Long before becoming a bodybuilding legend, Ronnie Coleman was earning modest paychecks. His journey from serving pizza slices to becoming a police officer laid the foundation for his legendary career.

Recently, the 8-time Mr. Olympia shared those memories with Flex Wheeler while appearing on the Flex for Life episode.

He said, “Two years into it, I can't stand pizza no more. So I started trading food with the guys next door at Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King. I'm like, hey, y'all tired of eating burgers? They're like, yeah. I'm like, y'all want to trade? They're like, yeah. So I was trading pizza for burgers.”

After graduating, Coleman struggled to find a job. He had to settle for a job at Domino’s as a pizza delivery guy. But that did not stop him from chasing a good future. In 2018, Coleman said about working at Domino's, “I dreaded every day working there, but I knew I was destined for something better.”

That desire pushed him towards a new path: to be a police officer. Coleman said, “I started applying to the police department. The first time I went and applied, I didn't pass the test. And that was the written test... The second time I applied, in the middle of taking the test, I had to go to the bathroom. So I'm like, okay, didn't pass that test either.”

Then, he sat for the final interview, where 5 people, including a sergeant, a captain, and a psychologist, threw the hardest questions at him. According to Coleman, that interview did not go well, and he decided to find another job.

But what happened next changed a tense moment into a happy one? Ronnie said, “Man, I get home, talk to my mom, tell her about it. And my phone rang. And it was them calling me. I'm like, I just left y'all, you know, about an hour ago. He's like, yeah we got some good news for you.”

And just like that, he got the job. He joined the Arlington Police Department in 1989 and served as an officer till 2001. Even later in his documentary, Coleman revealed, “I loved being a police officer. It was my dream job.”

So, what made him quit the dream job?

The Reason Coleman Left His Dream Job

Ronnie Coleman was active in his police job until he won the Mr. Olympia title 3 times.

But, after winning his 3rd title, he gave up the annual $46,000 Arlington police salary for a full-time bodybuilder.

He later admitted to doing bodybuilding, earning the likes of $500,000 as prize money, endorsements, and appearance fees.

But, it seems the decision of leaving the job and focusing totally on bodybuilding had paid off, and as a result, became one of the most respected and successful bodybuilders in the world.

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar