Since his first contest in 2010, Eric Keen, of Plymouth, has been collecting titles, trophies, and awards from his successes in the sport of bodybuilding. Currently named Mr. Wisconsin and previously Mr. Indiana and Mr. Florida for bodybuilding, Keen has been dedicated to his passion for bodybuilding for over six years. Capable of benching 300 lbs and currently fifth in the country for his class, Keen has done all this without the use of his legs.
Keen was born with cerebral palsy which affected the use of his legs. Without lower mobility, Keen would often find himself stuck in the house; that is, until his brother turned him onto a sport that would change his life for good.
“At the age of 16, I was pretty much stuck to the couch, and I did that for obviously years, and there were actually times where I was stuck in the house for months. When I was roughly 22, Chad told me to come over to his house and pump iron,” said Keen.
Keen started out benching 60 lbs the first day, and even though he felt sore afterward, he said he felt great. From there, he worked out on a near daily basis to sculpt his body, spending at least eight hours a week pumping iron. Keen nearly doubled his starting weight of 96 lbs to 160 lbs and started talking to people who participated in competitions for bodybuilding.
In May of 2010, Keen won his first competition at Circle City Championships and won the title of Mr. Indiana with Challenges. He later took the title of “Most Inspiring” along with third place at a competition in Florida, and that’s when his career started taking off. Soon afterward, he received a call from a competition in Wisconsin.
Keen has ranked 5th in the country for his class and is currently ranked 1st in Wisconsin following that competition, but he is still striving to earn his professional title. His next competition, the Cardinal Classic taking place in Struthers, Ohio, could earn him third place in the country and, with that, a pro card.
But his desire for a pro card isn’t the only reason Keen does what he does. Keen is also focused on helping other people with similar challenges break out of their shell and find their passion as well.
“I pretty much actually do this to inspire people and get people, if its people with special issues or just an everyday person, I want to help them,” said Keen.
Keen is willing to talk to anyone interested in speaking with him and can be reached at (574) 210-3303. He is also on Facebook, and several videos are available on YouTube under username MrEricKeen.
