Mr Victor Bamidele Ezekiel is a 52-year old athlete who has been active since the year 1990!
The Kogi State (North-Central Nigeria) indigene is based in the Ijaiye district of Lagos and, like many other bodybuilding athletes the world over, credits the great Arnold Schwarzenegger as being his major source of inspiration to join the world of physical culture. "I watched a couple of movies, namely Commando as well as Conan the Destroyer, that fateful year and I was really struck by the impressiveness of Arnold's musculature. I subsequently started working out by making use of construction building blocks as my first-ever set of improvised barbells," he recounts. At first it was simply about feeding a passion to work out and develop a head-turning physique, and it was not until 2 decades later, in the year 2010, that Mr Ezekiel made his competitive debut. That event was the now-defunct Natural Bodybuilding Organization of Nigeria (NBON) national championship, held in Lagos, where he secured a silver medal in the Lightweight category of the championship. His subsequent competition history expands to include participation at Mr Flex Nigeria Season 1 in 2011 (bronze medal in the Lightweight category); Mr Flex Nigeria Season 2 in 2012 (silver medal in the Lightweight category); Mr Flex Nigeria Season 4 in 2014 (silver medal in the Lightweight category); the 2014 ABBFN Ultimate Classic championship (bronze medal in the Lightweight category); Mr Flex Nigeria Season 5 in 2015 (bronze medal in the Lightweight category); Mr Flex Nigeria Season 6 in 2016 (gold medal in the Lightweight category); the Embizsure Muscle classic Nigeria championship 2016 (silver medallist); Mr Flex Nigeria Season 7 in 2018 (silver medal in the Lightweight category); the 2019 ABBFN Ultimate Classic championship (silver medal in the Classic physique category); the 2020 ABBFN Ultimate Classic e-championship (silver medal in the Classic physique category). Mr Ezekiel's most recent outing was at the 2022 edition of the Mr Flex Nigeria championship, held in Asaba, Delta State, where he transitioned to Men's physique and won a silver medal in that category. He has no ambitions of getting off the stage just yet, though he has an eye on leaving a positive legacy for the younger generation coming through. "I would love to continue to compete alongside the best athletes in the sport, my age notwithstanding. However, I have begun the process of nurturing some of the youth in my neighbourhood, by introducing them to as well as educating them about the sport." Hopefully the nation shall begin to reap the fruits of these efforts in the years to come!
Mr Ezekiel is also a personal trainer and can be reached for consultation on Facebook as well as via email: ezekielbamidele451@gmail.com
The NBD
