Who is bodybuilder Roelly Winklaar?
ROELLY WINKLAAR turned plenty of heads after entering the bodybuilding stage in 2010.
Known as "The Beast", his massive size and impressive physique made him a firm fan favourite among bodybuilding followers.
Who is bodybuilder Roelly Winklaar?
Roelly Winklaar is a Curacaoan/Dutch IFBB professional bodybuilder who is considered as one of the greatest bodybuilders of the modern era.
The Beast is notable for displaying a rare combination of massive size and excellent conditioning.
Born on June 22, 1977, on the Dutch-Caribbean island of Curacao, Winklaar lost his father to a motorcycle accident when he was just four-years-old.
His mother then moved the family to Rotterdam when he was five.
Winklaar eventually moved north and lived in Almere for a few years, before briefly settling in the United States after turning professional.
The 46-year-old now resides in Amsterdam during the off season with his three children.
His younger brother, Quincy, is also an IFBB Pro League bodybuilder.
When did Roelly Winklaar start bodybuilding?
Winklaar was a gymnast in his youth and enjoyed bodybuilding from a young age.
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However, it wasn't until a near-fatal car crash prompted him to take the sport seriously and he soon set his goals towards becoming a pro.
Winklaar eventually achieved his pro card in 2009 and won the NPC Arnold Amateur that same year, before going on to win his first professional contest at the IFBB New York Pro in 2010.
He has since won eight of the 50 competitions he's competed in, with his best career win coming at the 2018 Arnold Sports Festival Australia.
As a result of training under the watchful eye of Sibil Peeters, known as "Grandma" in the bodybuilding arena, in his early career, Winklaar was afforded an advanced education on proper exercise technique.
This enabled him to get the most out of every movement and since the 2010s, Winklaar has become one of the leading bodybuilding pros.
He is considered to have the best arms in bodybuilding history, measuring at 24 inches, which he credits to intensity training.
Winklaar does his contest prep at Oxygen Gym in Kuwait City - known for its incredible facilities.
Has Roelly Winklaar competed at Mr Olympia?
Winklaar has competed at the IFBB Mr Olympia on nine separate occasions throughout his professional career.
However, he is yet to win a single competition, with his best finish coming in 2018 when he placed third.
Winklaar's first appearance at Mr Olympia came in 2012, just two years after he turned pro, placing 12th.
His preparation and training was highlighted in the 2013 documentary Generation Icon.
Winklaar most recently competed at the 2021 edition of Mr Olympia but missed out on a top ten finish after finishing 11th.
The Beast also competed at Mr Olympia in 2013 (7th), 2014 (12th), 2015 (7th), 2016 (6th), 2017 (6th) and 2019 (5th).
Has Roelly Winklaar retired from bodybuilding?
Winklaar is yet to officially announced his retirement from professional bodybuilding, having not competed in two years.
His last appearance came at the 2021 IFBB Romania Pro, where he came ninth.
During his extended break, Winklaar has suffered different injuries that have kept him off stage.
The worst of those, however, was a five-hour rotator cuff surgery on his left shoulder that put his bodybuilding career in jeopardy.
Speaking on The Menace Podcast in May, Winklaar gave an update on his situation.
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"I don't want to retire," he said. "But the injuries that I have, I think I can do better to be my best back on stage."
Speaking on his shoulder injury, he said: "It's just done".