What is the cost of being a champion? Hear it from the four-time Mr. Olympia winner, Chris “CBum” Bumstead. In the latest interview, CBum went full candid and explained how even the strongest of strong men lose their nerve occasionally, and it is fine.
Sports is a volatile world. As an athlete, you need to be at the top of the game. It takes blood and sweat to reach the top and to remain there at the top. That is a whole new game altogether.
As an athlete, there is constant pressure to improve what you can bring to your game, and this realization can become too much for any human being.
CBum Finds Strength In His Partner
In a recent interview with a popular social media outlet, CBum gave a bare-it-all interview where he candidly spoke about his conversation with his partner.
He spoke of the time when CBum’s partner, Courtney Alexis King, a former MS. Olympia herself, found CBum on the bathroom floor crying. This was while CBum was dealing with several things while preparing for his Mr.Olympia competition.
Like an amazing partner, Courtney approached the four-time title holder CBum calmly and said, “…literally you don’t think Michael Jordan ever broke down and felt like he couldn’t handle the stress that was on him, like building the NBA into what it was, not even just his team.” To this, CBum replied, “He didn’t talk about it though.”
Courtney kept her calm demeanor and went on to explain how males are not taught to deal with finer emotions in life.
So, it is quite common for males to repress their fear and emotions to put on a mask of masculinity. This is true for athletes the most; fans only see them lifting the cups or earning accolades.
Nobody discusses the hardships these individuals go through. CBum further added, “This is a huge pressure; a lot is going on, and I’m stressed. What’s wrong with that? I’m not gonna let it control me, but I’m allowed to feel this moment right now.”
So, this whole conversion added a new perspective to the champion story. Anyone rarely explores such perspectives, but these are nonetheless very real.
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