Edgard John Augustin, a contender in the Classic Physique division, continues to prove himself after a lengthy hiatus. In a recent Muscular Development interview, the ‘Bionic Body’ shared his inspiring story with Ron Harris, revealing how he overcame the loss of his legs, how he motivates others, and how he adapts to challenges.
Having kicked off his IFBB Pro League tenure in 2017, Augustin started as a Men’s Open athlete. However, that quickly changed. The following year he made the change to Classic Physique, and held his own against tough lineups at the 2018 Toronto Pro (9th) and Veronica Gallego Classic (10th). In 2019, Augustin entered the New York Pro but wasn’t able to finish in the top 15. Then, he took 12th at the Toronto Pro Supershow.
And despite losing his legs in a car accident at four years old, Edgard hasn’t lost sight of his athletic goals and competitive spirit. He was out of action for three years (2020-2022) but made a statement in his return this year. Thus far, Augustin has finished 14th at the 2023 Pittsburgh Pro, then put on an impressive show at the New York Pro even though he didn’t place. His most recent contest came at the Toronto Pro Supershow in a career-best performance that saw him take fourth.
In his latest undertaking, Edgard Augustin recapped his busy season but also laid out some of the struggles he’s faced while navigating his career as an amputee athlete. In addition, he talked about his future in the sport and training without legs.
Bodybuilder Edgard Augustin Reflects on Becoming Amputee at 4 Years Old, Shares Inspiring Journey
Augustin revealed that he lost most of his legs as a result of a car accident in South America. He said his brother also lost one leg following the misfortune.
“With my family, we had a car accident when I was four years old in South America – my country. And yeah. In the car accident… you know, my legs were cut. My brother’s leg, also just one was cut also. We were so lucky to get someone to bring us to the nearest hospitals.Then, we – I’m still here today thanks to these guys. So, now I’m 38 years old. All my life [my legs have been amputated]. Especially in America, they used to say thank you for your services because people see that I’m – yeah, like a military guy. Compared to Europe for example,” said Edward Augustin.
Training with partially amputated legs poses a unique set of challenges, especially for those who aim to develop their quads and hamstrings, like Edgard.
“It took me like one year to really practice well [with amputated legs]. You know, I used to say at four years old, it’s hard because you’re still very young but at the same time, you have so much to learn and to discover, compared to someone in my age now, losing his legs… it’s like lost. Because you already lived your life with your legs or your hands or whatever and then today, you need to learn how to [do] life again to live again without.At four years old, you don’t really care about it. You just want to do what other kids are doing. I learned to walk quickly. I can run today. I can do bicycle, I can do whatever I want, even leg days. It took me one year in France without my family just my brother and thank God he was with me because it was very hard.”
Edgard wants to inspire his followers and fans by showing that ‘everything is possible.’ He shared how he went viral on social media and how he came up with his nickname, ‘Bionic Body.’
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“He posted [a photographer] it on my Facebook page. People who didn’t know that were surprised. It’s crazy. They said you should show people that everything is possible. This is how I create my Instagram page. I remember, I was in my office with my colleague and I said okay, now we need to find a nickname. A very strong nickname. I said body… for the body, discipline, and then we said bionic because the legs look like a robot.”“Everything started from there. And then, when I start to publish my page, it goes viral. People told me there is a disability class in bodybuilding. You should. This is how I said okay, let’s try.”
When he first began in the sport, Augustin said bodybuilding wasn’t on his radar.
“Bodybuilding was no option for me and it wasn’t in my mind. I just saw some guys, some friends of mine, since they are young, they wanted to be professional bodybuilders. It was not my case. My goal was to be fit because at the end I was not happy with my physique. This is what I always thought.”
At 38 years old, Augustin seeks longevity and wants to live a happy life after his bodybuilding career.
“I’m 38 years old. I have three kids. I really don’t care about the Mr. Olympia stage. I just don’t – I want to see my kids grow, you understand? I want to play with them. There is a life after bodybuilding. I don’t want to [build] my physique just for the Olympia stage, then what happens after? He told me we are going to do a very light prep and it was my best prep ever and my best physique ever, more is not always better.”
Even though he’s dealt with surgeries and adversity, Augustin is aiming to be the best amputee bodybuilding athlete of all time.
“My last show in 2019, in my mind, I wanted to be the best amputee athlete bodybuilder biggest everything [ever]. With my coach before, we push. We pushed the physique. Maybe that’s why I had the surgeries and stuff like that.”
Edgard Augustin isn’t the only bodybuilder to have suffered from amputations. Bodybuilding legend Flex Wheeler was forced to have his right leg partially amputated in November 2019. The procedure permanently changed his life and Wheeler has openly talked about some of the mental battles that followed in the operation’s wake.
In the face of adversity, athletes like Edgard Augustin continue to inspire those around him. Having gathered momentum this year, fans look forward to seeing him back on a bodybuilding stage soon.
RELATED: Bodybuilding Legend Flex Wheeler Honored with 2023 Arnold Classic Lifetime Achievement Award
You can watch the full video from the Muscular Development YouTube channel below:
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