Walker

Male

22

United States

Wheelchair Bodybuilder

Apr, 2003

Walker Runnels AKA: BIG DOGG Wheelchair Bodybuilder Bodybuilding Achievements: 2008 Wheelchair Nationals - NPC, 1st - Light Weight 2007 USA Wheelchair Championship - NPC, 3rd - Light Weight 2007 USA Wheelchair Championship - NPC, 2nd - Novice I had/have Spastic CP occurring at birth , with the left side being dominant it's about 80% normal usage on the left and 20% on the right side. Hello my name is Walker the "Big Dogg" Runnels, a Wheelchair Bodybuilder and a representative on behalf of the Wheelchair sport of Wheelchair bodybuilding and our main site is http://www. wheelchair-bodybuilding.com/ The reason why I've typed these words is in the hopes that whoever reads this message will show and or pass this on to wheelchair users who love fitness and or being active and who might be looking for a sport or new sport to try. Competing not their thing? Well to that I say go to a Bodybuilding Show that has a Wheelchair Bodybuilding division, a lot of them do, call first though to be sure and watch one then decide, if you still find yourself remaining steadfast in your decision not to take the stage and compete don't worry having conviction is not a bad thing it shows your strong willed and you're your own person I like to see that in my fellow human beings. You can still help us and our sport out a lot by doing a job no less important than training hard and taking the stage as a competitor and that is being a fan of the sport, supporter of our efforts and helping us to raise worldwide awareness about Wheelchair Bodybuilding, you can also help us to spread the word and recruit more fans and competitors even if your not handicapped and don't know anybody that is, everybody can be on the fan and supporter side of things like I said whether their handicapped or not so nobody can get out of it haha, any questions you may have about competing and or ways to show your support for us and our sport please don't be afraid to contact me at my email which is as follows wcbbrepbigdogg@gmail.com word of warning though it's hard for me to type and so I type very, very slowly (Copy & Paste is my friend) so what I will have to do sadly is keep my replies very short but worry not my friends as I will refer you to one of the other Wheelchair bodybuilders and try to get all who email me some help and answers to their questions that way. The reason why I'm telling you all about my typing issue in advance is so you don't think I'm not excited or passionate about helping a new person, competitor or fan get into our sport cause I live for that as much as I do competing. We Wheelchair bodybuilders look forward to seeing lots and lots of new faces at the shows, both cheering us on and taking the stage with us and showing the world the results of all your dieting, training, general hard work and most importantly how you and those around you have dealt with bad luck and bad situations and refused to go gentle and let them keep any of you down, regardless of what roles you, your friends and family decide to play in the advancement of our sport and passion that is Wheelchair bodybuilding we hope you'll help us. I have something to say or ask rather, this is our call to the world, will you answer it?. Competing in WCBB shows and getting to show the world my hard work and getting to be around people and friends who are doing the same thing. Trying along with my friends to get more fans and Wheelchair Bodybuilders in our sport so it will grow and become bigger and more awesome than all of us and the world ever thought possible so that when all we die we can leave a well respected sport and legacy for all to continue on (hopefully lots and lots more fans and hardworking dedicated competitors by that time) so that Wheelchair Bodybuilding will forever have a well founded and well known place in the worlds of wheelchair sports, bodybuilding and just overall fitness, worlds we love so much and are so thankful to be a part of. All I’m trying to say is that all my Wheelchair Bodybuilding friends and also all the friends and supporters I’ve gained in Bodybuilding and other closely related sports (Hey figure and fitness ladies!!!)along with all my family and friends have helped me through very heavy mental torments and burdens (that are all still and probably always will be will be constant worries for me, they are just more easily carried for the time being, thus making them less stressful and hopefully it will be that way for a very long time to come. By all of them giving me the love, support and encouragement they do even if they are not aware of it they have aided me and are continuing to do so in so many way by helping me be myself discovering and showcasing a part of myself and my mindset that I thought because of Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy would have to remain forever asleep and never come to light and I along with the other Wheelchair Bodybuilders, fans, and many people in the Fitness/Bodybuilding world will hope and try our best to make sure that in our lifetimes that the many, many hardworking, self-motivated and athletically minded wheelchair users out there will learn of our sport and help us make it bigger and better either by competing with us on the stage or if they have no desire to compete just by being a supportive fan. Spread the word everybody and thanks for everything everybody it means a lot to the Big Dogg and all the Wheelchair Bodybuilders to all the able bodied competitors always remember that apart our sports rule, together they conquer. Bottom line is I will spend my life trying hard to become one of the best Wheelchair Bodybuilders ever and more than anything else I just want the sport to be well known worldwide by tons of people so they know what it is, etc but most importantly, I just my kids to