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{{#rendered}} <\/amp-sticky-ad> {{\/rendered}}<\/code><\/template><\/code><\/amp-render><\/div>\nLegendary bodybuilder<\/u><\/a> and eight-time Mr. Olympia champion Lee Haney made a desperate plea for help after his family revealed this week that he is in need of a living kidney donor.<\/p>\nHaney\u2019s son took to social media this week to reveal that the International Sports Hall of Famer\u2019s kidney is failing 26 years after first being told that he would “eventually” need one.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\n\nEight-time Mr. Olympia winner Lee Haney attends the Arnold Sports Festival International Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2015 in Columbus, Ohio, on March 7, 2015.<\/span> (Dave Kotinsky\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n“First time sharing this \u2014 my dad needs a kidney donor.<\/u><\/a> Please keep him in your prayers and share if you can,” Joshua Haney\u2019s Instagram post read. “He is a blessing to so many others and breathes life into all he does. There is more work to do.”<\/p>\n {{#rendered}} {{\/rendered}}<\/code><\/template><\/code><\/amp-render><\/div>\nCLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nHaney shared a message of his own to discredit an “appalling” rumor that seemingly began circulating after his son\u2019s post. He did not clarify what the rumors were.<\/p>\n
“Greetings to all my family and fans, I am alive and well. It\u2019s appalling to see how fast rumors can spread,” his post read.\u00a0 “Yes, I am in need of a living kidney donor as communicated by my two awesome children. Many of you have sent prayers my way and I appreciate them deeply. My approach is to be proactive as I face this current challenge.”<\/p>\n
{{#rendered}} {{\/rendered}}<\/code><\/template><\/code><\/amp-render><\/div>\nHaney said he continues to lean on his faith and he is “still well and fully functional.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\n\nLee Haney stands at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 21, 2007, during Dr. Ian Smith’s “An Event to Change Your Life” hosted by Steve Harvey.<\/span> (Rick Diamond\/WireImage\/ Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nBODYBUILDING LEGEND RONNIE COLEMAN HOSPITALIZED AFTER SUFFERING ‘SERIOUS MEDICAL CONDITION,’ FAMILY SAYS<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n“My faith<\/u><\/a> in the Lord has always been my super power. Thank you all for being genuinely concerned. I am still well and fully functional,” his post continued. “I\u2019m not needed in heaven at the time.”\u00a0<\/p>\n {{#rendered}} {{\/rendered}}<\/code><\/template><\/code><\/amp-render><\/div>\nAccording to Haney\u2019s children, Haney said his “faith, proper nutrition, and exercise” have “delayed” his need for a transplant for many years.<\/p>\n
“My wife of 43 years<\/a> and our 7 grandchildren would be forever grateful,” Haney said in the message shared by his son.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nInternational bodybuilding champion Lee Haney hands out signed copies of his book in a bookstore on June 7, 1995.<\/span> (Afro American Newspapers\/Gado\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nCLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n {{#rendered}} {{\/rendered}}<\/code><\/template><\/code><\/amp-render><\/div>\nHaney is largely regarded as one of the greatest professional builders of all time. He held the Mr. Olympia title for eight consecutive years, from 1984-91 and was the youngest to win it at age 24.<\/p>\n
He scored two perfect scores in 1986, marking a first for the sport, and was later picked by former President Bill Clinton<\/a> to serve as chairman of the President\u2019s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports from 1999-2002.\u00a0<\/p>\nFollow Fox News Digital\u2019s<\/strong><\/i> sports coverage on X<\/u><\/strong><\/i><\/a>, and subscribe to<\/strong><\/i> the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter<\/u><\/strong><\/i><\/a>.<\/strong><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n