A bodybuilder from Weston has shared his story of the industry after being crowned world champion at a competition held in Romania earlier this year.

Daniel Sutcliffe was invited to the International Bodybuilding Association after taking the top spot in the British finals.

At the risk of sounding cliché, Daniel described his winning moment to the Mercury.

Mr Sutcliffe said: "It does sound cliché but winning the World finals in Romania was a dream come true and I really doubted whether it was possible - it still doesn’t feel real.

"I have been training for around 10 years, partly due to my background in sports science and my job as a personal trainer, but I did not start competing until 2018.

"In my first season competing, I managed to win a British final and placed third in a world final."

During his decade of training, Daniel has been on the wrong end of many misconceptions around bodybuilding, which he insists are far from the truth.

He added: "There are still some stigmas attached to competitive bodybuilding, such as the usage of performance-enhancing drugs.

"However, the natural bodybuilding federations I compete in, use stringent drug testing protocols such as urine analysis and polygraph lie detector tests to ensure this does not take place in their competitions.

"I would also say there is a misconception that we are all ‘meatheads’ - this definitely is not the case as I have met some of the nicest people through bodybuilding."

Weston Mercury: Daniel pictured before and during the competition.Daniel pictured before and during the competition. (Image: Daniel Sutcliffe)

After securing gold in the Worlds its now time for the 'off-season' where bodybuilders can begin to stray from their strict diets and schedules.

Weston's bodybuilding champion usually trains for two hours five days a week.

He added: "In the short term, I am going to enjoy my achievements by spending some quality time with friends and family.

"I am looking to compete again in 2023/2024 where I hope to improve on my latest showing and attempt to compete for professional status.

"If anyone out there enjoys training, competitive bodybuilding is a great opportunity to test yourself physically and mentally.

"There are numerous federations which offer first timers categories and they are all very welcoming. The bodybuilding community is friendly and I have made friends and memories for life through the sport."