Jack Anderson was born on 18th June 1982 in Griffin, Georgia, which is a small town situated 1/2 an hour south of Atlanta. On May 19th 2009 Jack was involved in a car accident that changed his life forever. He suffered a Spinal Cord Injury which left him paralyzed for life. The doctors told him he had experienced a level T-6 through T-12 incomplete injury. Despite this drastic occurrence in his life, Jack was not going to give up and stay depressed. He wanted to do something important with his life in spite of being paralyzed.
He is proud to say that his daughter Kaydence Taylor is the hugest accomplishment in his life. She inspired him to do great things. When he was still in hospital after the terrible accident, he saw Nick Scott on YouTube. Seeing this athlete with his spinning rims and optimistic attitude, Jack felt inspired to become a wheelchair bodybuilder himself.
Luckily, a friend of his from the local gym introduce him to bodybuilding competitions, and within no time Jack had his first show in Savannah Georgia. After this fantastic show, Anderson fell in love with the sport. His content weight is 86.36kg (190 lbs), while off-season weight is 93.18kg (205 lbs). Jack started straining in 2006 and became a professional wheelchair athlete in 2011. His favorite exercise is Bench, and he likes to train his chest mostly.
On 19th May 2009 I was involved in a grizzly accident. As a result I suffered from a spinal cord injury that left me paralyzed. It is a level T-6 through T-12 incomplete injury. Since that day I have using a wheelchair, but that has not deterred me from doing what I was set to do here on this earth. Yes, my life changed completely that fateful day, but from it I was reborn.
After injuring my spine and being told that I could never walk again, I felt dismayed at first. I was shocked beyond belief wondering what I could do in my life without being able to walk. My reaction was quite normal, because events like what I went through are really terrifying. However, I had a sudden change of spirit. I felt in my heart that I had to prove to myself that I was still the man I was always and that nothing could stop me, not even my injured spine.
Okay, after the accident happened I had to stay in hospital for a while till I was fit to go home. While I was lying in my hospital bed, I happened to see Nick Scott, another wheelchair bodybuilder, on YouTube. Just seeing this guy smiling with his spinning rims, I wanted to have a positive attitude like that. After that both my mind and my body were pushed to want to achieve more in life.
There was this friend of mine at the gym I used to go to, and he was well-connected. Being close friends, he introduced me to the wheelchair bodybuilding competitions. I am forever grateful to that guy, because his introduction paved the way for me into this sport. I began my training back in 2006, and I had my first show in Savannah, Georgia. Since then, I have been hooked to being a bodybuilder. I am glad I discovered this sport.
I am strongly motivated to help other people who are in a similar situation like mine and show them that anything is possible. It does not matter if you are paralyzed and cannot walk, anything is possible and giving up is never an option no matter what happens in life. I also feel highly motivated to be a good role model to my daughter Kaydence Taylor by showing her never to give up. I love her so much, and I hope she gets to be strong-willed in all that she does.
I’d like to tell people that they shouldn’t sweat the small stuff. There are tough days and there are great days. It is important to always stay focused on the goal no matter what. That fateful day back in 2009 seemed like the end at that time as I did not know what I would do next. However, knowing that I had not died that day, I had a purpose to achieve. I decided to face life full-on. Life can be challenging, but we have to find that inspiration within us to do great things. Beast mode baby!!!
• Amateur Contest History
2014 NPC Wheelchair Nationals : 1st Place
• IFBB PRO Contest History
2015 IFBB Dallas Pro : 3rd Place
