“Sandow is home and it will remain here for a very long time, Thank you to all of my fans around the world, I made it because of your love and support,”
This is what Big Ramy wrote on his Instagram account after he had managed to defend his title in the renowned Mr. Olympia Championship.
Egypt bodybuilding legend Mamdouh Elssbiay aka Big Ramy proved that his victory in the Mr. Olympia 2020 championship was not a stroke of luck, after he achieved the 2021 title for the second time in a row after tough competition from USA’s Brandon Curry. The Mr. Olympia title Ramy won also comes with a prize money of $400,000.
With the victory, Big Ramy became the first Egyptian, African and Arab bodybuilder to win the title of the most famous such championship in the world twice in a row.
Olympia's most famous and attractive open weight, 37-year-old Big Ramy took to the stage with a massive 300-pound physique and was looking better than when he won the 2020 title.
The Egyptian veteran went into the competition as the favorite to win the title, with the majority of bodybuilding fans expecting him to come on top. However, the competition was not an easy one, as Ramy found himself face to face with 2019 Mr. Olympia Brandon Curry, who was trying to reclaim his crown.
The tournament witnessed the participation of 16 players from different countries, including the two Egyptians, Mohamed Shaaban and Hassan Mostafa, who failed to qualify for the final round.
Mr. Olympia is the world's most famous and largest professional bodybuilding championship, held annually in the United States of America, and Elssbiay has become one of the most prominent competitors for its title in recent years.
Big Ramy was born on September 16, 1984, in the resort town of Baltim in the Kafr el-Sheikh Governorate of Egypt, on the Nile River Delta. His father was a fisherman and the same was practiced by Ramy and his brothers. But what made him stand out amongst his siblings was his passion for bodybuilding.
Elssbiay earned his pro card by winning the overall title at the 2012 Amateur Olympia in Kuwait City, just three years after he started training. In 2010, Elssbiay joined Oxygen Gym in Kuwait. By 2011, he weighed 200 lbs, and when he stepped on the 2012 Amateur Olympia Kuwait stage, he weighed in at 286 lbs and was declared the champion. In 2013, Elssbiay made his IFBB Pro-debut at the New York Pro, which he won. In 2020, Elssbiay won the Mr. Olympia title; which he then defended a year later in 2021.
Moreover, Kafr el-Sheikh Governor Gamal Nour-Eddin announced last week that a major square in the governorate will be named after Big Ramy. It will be near Kafr el-Sheikh University to serve as a good role model for young people, as it will be characterized by beautiful and elegant features.
Big Ramy is a strong motivator for young people in Egypt, and he has been highlighted as an example for them, his persistence and determination leading him to global fame in bodybuilding.
There is a lot for Big Ramy to be happy about after these last few weeks. This is surely something he is proud of.
