Resilience has defined Derek Lunsford ‘s path back to the Mr. Olympia crown. On Oct 15, he revealed that he sustained a serious chest tear just four weeks before reclaiming his title at the 2025 Mr. Olympia.

In 2024, Lunsford’s mission to defend the prestigious title fell apart. He missed his peak, his legs were down, and Samson Dauda took that as an opportunity to become the 19th athlete to earn the Sandow trophy. Lunsford could have shelved his posing trunks and waited for the next Olympia, but opted to carry on competing.

He battled Dauda at the Arnold Classic and got revenge. In pursuit of the first-ever ‘ Triple Crown ,’ Lunsford threw his name into the Pittsburgh Pro . He took out Nick Walker after a sudden-death tie-breaker round, giving him crucial momentum before ai

See Full Page