know that although I chose not to follow a well beaten path to life and “success”, I worked hard and did more than play video games and watch TV till I grew old and died, rather I want to be viewed as a advocate and competitor, it's not about money for me or all the other guys/gals of the sport I think it's more about that some people or more our families and kids if we have any someday will look at us someday and say with a strange look in their eyes "so daddy and or mommy because you got hurt you never did anything with your life"? instead I want the message to be that we, with the support of countless others took our passion, our outlet, and our way of life and made it huge and respected within the world and took it from just like 40/50 members to hundreds or more paving the way for new generations after we are all gone, true we could do other things, follow other more “normal” paths in life and I know that and that is great for those who wish to pursue things like that if those paths are to their dreams then go for them hard be relentless I say, I’m doing the same thing just in a different way, my whole life ever since I could begin to form thoughts and words I have wanted to be a athlete it’s how my brain is hardwired, and I wouldn’t change that part of me if I could, you see I’ve always wanted to be this “super hero” type figure if you will and use my body along with my mind and heart to help and inspire people and loudly at that through my own actions and inner code along with the actions of my friends and the many others who help and support us to let people know to keep fighting, keep hoping and they too handicapped or not might someday be able to live the life of their dreams, even if it's not a normal one and my being in the sport of Wheelchair Bodybuilding I believe allows me to do all this and to be, again with everyone’s help and guidance the best I can, it enables me to get the closest I possibly can to the person I want to be in life and also remembered as after death and well my friends I know of no better way to spend my time and life than to try to become the best I can be in the areas of existence I love best so please continue the support everyone. To give you all an idea of the kind of world I envision for this sport and it’s continued growth for the future I shall share with you one of my daydreams I often have for both myself despite being older now, but more often now for those who aspire after their educational pursuits to be athletes who also happen to be in wheelchairs who we hope will join our ranks in the future it is as follows even though I didn't find out about WCBB till after high school my mind still from time to time sends me back there with the fantasy, daydream whatever you fancy to call it that I competed in it while still in high school and the mental picture shows me a wearing a WCBB T-shirt, of course lots more buff and strong then I am right now haha ah the mind is great but anyway back to the daydream it shows me, with my friends at the lunch table in my chair and then all the athletes at my school come over and start asking what sport/s I play and all the women are feeling my muscles in a real macho moment as I turn three shades of red, I hate the turning red part haha, anyway I excitedly and somewhat nervously ( cause I get like that a lot around people like a touch of anxiety or something that’s one of the only parts about myself I truly hate can you say introverted I’m a shy wimp haha) and I point proudly to my shirt and say "Wheelchair Bodybuilding also known as WCBB" and to my great and welcomed surprise and utter shock they all start saying they know or have heard in some way or another about the sport through magazines, Web sites, and etc and then they all wish me good luck and stuff and then I wake up and realize, that's the kind of world I want to build for myself and others, I want to make the sport widely known and more mainstream and be a part of something that I along with the other Wheelchair Bodybuilders and countless others will help to build WCBB into something that will eventually vastly transcend it's thought limits and more importantly transcend me and like I said earlier be passed on to many, many generations in less of course there are cures by then in which case I would freak out with happiness if I was alive to see it even if I’m not I’ll be smiling with those are. I just want to be viewed as a “strong” and awesome parent by my kids someday like mine is to me but I want to do it with my dreams, and passions, in my own ways and if I ever become a father I’ll give/try to give the people in my life and many others this type of support and motivation. As Karl Marx once said “The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it.” And while this is one of my favorite all time quotes I personally think he should have said “Change it for the better” just to further drive home the point not that many would pay it much more mind anyway haha. Take care and train hard all Walker "The Big Dogg" Runnels thanks everyone for your time and support always. Please forward/announce this message to as many people as you can think of that might pay it some attention be it by way of Blogs, E-mail, word of mouth or etc and be it at work, friends, family, you name it matters not, just do it thank you all very much for helping out our sport and cause everyone This message is calling upon all Internet users and all Youtube visitors worldwide both with and without Youtube accounts. Anyone and everyone who reads this has any extra time to kill please be sure check to out my Channel and the Web site URL link within my Channel it’s for a really great cause, see I’m a Wheelchair athlete to be more specific, a Wheelchair Bodybuilder involved as both a competitor and promoter along with all the other Wheelchair Bodybuilders in the sport