Fresh English Interview
Olav Heraklis Stamatis-Interview
1. GRM.net:Where and when where you born?
Olav: I was born in 25.11.1974 in Oldenburg/ Germany. Its a small city with 140000 Peoble near Bremen and the Northsea.
2. GRM.net: Give us your stats.
Olav: I´m 179 cm high and my offseason weight is about 102 KG (during offseason I just try not to get fat, so normally there is a difference of 8-10Kg between off and in season period). In 5.05.2006 my competition weight was 93,7 KG. (now 2008 its 102 kg !!!)Other sizes:
Bizeps 54 cm/ Breast 134 cm/ Legs (Quad/Bizeps) 83 cm and calves 52 cm.
In every training I try to train so, that I look on competition like a Greek Statue (classic Body).
3. GRM.net: How many years are you involved into fitness? How and what made you begin training?
Olav: I started at the age of 18 but when I was 22 i got ill (thyroid gland leukemia). Next month I had to pass through several operations and 2 chemotherapies. In the age of 26 some kicked my ass to start training again. First I did it to be healthy, but after several month I started training like a pro athlete and in the age of 27 I wanted to take part on a competition. My first competition took place while I was 28. People around me were amazed, because inside of me there was my illness. But with the first competion my dream came true and since then I have a new spirit in my life and found a new way to fight against my illness (the devil in me)
4. GRM.net:When was your first competition? Which category do you compete in? Did you plan to compete from the begining or you decided it as you went along?
Olav: The first competiton I took part was 2003 International IFBB Newcomer Mens. I competed in over 80 KG and less than 90 KG category. My body weight had been 83,4kg.
5. GRM.net:Please give us your competition history. What was your biggest success and which competition you think was your most important?
Olav: Competition:
2003 Int.IFBB Newcomer Mens over 80 KG and less than 90 KG / Place 8
2004 2 times chemotherapie
summer of 2005 IFBB North west Germany Men III up to 90 KG ( weight was 87,9) / Place 8 winter of 2005 IFBB North west Germany Men III up to 90 KG. I placed fifth in the first round. Then I had to go to the hospital cause of a bad damage/injury on the left side of my deltoids
2006 NAC / NABBA Int.North German Men till 179 cm (weight was 93,7 KG) / Place 6
05.05.2007 German Championship/WPF. I won the german Championsship in dortmund in Men III till 95 KG.I started with 93.0 Kg and with this victory I am Qualified for the European Championship in Neapel/Italy on the 16.06 2007
than in November I went to the WorldChampionship in South africa and got the 7. Place…
2008 Winner of the over 95 kg WPF German Championship
2008 3. Place of the over 95 kg WPF European Championship
The biggest success and the most important one has been my first competition because I have shown all the Doctors and all the Critic Persons arround me, that I was able to start competing with my illness.And since than, every time on stage is my biggest win…
6. GRM.net: How do train? Give us an example of your training day.
Olav: I train 2 times per day / 7 days per week. Early in the Morning ( 5:00 a clock) I make cardiologic train and abdominal train. In the evening I train only one muscle group (one day shoulders/ one day biceps and triceps / one day breast/ one day back and one day legs)
For example during the day i train my legs i do the following:
warm up (10 minutes bike riding)
1 set with 100 pieces KNEE BEND with 180 KG or LEG PRESS with up to 650 KG
1 set 100 meter walking SIDESTEP with 50 KG
3 sets (each one 10 reps) LEGSTROKE with 100 KG
3 sets (of 10 reps each) LEG-BENDING with 100 KG
3 sets (of 20 pieces each) CALVES with 160 KG
7. GRM.net: What is your favorite bodypart and exersice?
Olav: I like all muscle groups, but most my shoulders. My favourite exersice is arnoldpress.
8. GRM.net: How do you motivate yourself to train and diet?
Olav: My motivation is my illness! 12 months per year I m in diet and in training… Also every day I want to be harder than the hardest pain of my illness.
9. GRM.net: What do you do for a living? Do you think there are enough opportunities in Europe for a bodybuilder to make his living just by bodybuilding?
Olav: I am working for a telecommunication company in the marketing department (the name is TELEOS)/ its like OTE in Greece or BT in England. The chance to live from bodybuilding is only when u are a professional and rank among the first 6 athletes worldwide. There are not enough opportunities here in Germany or in Europe, because we are not like everyone… We look so different to all, that there is only a very small way in a marketing for Bodybuilders to earn money.
10. GRM.net: What are the differences between European and American bodybuilding?
Olav: In America there is a greater hipe. The bodybuilders have the platform TV in the US. Here In Europe no competition or excibition is shown on TV..
11. GRM.net: Have you been to Greece?
Olav: I have visited Athens (8 times per year) a lot of times because my beloved family lives there and can go to Karaiskaki to look my favourite football team (Olympiacos I am a member and Athlet of Olympiacos).
12. GRM.net: What are your hobbies, favorite foods, favorite actors, favorite cars?
Olav: My hobby is reading, reading, reading! Regarding food I like protein pan cake with a taste of caramel. I dont have a favourite actor. Regarding cars i like all big SUVs and SMART.
13. GRM.net: Do you think training or dieting is harder?
Olav: Nothing is hard or harder….its a way of life and its my life!
14. GRM.net: Name me some athletes that you admire or people that have helped you in your carrier.
Olav: Athletes I prefer are the classic figures like Dexter Jackson.
15. GRM.net: What are your immediate plans for 2009?
Olav: My plans are to grow (i want to gain 2 Kg more for next years competion), because I want to start competing in Germany, try the Euros try to start in Greece and on 11.9.2009 there is the help for heroes event…my last try to compete and show!!!
16. GRM.net: Do you have a website? How can people contact you?
Olav: You can find me on these sites:
http://www.olav-stamatis.de
http://www.bodybuilderworld.de/OlavIraklisStamatis/Homepage/
http://www.delgu.de/bbpraesentation/olaviraklesstamatis/olavstamatis.html
email: olav.stamatis@teleos.de
17. GRM.net: Any last remarks before closing this short interview?
Olav: I would like to thank all the people around me/fans/supporters/family. They never let me fall down. Thanks to Witold Manka and ebodies.de… i´m proud to be a member of your team!!! and thanks to Martha Pavlidou and George Tsioutsias for the pictures (which you can see in the galeries) you made and the video FLEX….it is the best thing I have ever made and George make more of those great things!!!!