Ken 'Flex' Wheeler
Name: Ken (Kenneth) Wheeler
Born: August 23, 1965, Fresno, California
Height: 5'9"
Off Season Weight: 247 Competition Weight: 232
Flex Wheeler began training as a teenager, initially with martial arts in mind. However his natural development persuaded him to pursue bodybuilding. Despite this he is on record as regarding himself as a "martial artist first, a bodybuilder second." It also accounts for his remarkable flexibility in a physique so large. Even so, he has been described by Arnold Schwarzenegger as one of the greatest bodybuilders he ever saw.
After a short career as a police officer, Flex Wheeler focused full time on becoming a professional bodybuilder, taking the nickname 'Flex' (which actually derived from his martial arts background, not bodybuilding). He competed for the first time in 1983 but it was not until 1989 that he secured a first-place trophy at the NPC Mr California Championships. Since then, he has placed second at the 1993 Mr. Olympia, narrowly missing a win (something he was to repeat in 1998 and 1999. He has also frequently won the Ironman Pro along with the Arnold Classic, the France Grand Prix, South Beach Pro Invitational, Night of Champions and Hungarian Grand Prix.
Wheeler had the reputation of being arrogant and over-confident especially on stage, however he has attributed this to compensating for his natural introversion as a child and young man.
In 1994 he was involved in a near-fatal car accident that could have left him with lifelong paralysis. He started from scratch again, returning with remarkable speed to the top ranks of the sport.
In 1999 Wheeler discovered that he had Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a form of kidney disease. Despite press speculation as to the cause of the failure, Wheeler pointed out that the condition is hereditary, not self-inflicted. Wheeler announced his retirement from competitive bodybuilding in 2000, but continued to compete until 2002. He received a kidney transplant in 2003.
Since retirement Wheeler has focused again on martial arts, his specialism being Kemp-Kwon-Do, a variant of Kempo and Tae Kwon Do. He participated in a demonstration fight at the 2005 Arnold Classic.
Contest History:
2002 Mr. Olympia 7th
2000 Ironman Pro Invitational 2nd
2000 Arnold Classic 1st
2000 Hungarian Grand Prix 1st
2000 Mr. Olympia 3rd
1999 Mr. Olympia 2nd
1999 Joe Weider's Pro World 2nd
1999 Grand Prix England - 2nd
1998 Mr Olympia 2nd
1998 Arnold Classic 1st
1998 Ironman Pro Invitational 1st
1997 San Jose Pro 1st
1997 Arnold Classic 1st
1997 Ironman Pro Invitational 1st
1996 Mr. Olympia 4th
1996 Florida Cup Pro 1st
1996 Canada Pro Classic 2nd
1996 Night of Champions 1st
1996 Arnold Classic 2nd
1996 Ironman Pro Invitational 1st
1995 Grand Prix Spain 5th
1995 Mr. Olympia 8th
1995 South Beach Pro 1st
1995 Arnold Classic 2nd
1995 Ironman Pro Invitational 1st
1993 Mr. Olympia 2nd
1993 Arnold Classic 1st
1993 Ironman Pro Invitational 1st
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