<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019m just saying, but I didn\u2019t have Phil Clahar starting a GoFundMe page to pay for his hobby on my bingo card this year. But\u2026 HERE WE ARE.<\/p>\n
There are certain things in bodybuilding that make you scratch your head. Then there are things that make you say, \u201cYou have to be kidding me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Phil Clahar starting a GoFundMe to help pay for his bodybuilding career falls into the second category.<\/p>\n
Look, bodybuilding is expensive. I get it.<\/p>\n
I have been around this industry for a long time. Contest prep costs money. Food costs money. Coaching costs money. Supplements cost money. Gear costs money. Travel costs money. Hotels cost money.<\/p>\n
Nobody said competing was cheap.<\/p>\n
But at some point, you have to ask yourself a very simple question. If you cannot afford to compete, why are you expecting everyone else to pay for it?<\/p>\n
This is where I have a problem. Phil Clahar is an IFBB Pro. He has been competing professionally for years. He has also had some legitimate accomplishments.<\/p>\n
But honestly, who the hell even cares to see him compete anymore?<\/p>\n
Clahar won the 2023 Orlando Pro. That victory earned him a qualification for the 2023 Mr. Olympia, where he ultimately finished 16th. Not exactly a top-tier showing, right?<\/p>\n
He also competed at the Masters Olympia. In 2023, Clahar finished third in the Men\u2019s Open division. Then, in 2025, he finished second behind Dorian Haywood at the Masters Olympia in Tokyo.<\/p>\n
So, this isn\u2019t some guy who has never stepped on a professional stage. But that\u2019s also exactly why the GoFundMe bothers me.<\/p>\n
You\u2019re a professional bodybuilder. At some point, isn\u2019t it your responsibility to figure out how to fund your own career?<\/p>\n
Get sponsors. Get clients. Get a job. Create content. Sell something. Do whatever you need to do. But asking the public to financially support your bodybuilding prep? GTFO.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s also put this into perspective\u2026<\/p>\n
We\u2019re not talking about Phil Clahar trying to qualify for the Mr. Olympia and asking fans to help him chase the biggest title in bodybuilding. We\u2019re talking about the Masters Olympia.<\/p>\n
And before someone gets angry at me, let me clarify something. The Masters Olympia is a legitimate bodybuilding contest. There are some incredible athletes who compete there.<\/p>\n
But let\u2019s not pretend it carries the same level of mainstream interest as the actual Mr. Olympia. It doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Clahar has already competed at the actual Mr. Olympia. He finished 16th in 2023. The Masters Olympia is completely different.<\/p>\n
In 2025, Clahar finished second to Dorian Haywood. The final score was 19 points for Haywood and 20 for Clahar after Clahar had led following prejudging.<\/p>\n
That was certainly a controversial result. But here\u2019s the thing\u2026 Losing a bodybuilding contest doesn\u2019t mean the bodybuilding world owes you another opportunity.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n