Ex-drug addict excels as bodybuilder

A Sinoville resident who once was a heroin addict recently made Pretoria proud by winning a bronze medal at the National Amateur Bodybuilding Association of South Africa (Nabasa).

Gerjee Geyser (33) spends his days working as a plumber and builder, but he often goes to the gym for hardcore training sessions. However, this family man battled with drugs for years and went to jail multiple times.

Geyser told Rekord that he had been sent to three different substance abuse rehabilitation centres over the course of about five years and was in and out of jail nine times. He started lifting weights at the second centre he was admitted to.

“We were not allowed to have radios at the centre, seeing as we had to break away from everything related to the world out there. However, there was one radio on the premises and a few men were lifting weights. I then decided to give it a try and was very pleased when I started noticing a difference in my body,” he said.

The turnaround in his life came in 2010 while he was at Healing Wings. Geyser said his then girlfriend was three months pregnant at the time. “I had to make a decision if I wanted to save our relationship and see my child. With the help of God, I conquered my addiction,” he said. The couple got married in June 2010 and have two children.

Geyser now plans on working even harder to turn his dream of becoming the top bodybuilder in South Africa into a reality. He added that although he has used anabolic steroids in the past, he now uses supplements like creatine and protein combined with diet manipulation in his preparation for competitions.

Geyser said that most people were uneducated about this muscle-growing drug. “Many think it’s easier to gain muscle when using steroids when, in fact, it is not a shortcut and you have to work three times harder to achieve results. Also, one has to make use of medication before and after using steroids and you have to be at least 23 before even considering it.”

Reflecting on his past, he said that he would teach his children about making the right decisions in life. “My parents unfortunately didn’t care about what I did. I plan on being involved in my children’s lives and teaching them the difference between right and wrong.”

He urged parents to keep a watchful eye on their children in an attempt to protect them from using illegal substances. “If you suspect that your child might be using drugs, it is crucial to act immediately and have them tested. Parents who just don’t care are partly responsible for their children’s downfall.”