Blind bodybuilding champ uses his strength inspire others

Published: Updated:
Greg Rando. Credit: WINK News

One Bonita Springs man is one of the best bodybuilders in the world.

But even stronger than his muscles is his message.

Greg Rando was born with a rare genetic disorder but doesn’t consider it a disability.

“I won the United States Team Universe competition in which all the winners, we went to Malaysia and represented the United States at the World Championships,” Rando said.

Competing in professional bodybuilding competitions is already challenging in of itself, but Rando faces an obstacle most athletes don’t: retinitis pigmentosa.

Rando can’t see.

“It really all started back in high school and that was about the same time that I started noticing a regression a significant loss in sight,” he said.

By age 15, doctors discouraged him from playing sports, so he began lifting weights while waiting for his friends to finish practice.

“I immediately knew that this was something I could do, that I had an immediate sense of empowerment and it wasn’t long before I felt my self confidence and self esteem improve,” he said.

By college, Rando competed and placed against the best bodybuilders in the nation, and by his 30’s, the best in the world.

Recently he placed third in the Tampa Pro International Bodybuilding competition.

When he’s not pushing himself to improve, he enjoys training others.

“Not only performing it and doing it myself, but teaching it, continues to teach me and show me that I’m still learning and because I’m still learning I’m getting better physically and mentally,” Rando said.

He teaches them that the only limits are the ones we place on ourselves.

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