The last time bodybuilding fans saw Roelly Winklaar onstage was at the 2021 Mr. Olympia in Orlando, Florida where he placed 11th. He took off the entire 2022 season, and he hasn’t been actively preparing for a contest so far in 2023, which led many fans to wondering if he’s called it a career,
Dennis James had Winklaar on as a guest on a recent episode of The Menace Podcast, and he addresses those rumors early. Even though he wants to get back onstage, he feels that he wouldn’t be able to compete and look the way he feels he should.
“No, I don’t want to retire,” he told James, Milos Sarcev, and Chris Cormier. “But the injury that I have I think I can do better to be on my best back on the stage.”
One big issue that may be keeping him out of action is his shoulder injury that he suffered. He told Cormier that his rotator cuff has seen much better days,
“It’s just done,” he said solemnly. He confirmed that the injury was just from training in the gym and not from his younger years when he played soccer. He had surgery in 2020 to repair the damage, but he didn’t win any shows in 2021. He feels the injury was what kept him from being his best.
“That was why I placed so very bad.”
If the 45-year-old is no longer competing, he has had a career that many competitors wished they had, including an Arnold Amateur win, a New York Pro title, and the honor of being the first Olympia “People’s Champion” belt winner in 2018. Nonetheless, he wished that he could’ve had a send off like another bodybuilding legend – Dexter Jackson.
“I like Dex’s end, how he said ‘this is my last show, guys, bye.’ That is a good end for everybody.”
Winklaar spoke about his entire career as well as how life is for him now, among other topics. Go to the Muscle & Fitness YouTube channel to see this and all episodes of TMP as they air every Sunday at 3 pm Eastern time.