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50-year-old Lee Priest has been a public figure ever since he gave up bodybuilding. Although he was not authorized to obtain his professional card in Australia, the former IFBB pro won the Mr. Australia title as a teenager.
On a recent YouTube podcast with Flex Lewis, Priest reminisced about his attempt to commit suicide when he was 19 years old:
"I was alone by myself [when I attempted suicide], I just boom!... I was lucky, it was a blunt knife! Imagine if I had a gun, it would have been [a] 'boom' [from which] there would be no coming back."
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Check out the video below (quote at 13:12):
Lee Priest talks about his failed drug test and the aftermath
Lee Priest failed a drug test for the 1990 Mr. Universe competition a year after placing fourth in the lightweight division at the 1990 IFBB World Amateur Championships.
Priest claimed that once he tested positive for a prohibited drug, the organization lost his B Sample. Deeply upset and flabbergasted, Priest slit his wrists with a blunt knife as he struggled to control his emotions. However, he, fortunately, pulled himself together and was picked up by his mother.
In the past, Lee has talked about how he kept his muscle size even after coming out of steroid cycles. He attributes this to eating well and working out frequently. Lee mentioned that he is currently utilizing a weekly TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) program.
When his peers praised Lee's longevity and size at the age of 50, he decided to keep his followers informed of his progress.
Despite Masters Olympia making a comeback in late August, Lee said he was not interested to return unless the program catered to competitors over the age of 50.
He recently appeared in a one-on-one discussion on death, steroid use, and mental health with retired seven-time 212 Olympia Flex Lewis.
Who is Lee Priest
Lee Priest was born on 6 July 1972 in Newcastle, Australia. He shared the stage with his mother, who also competed in bodybuilding. With his grandfather's assistance, Priest began training when he was just 12 years old.
Priest was regarded as one of the first giant killers in the sport during his reign. Over the course of his three-decade-long career, he posed alongside numerous superstars, including Dorian Yates, Shawn Ray, Kevin Levrone, Ronnie Coleman, and Jay Cutler.
Lee Priest made the decision to compete in the Niagara Falls Championships as an amateur, where he was discovered and granted his professional card. At the age of 20, Priest turned pro in the IFBB.
Priest spent the next 16 years competing effectively in the IFBB. 2006 was Priest's breakthrough year; he finished as an Ironman Pro after 10 years of finishing second or third.
Fans and veterans agreed that he had some of the best biceps ever seen in the sport, even if he never won a Mr. Olympia medal. In his final three performances before retiring, Priest conquered the 2006 NOC New York, 2006 PDI Night of Champions, and the 2013 NABBA Mr. Universe in a perfect swansong.
