Mike Gustavsson started lifting weights when he was 16 as a way to get stronger for motorcycle racing.
At that time, he said, Sweden had few gyms so he worked out in a barn.
Finding weight lifting more interesting, he sold the motorcycles and committed to bodybuilding. He started competing two years later.
He also set two goals for himself — “One day live in America and one day compete in Mr. World.
“And now, 40 years later, I compete in Mr. World and I’m a U.S. citizen. I actually live my dream,” he said last week before traveling to Pretoria, South Africa to compete in the WFF (World Fitness Federation) World Championships.
Now 53, Gustavsson will compete in the masters category for men age 50 and over. Pretoria is eight hours ahead of Tucson so when he takes the stage to compete at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, his wife, Tanya, and friends in Tucson will need to watch the live streaming at 2 a.m.
The entire competition is just one day — from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. with the prejudging followed by the free routine and awards ceremony.
He’s being assisted by Peder Johansson, a trainer and weightlifter he has known since both lived in Sweden. After the competition they will do some sightseeing before returning home to Tucson.
Capetown is one of the few places Gustavsson has yet to see — bodybuilding has literally taken him around the world.
Supporting himself as a personal trainer, he had continued to compete, living throughout Europe and in Thailand before he moved to Tucson 13 years ago. He started competing here and won Mr. Arizona two years in a row in the master’s category.
For the last four years he’s worked as a trainer at Undisputed Fitness at 1240 N. Stone Ave.
Last year he was hired to go to Australia for a month to train someone for a competition. The client even paid for Gustavsson’s wife to come along, he said.
Then about six months ago the Swedish bodybuilding federation president called and invited him to compete in the WFF representing Sweden.
“I have been dieting now for 25 weeks,” said Gustavsson, who has dual citizenship. “I want to make sure I will be in the best shape ever.”
He’s also been working out five days a week. In some ways, he said, weight training has gotten easier over the years. The body has good muscle memory, he said, and I know what to do and what not to do.” Part of that is to “train a little bit less because recovery time is a little bit more the older you get.”
