{"id":29346,"date":"2026-09-17T00:04:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T00:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=29346"},"modified":"2026-09-17T00:04:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T00:04:00","slug":"maori-athlete-is-nzs-first-wheelchair-bodybuilder-at-mr-olympia-te-ao-maori-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=29346","title":{"rendered":"M\u0101ori athlete is NZ\u2019s first wheelchair bodybuilder at Mr Olympia \u2013 Te Ao M\u0101ori News"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ephraim Gudgeon is making history as the first M\u0101ori and first wheelchair bodybuilder from Aotearoa to compete at Mr Olympia.<\/p>\n
\u201cI made it a goal to compete at the Olympia one day, and that was nine years ago,\u201d Ephraim says.<\/p>\n
Mr Olympia, which began in 1965, is considered the pinnacle of professional bodybuilding. It has been won by some of the sport\u2019s biggest names, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman.<\/p>\n
Ephraim (Ng\u0101ti Porou, Ng\u0101puhi, Tainui) earned his pro card in 2019 and, seven years later, won the 2026 IFBB Texas Pro Men\u2019s Wheelchair division – earning his qualification for Mr Olympia.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just thought I\u2019d try to come top three, maybe – [I] ended up winning,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just didn\u2019t think I was good enough.\u201d<\/p>\nKo Ephraim Gudgeon (left) te kaiwhakapakari tinana t\u016bru w\u012bra toa o te IFBB Texas Pro i t\u0113nei tau. Photo \/ Instagram. <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
He whakapakari, he whakatinana i \u014dna moemoe\u0101<\/h3>\n
Ephraim\u2019s story started in 2017, when he made a 35-metre jump from a waterfall, fracturing his T12 vertebra and leaving him paralysed from the waist down.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought, if I\u2019m going to be in a wheelchair from now on, I might as well look good in a wheelchair. And so I came across wheelchair bodybuilding and decided that\u2019s what I wanted to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ephraim spent around three months in hospital and rehabilitation. <\/p>\n
\u201cA day after I got out, I went straight to the gym and just started working towards my first competition.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, nine years after setting that goal, he is just days away from making his Olympia debut in Las Vegas.<\/p>\n
His qualification marks two firsts for New Zealand: he is the first M\u0101ori and the first wheelchair athlete from the country to compete at the Olympia.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just so proud to be M\u0101ori and that I can represent M\u0101ori on the world stage.\u201d<\/p>\n
His Texas Pro win was massive, with Ephraim placing first ahead of James Berger, who was the 2025 Wheelchair Olympia champion.<\/p>\n
M\u0101 te huruhuru e rere ai te manu<\/h3>\n
Ephraim\u2019s journey has also gone viral through an online video by the One By One Project, which has been viewed more than three million times.<\/p>\n
In the video, Ephraim is seen at a park in Hamilton, giving out drinks and supplements to runners while sharing his story and Givealittle fundraising page.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t expecting to qualify for the Olympia. And so once I did qualify, I thought to myself, oh, heck, I\u2019ve spent all my money to do the Texas show. I need to try and get some more money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following the video\u2019s traction, $50,000 was raised for Ephraim.<\/p>\n
He says bodybuilding competitions usually cost him around $10,000, with little support available for competitive bodybuilders in Aotearoa.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the last five weeks, I\u2019ve gotten heaps of support from what I like to call it just the individual – the little person here in New Zealand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo companies, no brands – it\u2019s just been all the hardworking-class individual who\u2019s helped me get to where I am today. And so I just want to thank everyone for helping me get here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ng\u0101 wero o te whakapakari tinana<\/h3>\n
For Ephraim, one of the biggest challenges has been bodybuilding from a wheelchair.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople in wheelchairs have to put up with so many things that people who aren\u2019t in wheelchairs don\u2019t really see.\u201d<\/p>\n
Training can involve challenges such as being unable to reach or manoeuvre around certain equipment.<\/p>\n
\u201cWheelchair bodybuilders, we do lots of cardio because we don\u2019t get to move around or do steps like everyone else. [And] because of that, we can get bad pressure sores under our legs.\u201d<\/p>\nE poho kerer\u016b ana a Ephraim Gudgeon ng\u0101 koha kua tukua e te motu ki tana kaupapa. Photo \/ Te Ao M\u0101ori News. <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Through it all, Ephraim says the support of his wife, Ari, has been vital.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been married 10 years, and every single bodybuilding competition I\u2019ve done, she\u2019s been there. And she\u2019s probably been the biggest help and support that I\u2019ve received.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ephraim has now reached the goal he set nine years ago, but says there is still work to be done.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got a job to do, and after that, then I\u2019ll focus on the next goal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBodybuilding is hard for able bodies, but to do it in a wheelchair it can be even more difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ephraim will travel to Las Vegas this week, ahead of his competition on Sunday 27 September (NZT).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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