Bodybuilding champ: I hardly accept 'no you cannot'

GEORGE NEWS - Georgian Shaun Butler has brought home the champion's trophy in the disability division of the Western Cape Physical Culture Association (PCA) championships.

The event took place in Durbanville on Saturday 20 August.

Butler is new to competitive bodybuilding. He started earlier this year by entering his first competition, held by the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IBFF), in Mossel Bay. He won second place.

After Saturday's win, he told George Herald, "I am humbled. It is a sport I was hesitant to compete in because of the physical abilities required, but I was highly motivated by my brother Dylon and my partner Andrew Honniball."

Dylon, a seasoned bodybuilder who has been competing for the last six years, has always motivated Shaun to join him at the gym so as to grow the disabled division in this sport.

"I have been actively competing in adaptive CrossFit competitions for the last two years, but I felt I needed to change my exercise regime to gain more strength, which bodybuilding provided," says Shaun, who works as a salesperson for George Switchboards.

He is also an avid wheelchair athlete and has taken part in the annual Outeniqua Chair Challenge (OCC) every year since 2015. He is one of the organising directors. "I am looking forward to the next race on 15 October and will be taking part in the 21,1km race."

Butler wants to create more awareness in the community, and especially among younger people, about the fact that people with disabilities form part of the community. He says bodybuilding in the disabled division is still fairly small in South Africa compared with other places in the world, but it is growing at a steady pace and people are starting to know the difference in the terms 'disability' and 'disabled'.

"Wheelchair racing is really becoming competitive and the inclusion of fellow athletes who endure the same obstacles as you is of great value and motivational."

Training challenges

As bodybuilder, he faces special challenges in training, one of which was finding a fully accessible gym where he could move freely and without requiring help upstairs. "This has been greatly fulfilled at CrossFit George and Just Fitness. Other hurdles are that many machines or normal movements are difficult for me to use and I need to take a very adaptive approach to ensure that every muscle that I am able to use gets used to its full potential."

He says the fitness industry is very welcoming and extremely supportive.

"Once I started working out with the coaches at CrossFit George, they showed me that the only limits are the ones you set yourself."

He manages to fit in one to two hours of weight training and at least 30 minutes of cardio daily.

Shaun Butler, bodybuilding champion in the disability division of the Western Cape PCA championships, with his partner Andrew Honniball (right), brother Dylon and his girlfriend Sune Groenewald.

Motorcycle accident

He has displayed amazing perseverance since the motorcycle accident on 20 April 2014 in which he sustained a T3 (in line with his chest) spinal cord injury. This means he does not have feeling, activation or sensation below the nipple line on his chest.

"I spent approximately nine weeks in Aurora Rehab Centre in Ggeberha. There I was motivated to achieve independence and make sure that anything I set my mind to, I will attempt to achieve. The one saying that was very motivational to me in the centre was Friedrich Nietzsche's quote, 'He who has a why to live for, can bear almost any how'.

"Having a very supportive family, partner and work environment really assists me in staying positive and motivated to reach the heights I set my mind to achieve. I hardly accept 'no you cannot' as a reason for not attempting anything."

Shaun Butler, winner of the disability division of the PCA Western Cape championships, is elated at bringing home the trophy to George.

South African Championships

Butler's next two competitions are the PCA South African Championships in Durbanville on 10 September and the IBFF All Africa Cup in Pretoria on 24 September.

Sponsorship for travelling, accommodation and food costs is being sought. This can be done through the IBFF which makes sponsorship exempted from tax.

Western Cape bodybuilding champ in the disability division of the Western Cape PCA championships, Shaun Butler, with his brother Dylon.