Man loses 176 pounds to become champion bodybuilder after car crash
Dean Koenig's incredible transformation came after doctors told him he might never run again
A MAN dropped an astonishing 176 pounds to become a champion bodybuilder after he nearly lost his life in a deadly car accident.
Dean Koenig from Cabramatta in Australia was told he might never run again and his weight ballooned up to a whopping 341 lbs after the crash.
Ex-military man Koenig was riding his bike to work at a sports club one day in 2010 when he was hit by a car.
Doctors told him after one surgery that his days of running could be over and may not be able to lift weights above his head in the wake of the collision.
Koenig told : "It took surgery, rehab and a lot of physio to recover after the accident.
"That led to depression and a lot of time spent at home eating, drinking and not being able to move much."
He said he didn't realise how bad his physical health had gotten until he bent down one day to tie his shoes and broke out in a sweat.
DARK DAYS
Koenig added: "These were some very dark days mentally, as prior to the accident I was in prep to be a personal trainer.
"So I decided I wasn't going to take the doctors' advice as gospel and was determined to do everything I could to prove them wrong."
He started by walking, then running, and then finally doing a weights routine.
And Koenig also ditched chips and burgers and all the comfort foods he'd started indulging in after the crash.
He eventually dropped a full 176 pounds to his new weight of 165 and started work as a personal trainer.
Despite the damning diagnosis about his ability to run, Koenig went on to complete a half marathon - just over 13 miles.
And not satisfied with his progress up to that point, he decided he would enter a bodybuilding competition.
In 2015, he took part in the under 80kg category at the ANB Victoria Fitness Mania Body Building Competition in Melbourne and came in third place.
He also won prices for being the Most Inspirational and having the Most Potential.
Koenig has since competed in nine competitions in two years and won one in 2017 in the under 90kg category.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.