of Wheelchair Bodybuilding also known as WCBB and am trying to use good old Youtube to help me and my fellow friends and competitors, and our sport get more exposure in the US and worldwide by hopefully getting more fans and possibly even competitors if they ride in style like us haha. I know a message such as this could be seen as Spam and somewhat robotic but please be aware that the reason it has to be a message that’s kind of static and spamish like this is because it takes me a long time to type due to my disability and it would be super hard and unrealistic for me to type a message similar to this one a several times a day on Youtube and or other sites/promotional mediums, so I made this message not to Spam, annoy, or agitate other users but only to make it easier for me to do what everybody else on Youtube does which is, by what I gather to promote stuff that they like and that’s important to them so they can share it with the world without having to have a really, really big Megaphone take care best wishes everyone, spread the word as fast as good Hollywood Gossip only in a more positive way of course and oh yeah enjoy the videos the links are below. This message will self-destruct in 10 seconds I’ve always wanted to say that haha, BOOM baby *flexes* welcome to the Gun Show and again and as always take care everyone thanks for your time and support. Walker “The Big Dogg” Runnels http://www.youtube.com/user/DefyFate2022 http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=1656D7EE0476AF6A http://www.myspace.com/wcbbrepbigdogg http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/Defyfate/ http://www.wheelchair-bodybuilding.com/ http://www.myspace.com/wheelchairbodybuilding http://www.wheelchair-bodybuilding.com/wcbb_contacts It feels really great to finally reach a point in my life to feel like I’m getting what I want and have wanted more in my 22 years of youthful life than anything else at least as far as my own personal satisfaction and enjoyment in life are concerned which was and still is and always will be, to be recognized more for my strength, heart, and physical prowess than my intellectual abilities now I’m not saying by any measure that smarts are not of vast importance ( Be cool kids and everyone really stay in school till your done with whatever level of education your after I’m serious) too but just cause my body doesn’t work at 100% usage doesn’t mean that my intelligence should be overestimated and (I’m not a dummy but for some strange reason people think I’m super smart which is certainly flattering but wrong I’m just a person who like any good student of life works hard to hide their stupidity a mask I wear but the truth I dare to tell haha) or overstated and looked upon by many I’ve met in life as the only “real” way I can have any real impact or contribution to and upon my life or the world and don’t misunderstand me, education and intelligence again as important as they are or can be shouldn’t ever be seen as my only “escape” from my disability or as the only way I can help myself or others, I believe and always have that a human being even if given no outstanding talent or skills that separates them from the rest should have the undying right to strive and work hard for whatever legacy they wish to be known for, to leave behind if you will and I want to be known for my Bodybuilding/Athletic exploits and it’s many sports, mainly in my situation Wheelchair Bodybuilding and if I ever get well I believe I’m going to also try my hand at combat sports and see how I fare. I often ponder thought do you think if my body was “normal” and I could walk and live on own that people would be able to have any input in my life that I didn’t want to listen to as to whether I be better off as a athlete or say a school teacher, no because I would simply walk away and heavily pursue my own goals and dreams as I am now well except the whole walking thing haha I’m a horrible comedian. Secondly, this also crosses my mind if I had been lucky enough to be “normal” how many people would really care what I was up to in my journey of life as long as it was something positive and I was hardworking at whatever my aspirations were/was/are and some people I’m sure some people need a kick in the rear to get them pumped up about their attempts at conquering life and it’s many fine intricacies you know “winning” the game, but see my problem never laid or has laid in the fact that the motivation wasn’t/isn’t there, no in fact I think I run on jet fuel in that department my issue lies instead in the wings (my body) so in short I never really wanted to anything but an athlete, wheelchair or not so guess what? I’m not ever going to try be anything but a athlete/Bodybuilder because being different than what you truly desire to be may be better for you in some regards but in the grand scheme of things the habitual lying to yourself and unhappiness and regret that will inevitably result from this type of existence will create a void so deep your many attempts to fill it with more false dreams, pursuits, motivations, and desires, and material things will sadly only be in vain so that’s why I’m doing something I’m passionate about and especially why I believe others should give a major part of their lives (not all) to the same. I was lucky enough to be born with such great family and friends who support me and understand my viewpoints (for the most part) and how important Bodybuilding and what I want everyone to know is that all my hard work I try to do for WCBB is as hard or harder than a “real” job only difference being that it’s non profit and not that I want money, I’m very happy and content with just a place to belong to all my own, which I believe for the most part with this sport, the friends I’ve made and being a Bodybuilder I’ve found that place, my calling if you will.

