TIME photographer Lauren Fleishman spent a year following the sport of wheelchair bodybuilding and produced an excellent gallery of the subjects she shot over that period. Among them was Nick Scott, known as "The Beast," who helped start competitive bodybuilding contests for wheelchair pro athletes.

In the video below, some of the wheelchair athletes describe the transformative effect of bodybuilding on their lives. The second annual IFBB Pro Wheelchair championships occurred last weekend (October 13) with Harold Kelley defending the title he won in 2011. To all wheelchair athletes we say thank you being inspiring people. More power to you!

Check out Fleishman's amazing photographs, and learn more about wheelchair bodybuilding.

 

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