Matt Mendenhall Biography – Matt Mendenhall Wiki
Matt Mendenhall was referred to as the Greatest Bodybuilder and personal trainer to never turn Pro. He was a Cincinnati bodybuilding legend who became famous in the 1980s, showcasing a really great physique at the height of his powers. He was honored by many, including Lee Haney, as having one of the amazing physiques of the era. He was also a personal trainer and made it his purpose to support others get into the greatest shape of their lives.
While growing up, he did not follow his family’s steps. He loved playing football and pole-vaulting. At the age of 15 in 1975 he suffered a severe injury to his forearm while practicing pole-vaulting. He almost had his forearm removed at that time, and the doctor informed him that it would not recover completely. Although, his siblings urged him never to give up. Under their guidance, he stepped into the gym and started his recovery using weights. It was not long until he had proved his doctor wrong – he had recovered full use of his forearm and packed an effective amount of muscle mass onto his frame.
In 1978, at the age of 17, after encouragement from his family and school sports teacher, Matt entered his first competition – the Mr. Ohio High School show. Notwithstanding no training, posing experience, or even tan, Matt dominated the contest. He walked away from his debut with the trophy. It was at this point that Matt found out about his potential to succeed in the industry.
He performed in more than 9 competitions, winning 4 of them. However, he came second on many occasions losing very respectably; in 1982, he lost out to future legend Lee Haney. However, he never managed to reach his genetic potential due to a series of serious illnesses and events. In 1983, he suffered from a flu virus 3 weeks before the NPC Nationals. He lost significant weight and condition while recovering but stepped on stage after his parents arrived at the show, excited to see him compete. In 1984, he was involved in a car crash and was flung out of his front window. Although he recovered and brought his best shape to the competition, he was hit by Mike Christian to 1st place.
Although in 1985, at 25, Matt gained a rare success. He joined the NPC USA Championships and won the trophy in the heavyweight division. This victory gained him entry to the World Games that year. 3 years after he began lifting weights in the gym, he had sculpted an unbelievable physique. In his senior year, he had surpassed all of his friends in terms of muscle and already seemed like a seasoned bodybuilder.
Matt Mendenhall Age
He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, the United States on June 26, 1960.
Matt Mendenhall Family
He grew up in a family addicted to fitness; three of his siblings were bodybuilders, with two of them competing while he was a child.
Matt Mendenhall Death
He died in August 2021 at the age of 61. After the tragic news was confirmed, many of his friends, teammates, and fans expressed their sadness on social media by posting their tributes:
One wrote, “My good friend Matt Mendenhall passed away. I’m unsure the cause, but he’s had a number of health issues, he was a former bodybuilder the best ever to not go pro and he’s a hell of a dude and was a wonderful physical therapist and trainer later in life. I’ll miss you, buddy.”
Matt Mendenhall Cause of Death
There is no official report about Matt Mendenhall’s cause of death yet.
