A bodybuilder who dreamed of turning pro was left heartbroken after narrowly missing out at an international tournament.

Father-of-two Robert Wheadon has dedicated 12 hours of his life for 15 years hitting the weights since he was a teenager as a teenager.

Now 33, the warehouse worker from Hollingbourne has just come second in an international amateur bodybuilding competition, only just being pipped to the professional spot.

Robert said: “I had to compete at the WNBF UK to be invited to worlds and needed to finish in the top five, which I did coming after coming second. Unfortunately, the guy who came first couldn’t go but I got the opportunity and took it.”

Robert started competing with the World Natural Bodybuilding Federation (WNBF) in 2018.

“I was told by someone I would do quite well, and they were competing themselves,” he explained

“It’s not something everyone can do, and I like a challenge so I took it on.”

Heading off to the international competition, Robert flew to Seattle – where the show was held on November 18 and 19 - with his fiancée Natalie.

At 5ft 7in and weighing in at 11st Robert was in the lightweight bodybuilding class with 13 others.

The winner of the competition would get the chance to turn pro, and though the Robert came close he was pipped to the top spot.

He said: “I missed out by a whisker on the pro spot, being beaten by an American, but next time I will get it.

“For me the whole experience was amazing, going out there and being part of a team. My preparation for 2026 begins now by putting on muscle and building before I go on a diet and cut.

"After competing and getting ultra-low body fat levels it takes time to recover. Typically you want 3-6 months to recover from the prep and diet I just did to make worlds.

"Then 18 months of rebuilding muscle or building it but with that comes fat so I have to allow enough time to diet back down again for the show.

"The reason for it is I can make a visual improvement to my physique so next I time compete I can look a cut above the rest and win the whole thing and turn professional."

Bodybuilding takes up a lot of Robert’s time and he often works out five times a week while fitting in 90 minutes of walking and 30 minutes of pose practice.

He continued: “Natalie is really supportive and you need support around you to do it. She planned the whole trip for me and was the key to it all.

“It’s a lot of time to prep and go and compete so she has to be tolerant and supportive as well.”

As well as a warehouse worker, Robert also works part-time as a personal trainer, and through his work he sees people looking to find confidence in their skin.

He said: “Being a PT as well what I found is male health falls by the wayside and it's understandable.

“They get families and other priorities and so mental and physical health drops and they look at themselves and lose confidence.

“Dysmorphia isn’t something I have had an issue with but what I notice in men in this industry it’s almost the opposite to how women get affected.

“Men will load and pack muscle in areas and look at themselves in the mirror and still think they’re small.

“People come to me and I see them lacking in confidence. When they were young they were fit but due to other commitments, it gets set aside and it hits them hard mentally.

“We sort their diet, get them fitter which helps their physical health and in doing so improves their mental health.”