Wheelchair bodybuilding: inspiring competitors and fans at The Arnold

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Athletes from all over the world are competing at the 35th annual Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus this weekend. Among them, elite athletes who use a wheelchair.

The wheelchair bodybuilding competition features amateurs and professionals, men and women, in an event that premiered at the festival in 2016.

“Being that The Arnold opened the door to wheelchair competitors, that put us on the world map,” said Harold Kelley, a Texan who is the defending champion.  

He had already been competing as a bodybuilder when a car accident took the use of his legs. Since 2016, he has won every Arnold contest except for 2022. He regained the title in 2023 and is defending it this year. 

“I surpassed where I was before my car accident, so when you see your calling, whatever it may be, you have to accept it,” Kelley said. “Once I accepted it, the doors just opened up.”

Sharla Peterson won the amateur women’s division Thursday night. She had competed in the bikini competitions until she broke her back and was paralyzed during a workout.

“I was afraid to go back to the gym because I thought people were going to look at me as a wheelchair wimp you know, like ‘what is she doing in here?’” Peterson said. “That took a lot of courage, and when I went back… they loaded plates for me and then as they saw me getting leaner and they saw me getting trimmed, they were just so excited I was going to compete… and so it became a really inspirational thing for myself and for other people.”

She gets inspired meeting other competitors here.

“When you’re in a wheelchair and finding somebody else in a wheelchair who has the same passion as you, there’s just a huge connection,” she said.

“You meet so many people around the world that come to the Arnold Classic,” Kelley said. “Because this is a world event, and if you are enthused about fitness, you’re going to be here.”

Nick Scott is the one who brought them together.  The director of the event and founder of wheelchairbodybuilding.com is also a powerlifting and bodybuilding champion and a motivational speaker. 

He too turned to wheelchair bodybuilding after an accident left him paralyzed in 1998. Since then, he’s worked hard for his sport to grow at the Arnold and around the world. 

He lobbied for 10 years to get wheelchair bodybuilding added to the program in Columbus. He is grateful for the support of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the bodybuilder and actor who is the sports festival’s namesake. 

‘“Arnold’s always been a supporter of wheelchai, of people with all sorts of disabilities,” Scott said. “And on top of that, he’s going to present on Saturday night to the winner of the wheelchair division… At the sports festival, here at the Arnold, we’re like family.”

Scott has a mission beyond staging a competition and awarding medals to the competitors.

“It shows that if I can make this dream happen, anything can happen for anybody else,” Scott said. “It’s really about giving hope. Hope is the one thing stronger than fear.”