Chad McCrary, a renowned bodybuilder, died at the age of 49. He was crippled in a 2005 motorcycle accident but continues to compete in Wheelchair Bodybuilding competitions, demonstrating his determination and tenacity. His brother Lance McCrary posted the terrible news on Instagram on Friday. The announcement said, “RIP Chad McCrary: April 1, 1974 – January 2, 2024.” The post did not specify the cause of death.
He also mentioned in a comment that Mr. McCrary “was truly a bodybuilder in his Beast mode, his determination was unmatched. Yet he could make you laugh, and give good advice. Just an all-around good man.”
Jim McMahon, CEO of Mutant, a sports fitness brand, expressed his sorrow and shock in a video tribute to Mr McCrary, “Like everybody, I’m very sad and stunned. It’s a hard one. What I’m always going to take away is what we all got to experience,” highlighting the sense of camaraderie that McCrary contributed to the world of bodybuilding.
Mr McMahon continued, “Everything that all of us try to achieve in this life is having good friends and camaraderie, so I don’t have much to say…just that the heart hurts. That’s the simplest way to put it. Peace and love to everybody.”
Other friends offered their sympathies and shared their memories of Mr McCrary in the comments. Wheelchair bodybuilder Ludovic Marchand wrote, “Chad was a good friend and always contacted me for advice as he said I was the one to inspire him.”
Bodybuilder Nikky Ricks expressed, “I’m so sorry for your loss. I chatted to him for a while at the Olympia and he seemed like a very lovely man with a great sense of humor. Very sad to hear he has left the world.”
Chad McCrary of Texas began participating in 2000, five years before a devastating accident on a cross-country motorbike jump left him paralyzed. Undeterred, he returned to bodybuilding in the wheelchair division six months later, according to The Sun.
In 2022, Mr McCrary created a name for himself by finishing in the top ten of the prestigious Mr Olympia bodybuilding competition. His accomplishments include earning first place in the Heart of Texas Heavyweight tournament, as well as the Lone Star State and Arkansas State Championships.