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Limits? Not for bodybuilder By Melissa St. Aude Staff Writer CASA GRANDE — Chiropractor Sean P. Jenkins refuses to accept life’s limitations. At age 49, Jenkins returned to competitive bodybuilding and in doing so hopes to demonstrate that traditional roadblocks, including age, do not need to limit life. “I believe in possibilities, not limitations,” Jenkins said. “Most people talk themselves out of living a happy life. They set up barriers for themselves, but really there are no limitations. If people learn anything from my story, I hope it is that people should live their dream and just go for it.” Competing against men in their mid-20s, Jenkins took part in the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness 2010 pro men’s show in New York City in May, winning fifth place in the 202-pound division. This summer he plans to compete in two other shows, and if he wins in at least one, he will qualify to compete in the 2010 Mr. Olympia show in Las Vegas in September. Jenkins, a Chandler resident who has owned Jenkins Chiropractic in Casa Grande for the past three years, spent much of his teen and young adult years competing in the world of bodybuilding. At age 24, he turned professional and traveled the world as a competitor, fitness model and bodybuilding trainer. He discovered the chiropractic field when he developed a bad back, which forced him to take a break from bodybuilding. A chiropractor helped him get back on his feet and before long, his back pain was gone and he returned to competition, going on to win the Mr. USA title and a gold medal in the World Games. “It was a fun life,” he said. “But I felt empty on the inside. I decided to shift gears.” He retired from bodybuilding at 30 and returned to school, deciding to become a chiropractor. “The chiropractic field is about re-calibrating the nervous system so the body can kick in and heal itself,” he said. “It is about health care, not sick care. A true chiropractor prevents illness from happening.” He returned to school and attended Life Chiropractic College West in northern California. “I had a wife and a son who was 6 months old,” he said. “Going back to school was challenging and expensive, but I’m used to doing things that most people don’t do.” Soon after graduating, Jenkins moved to Casa Grande and worked alongside an established chiropractor for several years before starting his own practice. Today, his business is thriving with patients ranging in age from infants to the elderly. He said his background as a bodybuilder is useful as a chiropractor. “When I was training others, I noticed that people focus on changing their body from the outside, but it’s the inside that counts. Life is an inside-outside job, but most people do it the other way around. They try to change things externally without paying any attention to what’s going on internally. It doesn’t work that way,” he said. “My physical persona is a reflection of who I am on the inside. I am focused and disciplined.” When patients ask about fitness and nutrition, Jenkins — who has a weakness for ice cream and hamburgers — tells them that life is about balance. “I do eat junk food sometimes. I slip periodically,” Jenkins said. “But life is a balancing act. While I might eat junk food sometimes, I also live a healthy lifestyle. I train and eat properly. I have things I do that keep my mind, body and spirit in check.” After more than a decade away from the competitive bodybuilding arena, Jenkins said he is not sure why he returned, except that the sport is one he enjoys. “I don’t know if it was boredom, but I decided to come out of retirement and start training again,” Jenkins said. Returning to the sport, Jenkins encountered several people who recognized him from his early days of competitive bodybuilding. “I had one guy come up to me and tell me he remembered when I was competing years ago. He was five years old at the time,” Jenkins said. “Now he’s competing as an adult and I’m competing against him.” Jenkins’ wife, who is also a competitive bodybuilder, also began competing again and has won a string of championships. “We started to get back in shape last year. She wanted to compete again and I started to think, I might as well keep going,” Jenkins said. “We are either out of shape together or training together.” While returning to competitive bodybuilding as a 49-year-old has its challenges, it also has its advantages. For Jenkins, competing is now a family affair with his wife and their three sons — ages 18, 15 and 7 — traveling with him to competitions. “We want them to see the whole processes,” Jenkins said. Next month, the family will travel together to Tampa, Fla., and Hartford, Conn., where Jenkins hopes to snag the win necessary for him to journey on to the Mr. Olympia show. Although Jenkins’ sons have not developed an interest in bodybuilding, they are supportive of their parents, according to Jenkins. The oldest son often takes publicity photos and has arranged a video of Jenkins that is available for viewing on YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm-ZJw7FS98 Jenkins said that in the future, he would like to host free local seminars aimed at teaching people about fitness, nutrition and overcoming challenges. “People let so many things get in the way of their dreams,” Jenkins said. “They get sidetracked by politics or the economy. They concentrate on the roadblocks and wonder why they are stressed out. This world will program you for failure if you let it. It will defeat you if you allow it to, but in reality there really are no limitations.” Article Statistics:   Current Reviews: 0