Wheelchair Bodybuilding Champion Chad McCrary passes away.
The bodybuilding world is still mourning the death of Wheelchair Bodybuilding Champion Chad McCrary.
Chad McCrary passed away on 2 January 2024, he was 49 years old. His family and friends are still coming to terms with his passing.
WCBB Chairman/CEO Nick Scott contacted Evolutionofbodybuilding.net, about the passing of their star athlete, Chad McCrary.
Chad McCrary – The athlete who inspired the world
Chad McCrary began a career as a bodybuilder two years before a tragic accident resulted in an injury to his spinal cord. The accident happened while Chad was making an attempt to successfully complete a long triple jump on a track in Plain Dealing, Louisiana. His dirt bike hit the apex landing very hard and Chad’s spinal cord was torn and snapped.
After a week in the intensive care unit of LSU Hospital Chad had to have back surgery. Prior to the surgery, Chad was not able to move or feel any body part below his waist. When he was discharged from LSU Hospital three weeks after surgery he was then transferred to a rehab center called Texarkana St. Michael’s. For 90 days Chad underwent physical rehab. It would take two more years of making progress in rehab before Chad came to the conclusion that he could no longer work in his chosen profession, which was a paramedic and a firefighter.
The next three years of Chad’s life would be spent attempting to regain his ability to walk, despite the fact that his doctors told him he never would again. While even today he is still mainly confined to a wheelchair, he is able to briefly walk on his own two feet as long as it is only for short distances.
Chad moved on to take the necessary courses to work as an Army JAG paralegal. However, he is still devoted to bodybuilding and participates in competitions despite his wheelchair. He has been competing as a wheelchair bodybuilder for 11 years and has won many championships, such as the Heart of Texas Heavyweight competition, where he came in ninth place in 2003. Since then he has gone on to come in at first place at the Heart of Texas Heavyweight competition in 2005. The next year he also won first place in the Lone Star State competition. He also came in first place in the Arkansas State Championships. In 2008 he came in second place in the 2008 Wheelchair Nationals. Most recently, Chad came in first place in the West Palm Beach, Florida Wheelchair Nationals in the over 40 division and the heavyweight division.
In 2000 Chad first began his bodybuilding career. At the time he weighed in at 160 pounds and had 15% body fat. By 2003 he had bulked up so much that his weight shot up to 240 pounds, with his body fat hovering between 15% and 18%. In October of that year, Chad was persuaded by a friend to participate in a bodybuilding competition in Plano, Texas. To prepare for the competition, Chad lost 45 pounds and achieved 4% to 5% body fat in only 12 weeks. When he came in ninth place in the competition he came to the decision that even though he still wanted to be a bodybuilder he didn’t want to enter competitions anymore.
As a result of quitting the bodybuilding competition circuit he took up motorcross riding instead, which ultimately led to the accident that would change his life forever. The accident happened in March of 2005 and six months later, Chad made the decision to begin competing in bodybuilding shows in the wheelchair class. He did so, in part to inspire others to overcome their adversaries and not let them limit what they could and could not accomplish throughout their lifetime. Chad is motivated to do whatever he puts his mind to and wants others to feel the same way. He wants to prove that the only limitations he has in life are the ones he places on himself, which he tries to avoid doing whenever he can.
Wheelchair bodybuilding is something that Chad has not only taken up, but become passionate about. Despite his own injuries he wants to encourage those who follow his life and his career to do their best in life. He gained the physical strength to compete in wheelchair bodybuilding competitions by lifting weights and by modifying his workout routine to accommodate his physical limitations. He has changed certain workouts so that he can do them while either sitting down or lying down.
Making a difference in other peoples’ lives is something that Chad feels strongly about. It gives him the motivation to continue his efforts in the bodybuilding industry. He wants to serve as a role model for others who have suffered horrific injuries similar to the ones he has suffered. Chad takes his mental and emotional strength and uses it to how others that they too can be as successful as he is. Through his passion for everything that he does, Chad inspires people all over the world to do their best to accomplish their goals and not let anything stop them from doing so. He will likely continue to serve as an inspiration for those who have had similar adversaries that they have faced.
Chad’s biography courtesy of Wheelchairbodybuilding.com.
Chad Russell McCrary Obituary
Chad Russell McCrary of De Kalb, Texas left his physical body to be free of the pain and struggles of this life on January 2, 2024. He was 49 years old.
