MY NAME IS CHAD MCCRARY. I GOT ENVOLVED IN BODYBUILDING AROUND DEC. '00'.  I  WEIGHED ABOUT 160LBS. @ 15% BODYFAT (BF). AFTER THREE YEARS OF TRAINING, I MANAGED TO BUILD MYSELF UP TO 240LBS. @ AROUND 15 -18 % BODYFAT. A FRIEND OF MINE TALKED ME INTO DOING A SHOW IN OCT.'03' AT PLANO, TX.  I DIETED DOWN TO 195LBS @ 4-5% BF IN 12 WEEKS. THE RESULTS WERE A 9^TH PLACE FINISH. I THEN REALIZED MY GENETICS WERE LESS THAN HALF OF MY LOVE FOR THE SPORT & DECIDED TO KEEP LIFTING BUT NOT COMPETE ANYMORE.  I STARTED RIDING MOTOCROSS WITH A FRIEND OF MINE. HIS NAME IS JOHN CLACK & HAS BEEN ONE OF MY BIGGEST SUPPORTERS ALONG WITH MY WIFE, ERIN. THANKS GUYS!  MY ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON MARCH 26^TH,'05' IN PLAIN DEALIN, LA., I WAS ATTEMPTING TO JUMP OVER A TRIPLE & CAME UP SHORT LANDING ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE JUMP VERY HARD. THE OUT COME WAS A BURST FRACTURE OF THE T-12 VERTEBRA.  I WAS INITIALLY PARALIZED FROM THE WAIST DOWN. AFTER SPENDING TWO WEEKS IN LSU @ SHREVEPORT, LA., I WENT FROM ABOUT 210-215 TO 165 LBS.  I LAID FLAT OF MY BACK THE WHOLE TIME.  I LOOKED AWFUL & FELT AWFUL!  I WAS SO DEPRESSED ABOUT MY CICUMSTANCES & THE FACT I HAD LOST SO MUCH HARD EARNED MUSCLE.  I ASKED MY WIFE "WOULD YOU GO TO SEARS & GET ME A SET OF DUMBBELLS?" I WAS BOUND & DETERMINED THAT THIS WAS NOT GOING TO KICK MY ASS.  SO, I WAS TRANSFERRED TO TEXARKANA, TX. WERE I LIVE. I BEGAN A LONG MONTH OF IN HOUSE REHABILITATION.  THE DR. WOULD COME BY ON HIS ROUNDS & THERE I WOULD BE BANGING OUT A SET OF PRESSES.  HE WOULD LOOK @ ME & JUST SHAKE HIS HEAD.  DURING MY STAY @ REHAB CENTER I'M SURE THE PHYSICAL THERAPIST THOUGHT I MUST HAVE BEEN INSANE.  MY DAILY REQUEST WOULD BE TO GO TO THE GYM & PUMP IRON WITH THAT DAMN TURTLE SHELL BRACE!  MAN I HATED THAT THING! ANYWAY, SIX SHORT MONTHS AFTER MY ACCIDENT I TOLD MY WIFE I WANTED TO COMPETE IN THE WHEELCHAIR CLASS OF A BODYBUILDING SHOW.  YEAH!  SHE ALSO THOUGHT I WAS NUTS BUT, THAT'S OK! I'M USE TO IT.  THE SHOW WAS THE HEART OF TEXAS HELD ANNUALY IN PLANO, TX. , BY MR. PRINCE HARRISON WHO IS A GOOD FRIEND & AN AWESOME INDIVIDUAL WITH A TRUE PASSION FOR THE SPORT.  THE MESSEGE I WANT T O SEND TO PEOPLE IS NO MATTER WHAT GETS IN YOUR WAY OF OBTAINING YOUR GOALS IN LIFE, YOU HAVE TO PUSH, PULL, DRAG OR JUST RUN IT THE HELL OVER!  ADVERSITY HAS OR WILL AFFECT EVERYONE TO SOME DEGREE OR ANOTHER.  THE FACT IS YOU DON'T HAVE TO JUST LAY DOWN & TAKE IT!

I'M CURRENTLY GETTING READY FOR THE HEART OF TEXAS ON SEPT.30^TH '06' IN PLANO, TX.  I'M WORKING FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS A 911 DISPATCHER ON A MILITARY BASE.  MY ORIGINAL POSITION PRIOR TO MY ACCIDENT WAS A FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDIC FOR THE SAME ORGANIZATION.  I HAVE ALSO OBTAINED A CERTIFICATION FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SPORTS MEDICINE.  I TRAIN PART TIME @ MY FRIEND JOHNS GYM CALLED ICON GYN & TRAINING. I CANT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT THIS GUY! HE IS TRULY A PASSIONATE & CARING PERSON. SOMEONE I'M PROUD TO CALL MY BEST FRIEND.  I'M ALSO JUST STARTING TO WORK WITH A VERY SPECIAL YOUNG LADY NAMED FALLON TURNER THAT HAS CEREBRAL PALSY & WISHES TO TRAIN & COMPETE FOR THE PARALYMPICS.  I'M PRETTY SURE YOU WILL BE HEARING THAT NAME AGAIN IN THE NOT TO DISTANT FUTURE.  SHE IS SOMEONE WE COULD ALL LEARN A THING OR TWO FROM.  I'M ALSO PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT STARTING NEXT MONTH I WILL BE DOING SOME WORK FOR VYOTECH NUTRITIONALS.  I WILL ALSO PLAN TO COMPETE IN THE WHEELCHAIR NATIONALS IN '07' NOW THAT I'M NATIONALLY QUALIFIED. UNTIL NEXT TIME, "LIFT BIG OR GO HOME!"

GOD SPEED!

CHAD M.