Originally Posted by THEUNIT(XXL)

You are right, it's not a sport, it's a lifestyle.
You should only become a competitor if you can combine it with your personal life and believes. if you can't do that you will never succeed in bodybuilding or your personal life. Only the people that have a good foundation of people around them that support them and the funds to pay for the "supplements" can go on to make a difference, to take their shot at the top.
And if you are not willing to use it you will never get to the top, and I'm not talking about the Mr.O, I'm talking about your personal top, like the nationals or something or just to turn pro. It's just not possible to do any of that without some gear, and that is not a bad thing, it's only a bad thing if you use to much. or if your body is not able to handle it. I also started this to be the fastest strongest, and most healthy person alive, and I now understand that you just can't be all those at the same time. there is a time for everything and if this is your time to be the strongest, then use it if you need it, if you need to be the healthiest, don't.
Athletes are not per definition healthy, not at all. you think all the injuries are healthy?! martial artists who can't even lift there legs any more because of the endless kicks they made, tennis players who need to use painkillers every day because of the pain in there elbows and knees, same with Football players, you would call them athletes right? It's just not possible to do it all at once. You must try to take the best of both worlds and take it straight to the top, like Coleman has done, Coleman is genetically gifted to have a body that is able to handle it, and also to be very, very strong, that combination is what gave him a good shot at the top, with a little help from the people around him, he made it and will not let go, not for nothing. He's holding the tittle not just for him but also for all the people that are standing behind him, if he feels like giving up all he has to do is slow down a little and his crew will pick him up again and boost him, he has a lot of friends that support him. and also very important, his mother, she does a lot for him. actually his whole family supports him greatly and will continue to do so for as long as he needs it.
So you see that there are so many factors that need to be in place at the right time to make it. That's why there is only one Mr.O and one Ronnie Coleman.