Chad was born April 1, 1974 in Fort Worth, Texas to Ronny Butler McCrary and Linda Joyce Mantooth McCrary. In his life, Chad accomplished many goals and shared his triumphs with others so that he may be a light to those around him. He was an IFBB PRO, the Author of the book “Answering the Call”, a Motivational Speaker, and an Official Mutant Athlete. Chad gained his Aviation License through Texarkana College, obtained his Personal Trainer Certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, studied Emergency Medicine at Northeast Texas Community College, and was a former Paramedic for LifeNet, and a former Firefighter and Paramedic for Red River Army Depot. He was an encourager to all who knew him and those with whom he shared his story.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Linda J. Mantooth McCrary; grandparents, J.B. and Mary Sue McCrary and Russell A. and Frances L. Mantooth; and one uncle, Jerry E. Mantooth.
He is survived by his father, Ronny McCrary of De Kalb; his brother, Lance McCrary of De Kalb; his sister, Lauren Wahl of Baltimore; his niece, Eloise Kate Wahl; a special aunt, Vicki Blevins of De Kalb; two uncles and their wives, Charles and Debra McCrary of De Kalb and Russell R. And Cindy Mantooth of Fairview; an aunt, Sharon Mantooth Wallace and her husband, David of McKinney; numerous cousins; his special dog “Lucy”; a host other relatives and friends.
Celebration of Life
Friday, January 19, 2024 at 11:00 am
Bates Family Funeral Home
601 E Front St, De Kalb, TX 75559
(903) 667-2009
*Open to Public
Family and Friends Remember Chad
“I want to say that my brother was my friend, brother, and a gifted man. We grew up on the Red River, fishing, hunting, and living our childhood with our grandfather. Chad was a very motivated and strong-willed man. I will forever hold him close to my heart. He will continue to live on through me and in the lives of everyone he touched. He loved the bodybuilders he competed with.”
Lance McCrary – Brother
“My brother’s mission in life was to reach as many people as possible with his story of overcoming adversity, whether it be through conversation, bodybuilding, public speaking, or his book. I feel privileged to have been someone to witness all that he accomplished and the lives that he touched with his journey. I’m so thankful that story will live on through others that he made an impact on. I’m heartbroken that I no longer get to see or talk to him physically, but I find peace in knowing I’ll see him again one day in a much better place.”
Lauren Wahl – Sister
“Chad was the kind of person who saw potential in others, even when they didn’t see it in themselves. From the day we met, he talked about my potential in bodybuilding and shared his knowledge with me. He introduced me to a sport I had only dreamed of as a kid. I enjoyed the times we spent in the gym, talking about competing, our love of aviation, and the banter we exchanged to push each other further with every set. My most memorable moment was after the Olympia in Vegas when he challenged me to arm wrestle for the dinner bill, which didn’t end well. We flipped the table, broke some dishes, and had the entire restaurant laughing at us. He admitted he forgot just how strong I was and vowed never to try that again. We had such a great time on that trip. Chad will be missed by all who knew him. Rest easy, Chad.”
Rex Davis – Best Friend
“I am still shocked and at a loss for words… It’s been almost two decades of knowing you, and all I can say is, ‘It’s been a long day without you, my friend. And I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again.’ Rest in peace, my friend…”
Nick Scott – WCBB Chairman
Chad McCrary’s Contest History
IFBB PRO Contest History
2023 IFBB Dallas Pro: 4th Place
2022 Wheelchair Olympia: 9th Place
2022 IFBB Dallas Pro: 3rd Place
2022 Arnold Classic: 4th Place
2021 Wheelchair Olympia: 6th Place
2021 Dallas Europa Games: 2nd Place
Amateur Contest History
2020 NPC Wheelchair Nationals: 1st Place
2017 NPC Wheelchair Nationals: 2nd Place
2016 NPC Wheelchair Nationals: 1st Place
2008 NPC USA Wheelchair Championship: 2nd Place
2008 NPC Wheelchair Nationals: 2nd Place
2006 NPC Lone Star Classic: 1st Place
2006 NPC Heart of Texas: 1st Place
2006 NPC Arkansas State: 1st Place
2005 NPC Heart of Texas: 1st Place
We at Evolutionofbodybuilding.net send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Chad McCrary during this difficult time.
