In a sudden turn of events that has left the bodybuilding community astounded, Brett Wilkin, the fast-rising star in the Men’s Open division, announced on October 9 via Instagram that he’s Withdrawal himself from the much-anticipated 2023 Mr. Olympia contest. Persistent digestive issues have forced this surprising decision.
“Unfortunately, this is going to be one of the harder videos I’ve ever had to make before. It took the last few days to bring this together and actually talk about it with the decision. But with that being said, I will not be competing at the Mr. Olympia here in four weeks’ time,” Brett Wilkin announced.
Brett Wilkin’s rise in professional bodybuilding has been rapid. Indeed, his mix of size and aesthetics set him apart early. In fact, his sixth-place finish at the 2022 Arnold Classic marked a turning point. Afterward, his stock rose fast within the industry. Determined to push further, he doubled down on training and packed on more muscle. Then, at the Romania Muscle Fest Pro, he finished second behind Behrooz Tabani. Still, his momentum didn’t slow. Just weeks later, he secured his Olympia qualification with a win at the Big Man Weekend Pro.
However, that promising run has been interrupted. Unfortunately, health issues have forced Wilkin to withdraw from the 2023 Olympia. As a result, fans will miss one of the division’s most exciting new contenders. Nevertheless, Wilkin plans to attend the event in person. Already, the bodybuilding community has rallied behind him. Without a doubt, supporters hope to see him healthy and back on stage soon.
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Brett Wilkin Unforeseen Health Setback Withdrawal from 2023 Olympia Participation: “My Body Was Fighting Me, I Was Getting No Response in the Gym”
Brett Wilkin’s anticipated appearance at the 2023 Mr. Olympia was halted due to significant gastrointestinal distress, leading to symptoms of constant nausea, dizziness, and an inability to maintain nutrition.
“It’s probably the hardest thing I could say because I spent the last – now it’s been a year you know preparing for this moment this weekend coming ahead and a huge goal of mine. As you know, I spent the last 8-9 years coming for this and it kind of all fell apart on me.”
“Just give you some detail, I can’t spend the next 15 minutes talking about what transpired these last 7-8 weeks. It’s more like 5-6 weeks I guess. But to make a long story short: the body was not responding as it should be from the get-go. I had some earlier red flags and just kind of hid that. And that progressed into me not being able to keep food down, keep meals down. I was vomiting a meal or two a day which then I would try to replace. I was nauseous; I was dizzy and paired that with some unwanting diarrhea issues as well, that I was hiding and dealing with those by myself, and just trying to continue to push through what we do, we’re bodybuilders, we have those prep feels, but these weren’t prep feels.”
“My body was fighting me, I was getting no response in the gym. It came to a breaking point, kind of an ugly breaking point where I had to address it with not only Matt and the people around me Ivanna, we made the decision to back off with everything involved with the prep. I haven’t trained in 14 or 15 days. I haven’t been able to eat and if you know me and my history I have to eat a lot of calories to keep on the size and even on prep, I have to eat to keep on the size and the muscle density because I have a high metabolism.”
Unable to compensate for the meals he lost due to vomiting, Wilkin revealed a weight drop of 15-17 pounds in the past two weeks.
“I was trying to replace the meals I was vomiting and it just became a vicious circle of not having enough nutrients. To push the training that was going bad, my body weight dropped, I think I lost 15-17 pounds in the last two weeks.”
“I didn’t think I could push through the next five weeks — not just physically but mentally.”
“The mental side of things with stress and anxiety it just became a dark deep circle that I had to get out of. These last two weeks I haven’t been doing any training. I have been doing some extensive GI work. I have a GI map coming.”
Wilkin asserts that his gastrointestinal problems aren’t persistent and he plans to make a comeback in the sport when the time is right.
“I have a good team behind me looking at everything walking me through this,” added Brett Wilkin.“I will be back. This isn’t something that is chronic. Hopefully.The last few days have been better. De-stressing has helped a little bit. I still can’t eat like I want to but I imagine that will get better with time and that’s all I need here. Time to rest the mind and the body and the GI tract.”
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Two major contenders have pulled out of the 2023 Mr. Olympia. First, Brett Wilkin announced his withdrawal due to health concerns, removing a fast-rising talent from the Men’s Open lineup. Then, on September 23, former two-time champion Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay followed with his own exit. While Ramy didn’t share full details, he suggested his body needs time to recover.
Despite stepping away from the stage, Wilkin still plans to attend Olympia Weekend. That means fans will still see him at the event. Now, with both athletes out, the field opens up for new contenders. At Colosseum Strength, we wish Wilkin a full recovery and Ramy a well-earned break.
Overview
Emerging bodybuilding star Brett Wilkin announced his unexpected withdrawal from the 2023 Mr. Olympia on October 9, citing persistent digestive issues. Wilkin’s rapid ascent in the Men’s Open division, including a notable sixth-place finish at the 2022 Arnold Classic, had marked him as a contender. This setback comes as a blow to both Wilkin and the bodybuilding community eagerly awaiting his performance.
Featured Image – Brett Wilkin Withdrawal from 2023 Mr. Olympia Due to Health Concerns: “I Loss of 17 Lbs in Two Weeks” – Credit: @Brett_wilkin (Instagram)
