This month has been a tough one for the bodybuilding and fitness community with the death of Open bodybuilder Luke Sandoe and Figure champion Mikayla Kingman. Now to add to that list, IFBB Pro wheelchair bodybuilder Joshua Foster, who was found dead at his home on Thursday, May 21.
Pro Wheelchair director Nick Scott posted to Instagram about the death of the much-beloved Joshua Foster which read…
“RIP: Joshua D Foster @jthefreak_ifbbpro
June 8, 1983 – May 21, 2020Joshua D Foster passed away from natural causes while at home on the afternoon of Thursday, May 21. More Information will be posted soon. “This is very hard to post. We lost an amazing person and an awesome Pro Wheelchair Bodybuilder. I am shocked. I am at a loss for words. I will keep everybody updated. Nick Scott”
Foster was from Alabama USA and he played sports in high school before getting a job as a window treatment installer where he spent years working. But then on March 30, 2013, he suffered a spinal cord injury after only remembering getting into his car and buckling his seat belt.
However, he woke up in the hospital and eventually participated in therapy where he made great progress. Being in a wheelchair didn’t deter him from pursuing bodybuilding though. He learned how to build muscle with a disability and ended up getting the nickname “The Freak”.
In 2015, Foster won the Pinebelt Classic overall and the Vulcan Classic overall. Then in 2016, he won the Wheelchair Nationals (middleweight / overall winner) and the International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness (IFBB) to get his Pro card. His last competition was the 2019 Arnold Pro Men’s Wheelchair where he placed 6th.
This is very sad news for the family and friends of Joshua Foster and a real loss for the bodybuilding and fitness community. He was only 36 years old at the time of his death and so far, there haven’t been any further details of his untimely death.