I love everything ! The people, the cheers, the attention (self admitted), friends,family, all the training and of course my fellow wheelchair bodybuilders and also i have much love for the able bodied Bodybuilding and Figure and Fitness competitors as well all the women are very nice, hot, and sexy and are my favorite part of any show :) I respect the male competitors for their strength, kindness, (gentle giants I tell you) and dedication.

Myself, my fellow wheelchair bodybuilders and also able bodied Fitness, Figure, and Bodybuilding men and women and any person passionate about fitness and working out That's who and what motivates me. I am always coming up with new ways to do exercises and because I discovered Wheelchair Bodybuilding I now feel as if i have a true propose in life and let me tell everybody who reads this something, to feel that way about something makes you feel amazing, almost superhuman. Another one of the ways i stay motivated is by always trying to think of ways to raise awareness and make Wheelchair Bodybuilding and Bodybuilding and it's related sports bigger and better. one of my biggest dreams includes a day where Wheelchair Bodybuilding and Bodybuilding become as commonplace as any other sport so that more people will learn about them and hopefully join in so that they too can get that rush like i do when i compete. Why I believe this is so very important to me and my fellow Wheelchair Bodybuilders, Bodybuilders, and friends is because we are trying to let Wheelchair users know that just because they ended up either by birth or injury being confined to a wheelchair, their lives are not over, altered and more difficult without a doubt but far from over they just have to adapt, be open minded and become aware of whats out there and then of course make the choice for themselves as to if they want to become a part of it or not. One thing however that I try hard never to do is make others, disabled or not feel forced to do anything because if their efforts are only being fed by someone's desires for them then that person will never live up to their full abilities so even though I'm very, very passionate about these subjects please keep in mind you have to do whats best for you and no one else. With that said i still strongly encourage you to go check out the Wheelchair division at a Bodybuilding show before making your final decision. Finally there are two more reasons/ways i stay motivated, one being that i feel if more wheelchair users are/were active in wheelchair sports such as Wheelchair Bodybuilding it would/will destroy the stigma that can sometimes follow Wheelchair users by showing people were not as breakable in any way as people might think and we are cool to visit with although we hate long walks :) hahaha, anyway the second reason is that i feel that the more wheelchair users show themselves to be competitive in the sport it will someday get more attention from people as a whole and the media and maybe, just maybe they'll work a little faster on better treatments and possible cures for Wheelchair users I hope so. Some of the ways I think this process could be hastened are if the president someday would make a national holiday devoted to Wheelchair sports and the people who do them and during that day/time or whenever show news stories, movies,TV shows or anything that might urge other handicapped people to become a part of the Wheelchair sports of their choice and this would also educate and raise awareness to non disabled people. Flooding rehab hospitals/centers with word of mouth and announcements or posters of some sort would help as well because in order to possibly recruit more Wheelchair users to our cause, we have to look where they can be found. Finding Wheelchair users who work out and Bodybuild is not a very easy task at all. Wrapping things up, I have but one more message to send and that is that in the end the words and even actions of others can only do so much to prompt their fellow human beings, at some point they have to take hold of the wheel so to speak and control their own destiny and happiness as much as they can. Facing those facts I've did my best to encourage the rest is up to you. I would also like to thank all my family, friends, and my fellow Bodybuilding, Fitness, and Figure friends (both wheelchair and walking) :) for their support, motivation and love (i want to get my skinny frame as big, strong and as ripped and lean as i can while getting to and staying between my goals of 122-160 lbs at 4-8% BF).

Competing in Wheelchair Bodybuilding also known as WCBB shows and getting to show the world my hard work and getting to be around people and friends who are doing the same thing. Trying along with my friends to get more fans and Wheelchair Bodybuilders in our sport so it will grow and become bigger and more awesome than all of ever thought possible so that when all we die we can leave behind a well respected sport and legacy for all (hopefully lots and lots by that time) so that Wheelchair Bodybuilding will forever have a well founded and well known place in the worlds of Wheelchair sports, Bodybuilding and just overall fitness, worlds that we all love so much, think about constantly, and are so thankful to be a part of. In short all I'm trying to say is that all my fellow Wheelchair Bodybuilding competitors friends and also all the friends and supporters I've gained in Bodybuilding and other closely related sports (Hey figure and fitness ladies!!! ah yea :) women rule)along with all my family and friends are and have helped me through some very heavy mental torments and burdens (that are all still constant worries for me, they are just more easily carried for the time being, thus making them less stressful and hopefully it will be that way for a very long time to come. By all of them giving me the love, support and encouragement they do even if they are not aware of it they have aided me in discovering and showcasing a part of myself and my mindset that I personally thought would because of Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy would have to remain forever asleep and never come to light and I along with the other Wheelchair Bodybuilders will hope and try our best to make sure that in our lifetimes that the many, many hardworking,self-motivated and athletically minded Wheelchair users out there will learn of our sport and help us make it bigger and better either by competing with us on the stage or if they have no desire to compete just by being a supportive fan. Spread the word like good Hollywood gossip except in a more positive way everybody and thanks for your time and support everybody it all means a lot to the Big Dogg.

Wheelchair Bodybuilding related links http://www.youtube.com/user/DefyFate2022 http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=1656D7EE0476AF6A http://www.myspace.com/wcbbrepbigdogg http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/Defyfate/ http://www.wheelchair-bodybuilding.com/ http://www.myspace.com/wheelchairbodybuilding http://www.wheelchair-bodybuilding.com/wcbb_contacts