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My name is Brian Boyle,
I am 21 years old, and I live in Maryland. I am an amateur (drug-free)
bodybuilder, certified personal trainer, and Ironman Triathlete. I'm
trying to use my story as a way to inspire and motivate those out in the
world that need it, both bodybuilders and regular people who are trying
to overcome tragedy or just need that little boost to get back into life
again; my parents and I only wish I had somebody to talk to while I was
going through our whole ordeal three years ago.
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"My story is about the recovery and the comeback, but I want to
make it much more than that" |
 I
started lifting weights back in middle school, did powerlifting in high
school, and was always a big fan of the sport of bodybuilding so I did
that as a hobby while also throwing discus and swimming. A month after
I graduated high school in 2004, I was coming home from swim practice
and was involved in a near fatal car accident with a dump truck. The
impact of the crash violently ripped my heart across my chest,
shattering my ribs/clavicle/pelvis, collapsing my lungs, damage to every
single organ and failure of my kidneys and liver, removal of spleen and
gallbladder, losing 60% of my blood, severe nerve damage to my left
shoulder, and in a coma where I was on life support for over two months
at Prince Georges Hospital Center in Cheverly, MD.
I died eight times while I was in the intensive care unit and even when
I woke up from my coma, I couldn't talk or communicate. The doctors told
me that the initial reason that I survived the impact of the collision
was because of the large amount of muscle that my body had acquired over
the years of lifting and working out.
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"After spending
two months in a coma, 14 operations, 36 blood transfusions,
13 plasma treatments, I lost a total of 100 pounds" |
The day that they knew that I would live, was the day that I either left
my room in a wheelchair or a body bag. As far as the future, it didn't
exist. Walking was never going to happen again due to all the extreme
injuries and because of the shattered pelvis. The thought of swimming
was just that, only a thought. Just like my body, my dreams were
shattered. But, I didn't give up.
 After
spending two months in a coma, 14 operations, 36 blood transfusions, 13
plasma treatments, I lost a total of 100 pounds and had to go to a
rehabilitation center in Baltimore. I had to learn how to talk, eat,
walk, shower, and live independently again. After that agonizing
experience, I had to go to outpatient therapy in Waldorf, MD. After
spending a few months in a wheelchair, I took baby steps to walk on my
own. As far as strength training and lifting weights, I could only do
bicep curls with 2.5 lbs. and I bench pressed with a wooden stick
because the severe nerve damage in my left shoulder wouldn't allow me to
raise my arm.
Fast forward until the present moment, the month is December and the
year is 2007, which is a little over three years passed the day of my
near fatal accident. Since then, I have gained back all the weight
(currently 190 lbs. and 7% body fat) with the help of weight gainer
powders and protein supplements from my sponsors, 4EverFit.
As for strength training and athletics, I was able to get back in the
pool and swim at the collegiate level two years ago. Last year I
decided that I would take a break from the team because I wanted to gain
some more strength and muscle back so I continued my amateur career in
bodybuilding that I started in high school. With help and motivational
support from 4EverFit and my bodybuilding hero and friend, Jay Cutler, I
was able to do this. I told Jay my story and how I always looked up to
him as a bodybuilder and was a huge fan. He sent me out a care package
and put me on this strength training program where I ended up beefing up
to 240 lbs. of all muscle, which was so much different and better than
being the skeleton that I was after getting out of the hospital. I
loved everything about the sport of bodybuilding and I have been a big
fan of it since I was little, watching all the movies that Arnold was
in, especially Pumping Iron. It's a sport that really gave me that
confidence boost that I needed at the time because I was still a little
out of sorts with everything that had taken place before it.
 It
wasn't until this past may that I started competing in triathlons when
the Ironman triathlon corporation contacted me about being the
inspirational athlete media slot for this years Ironman show, so since
then I started training for that, finished the world championship race
in October, and was one of the main features of the Ironman show on NBC on Dec.
1st. Bodybuilding is in my blood and I plan on continuing my amateur
bodybuilding career while also training for Ironman triathlons.
My story is about the recovery and the comeback, but I want to make it
much more than that, I want to make a positive impact on the world for
both athletes and non-athletes. I am just trying to live each day to
the fullest and motivate and hopefully inspire other people through my
endeavors to never give up on their dreams, and to never stop believing
no matter how bad a situation is. I remember when I was still in my
hospital bed in ICU, I would have my mom and dad push me around in my
wheelchair to the other rooms in the unit to see the other patients and
talk to them and their families; it didn't matter if the other patients
were unconscious or comatose because I just wanted to talk to them,
especially since there was always that possibility that they could hear
me. I wanted to let them know that everything was going to be okay,
somehow things would work out for the best. I prayed with them, I said
prayers for them, I tried to give them hope. I believe that my purpose
in life is to bring hope to those who need it most and through my past
accomplishments, I have been able to have the positive mindset to keep
pushing through over all these obstacles.
With all that I have been through over the years and with my background
in health, fitness, and athletics, I thought the best thing that I could
do in order to help people would be to become a personal trainer, which
is something that I have always wanted to do since I started lifting
weights back in sixth grade. I got certified through the American
Council on Exercise last May and worked at a local gym over the summer
as a personal trainer and loved every second of it. NBC did a news
segment on my personal training career last month, which I attached
below. Helping people achieve their health and life goals is a very
rewarding experience for me.
Brian
Boyle
http://www.team-boyle.com/
Lift for Life.com Athlete of the Year
Natural
Bodybuilding at its Finest - Lift for Life.com
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