00:00Mark the date and location, 20th September, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
00:05It's when bodybuilder Dexter Simons steps on the stage for his 58th IFBB show.
00:11At 57, he says it's no longer about prizes.
00:14Now it's a milestone that represents his passion, endurance and durability in the sport that he continues to love.
00:22The process was difficult because it has been a long preparation for me.
00:30Early in the year, I succumbed to an injury and had an operation.
00:35My two quads were torn in January.
00:38And out of that process, I could not really train for about three months.
00:42So this preparation started off as a negative.
00:45The muscle that I would have kept, the momentum I would have kept, the fitness that I would have kept,
00:49usually I start with a certain level of fitness, which I did not start with this time because of the
00:54operation.
00:55Simon is someone that believes in leading from the front and being a testimony to theory.
01:00Even beyond that, he understands his body as he's getting older.
01:04And he's confident about his ability to hit the right markers for competition.
01:08I know when I'm ready based on how I look.
01:11This is show number 58.
01:12And I would stand for nothing but the best.
01:14I know how I would look in terms of my body fat percentage, in terms of my conditioning,
01:19in terms of the quality muscle that I need to present at that level.
01:23And if I'm nowhere there, I keep working harder and longer and more stutely, diet more, sacrifice more,
01:32delayed gratification more.
01:33I will never step my foot on a professional stage unless Dexter Simon knows he's at his best.
01:40Do you feel the same way as when you were 25?
01:43Actually, I feel better than when I was 25.
01:46I'm being honest with you.
01:47I'm being honest.
01:48I feel stronger.
01:49I'm certainly more mature.
01:51And I understand systems and I understand sacrifice more.
01:57I understand emotional intelligence and control.
02:00I understand delayed gratification more.
02:02If I had the maturity I have now, the experience and knowledge I have now, 25 years ago,
02:08I would have been much further.
02:09But again, that's why we call it experience.
02:12We have to go through things and amass knowledge and figure things out so that you can...
02:17But for me, this prep has been one of my best preps.
02:21In the coming days, we will track his progress as he goes up against the young guns in the sport,
02:26matching his will and drive against their vibrancy and enthusiasm.
02:31He has not been alone in his journey as we dig deeper into the life of an icon in bodybuilding.
02:36Sergio Dufo, TV6port.
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