PETALING JAYA, Dec 18 — For as long as Syarul Azman Mahen can remember, sports has always been an integral part of his life.

From running marathons to playing sepak takraw in his early years and later playing football for established local clubs in his teen days, Syarul has done them all.

When he was on the fast track to becoming a professional footballer in Malaysia, a misfortune struck in the form of a severe knee injury affecting both his legs.

Just when he was learning ways to strengthen his knees at the gym, Syarul started picking up an interest in the bodybuilding industry and today, the 43-year-old has gone on to win several bodybuilding contests, with his recent one being the World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship 2016.

In his own words:

As a KL boy, I was raised by my mother as my father passed away when I was 10 years old. It was difficult for my mother to look after her four children while juggling her job as a hospital cook. Being the second of the four, I took on the leadership role together with my elder brother to help the family make ends meet. So, I started going to work as a petrol pump attendant when I was in Form Four. I did not make much but whatever I made was enough for myself and my mum didn’t have to give me 40 sen a day as pocket money. But I was interested in sports, so I had to juggle my time going to school, playing football or running and working at the petrol station. Because I didn’t have much money, I survived on one roti canai a day and drank only pipe water.

When I was much younger, my interest was to play football but I stopped playing completely when I injured both my knees. I was told to strengthen my quads and hamstrings in order to play football again and so I visited the City Council’s public gym. I had no idea what to do and no one trained me so I learned from looking at the exercise chart. I worked out day and night at the gym but I wasn’t sure if I was doing it right and I had zero knowledge about diet, so I ate everything after each workout session, resulting in dirty bulking.

Despite eating dirty then, my physique became bigger but there was no shape. My breakthrough came when I was in the Police Volunteer Force after my school days. I was working out at the gym at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters when I met Othman Yahya and former world champion Sazali Samad. They gave me some workout tips and some of my other colleagues coaxed me into joining the Mr Police Bodybuilding Competition in the middle of 2000s. I didn’t win then but I continued training and in 2011, I won the Mr KL Bodybuilding Competition and received fourth placing in the Mr Malaysia Bodybuilding Competition that year. I then returned to compete in the police competition, and this time, I won. I have since won more than five national championships.

My family, to be honest, was not favourable of me joining bodybuilding competitions. My mother, especially, was not happy with my diet. She couldn’t stand seeing me eating plain brown or white rice with a little bit of salad and some grilled chicken or fish. My mother used to say that I looked like a patient at a hospital during my cutting phase. But she eventually accepted this path that I chose after I explained to her that this is my passion and this is what I want to do.

Today, I maintain a very clean diet that comprises brown rice, meat, vegetables and fruits. I stay away from oil, sugary food and other unhealthy food. I work out five to six times a week. Each day, I train one body part, for example Mondays are for chest and Tuesdays are for legs. I have not taken any certification to be a trainer but I have enough experience to teach myself how to work out and what sort of training programme to follow.

As the despatch boy at a business consultant firm in the city, I am extremely grateful to have good bosses to allow me flexible working hours. As long as I get my job done, my bosses are fine with it. They are also very supportive and have given whatever support I need to make it big in this sport. I take my job very seriously and I respect my bosses and the company very much, which is why I have been doing this same job since I was 19.

Today, the bodybuilding industry is not doing very good. After the doping incident involving our national champion Sazali Samad, the industry has deteriorated very much. But I feel the government, through the Ministry of Youth and Sports and National Sports Council (NSC), is doing a good job in trying to bring this sport back up. As a national athlete in the bodybuilding sport, I have received a lot of support from the ministry and NSC, and I hope this sport will be looked at as great as badminton and others in time to come.

I would regard my win at the recent men’s athletic physique up to 170cm event at the World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championships in Pattaya, Thailand, as my biggest achievement. After six times of trying and getting second place in 2015, I finally managed to win the title and make the country proud. I was strict in my diet programme as I started training and controlled what I eat seven months before the competition. There was no cheat days and I worked out Monday to Friday and sometimes Saturday. My sponsors, namely my friends, had helped me very much in winning this title.

I wish to continue competing in bodybuilding competitions for as long as I can. I may be 43 years old now and may be considered as an old chap in the sporting industry, but I am adamant and I will not stop until I cannot walk. My aim is to, at least, compete for another 10 years. Although I am taking a break from competing at the moment, I still maintain a clean diet and strict workout regime, as my next goal is to bag the Asian Bodybuilding Competition.

There is no shortcut to success. At the gyms I go to, I notice a lot of young guys pushing weights in hopes to get that desired body quickly. My advice to them is to take it slow. It takes months and sometimes years to achieve that physique you want but don’t give up just because you don’t see any short term results. Keep doing what you are doing, read up about bodybuilding if you are unsure what it is about and give your full commitment when you are at it.