Theron Jenkins walked into his first bodybuilding competition already accomplishing the goals that meant the most to him.
It wasn’t to win first place — that never mattered to Jenkins — and it sure wasn’t for the attention and recognition he received when he dominated the competition, earning a first-place prize and drawing comparisons to the eight-time Mr. Olympia champion Ronnie Coleman.
All the 32-year-old Jenkins, a Jersey City firefighter, wanted was to learn how to live a healthier and more fit lifestyle, one that would help him deal with the one thing that has played on his emotions his entire life. “I only did this so I can learn how to lose weight and be happy and comfortable when I go to the pool, look at myself in pictures, and when I put my clothes on each day,” said Jenkins. “Those things are first place to me, that’s the real win, not the trophy.”