a few days, IFBB/NPC athletes Mike & Bernadett Matassa had their bags packed, ready to board a Delta Airlines flight bound for the Kentucky Pro. They'd spent 16 long weeks getting themselves ready for this contest, when all of a sudden the flight was cancelled and they'd have to miss the contest. The comments on Facebook surged, as fans, friends, and fellow competitors tried to console and advise the power couple. It's truly infuriating to see four months of hard work and sacrifice flushed down the drain because of the incompetence of an airline. It was a really big contest & it's also the tail end of the season. There's no question the stress was mounting.
But normalcy seemed to reign on Friday; however, Facebook status updates built a pretty telling chronology of events. From feelings of late night frustration to early morning exhaustion, Friday, November 7th would be a tumultuous day. Whether the product of exhaustion, stress, or dehydration, Mike's left arm went numb and he underwent various tests at the Cardio Vascular Intensive Care Unit at Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center. Bernadett told me that something similar happened to Mike about ten years ago, where a bacteria issue nearly put his life at risk; however, this situation was different. There were no real signs of anything.
The next day, November 8th, Bernadett told me the doctors had found that Mike had 99% main artery blockage, also known as "The Widow Maker." I don't know who call it that - hopefully not doctors - but it doesn't sound like anything a wife wants to hear. From speaking to her these last few days, I can tell you that Mike is a very lucky man to have such a brave, strong, & loving wife. And I know that he'd be there for her just the same. You can buy all the chocolate, flowers, Hallmark cards you want - but what I'm writing about today is the purest, truest kind of love.
On Sunday, as I was putting the final touches on this article, I spoke with Bernadette once again and I was happy that God answered all of our prayers. She said that Mike's numbers looked great and that he's expected to be transferred to recovery soon. In a short period of time he should be able to go home and resume his normal life, which I'm sure will include training, eating clean, and being the cool, always positiv
e person everyone knows him to be. It's kind of bizarre, but I'm sure during this whole ordeal, the thought of not wanting to miss a workout probably flew across his conscious - or at the very least - subconscious mind.
This article is very important for a variety of reasons. I want you, the reader, to take a moment and reach out to Bernadett maybe later in the week. Write or call Mike and let him know you're with him. All of you who wrote and prayed during this weekend, you're the best. So many times the press is there to cover shows, take photos, and shoot interviews, but they go AWOL when real life happens to an athlete. This isn't a pat on the back for Rx Muscle or for me, but I'd like to see publications and their journalists in the fitness industry, take note.
People like Mike & Bernadett give their lives to the sport; they're the real heroes here. :)
