Iain Valliere has more claim to his fame than being Chris Bumstead‘s brother-in-law. Apart from professionally coaching the five-time Mr. Olympia Classic Physique for his first few years, the 33-year-old rose to prominence after winning the 2020 New York Pro Show. Since then, he has been a regular at the Mr. Olympia championships, contesting at the Men’s Open category.
In September 2023, Valliere announced his retirement from competitive bodybuilding after realising preparing for competitions was “all-consuming”. Concerns for his health and the possibility of starting a family acted as the final nail to the coffin as he made the decision. However, in his recent post, he couldn’t help but reminisce about the year that changed it all – 2020.
In a lengthy note to fans and friends, Valliere opened up about how his failure to qualify for the Olympia in 2019 not only sparked the fire in him but also led to his onstage rivalry with Hunter Labrada. Son of veteran bodybuilder Lee Labrada, Hunter acted as the Canadian’s motivation to be better, after he beat him at the 2020 Tampa Pro.
But Valliere’s challenges didn’t end there. As someone whose only goal was to qualify for the Olympia, the 2020 NY Pro gave him exactly what he wanted but kicked off a series of unexpected criticism from bodybuilding fans.
“This was my first time really experiencing this level of criticism as a bodybuilder and I remember feeling so confused as I…was expecting (naively) recognition and praise, not criticism and people trying to have my win diminished.”
But he persevered and made sure to redeem himself ever since his loss against Hunter. During the Mr. Olympia 2020 championship, Valliere was overjoyed to hear his name during the second call-out and knew he was next to his rival.
“Hunter and I actually were joking about this the other week how when we got off stage we were both racing to see where we had placed, just to ensure it was one place higher than the other haha.”
Since then, he strived to practice and perfect his physique at every step, making sure to keep the drive alive and well-lit. However, in 2023, Valliere confessed that the competitive spirit wasn’t driving him anymore. While he still loved the process of training and regular visits to the gym, he longed for the ease and lack of time-bound constraints. Nevertheless, his zeal for the sport made up for an inspiring anecdote, and the bodybuilding community was proud of him for that.
Chris Bumstead, Hunter Labrada, and more praise Iain Valliere for his dedication
Being the ever-supportive brother-in-law, Bumstead was more than happy to remind Valliere of how they started from the bottom.
“Don’t forget the basement it all started in…”
Meanwhile, Hunter wasn’t far behind in recalling their recent conversations about the good old days.
“Was a lot of fun talking about this season at dinner in Detroit! Appreciate the hell out of you as a friend and competitor…”
Mr. Olympia judge Jack Sullivan also appreciated Valliere’s grind and success story.
“Such a cool story. From the come up, to the victory, to the haters, to the grind all the way up to the (Olympia).. and most of all to the competitive spirit between ya’s and RESPECT & CAMARADERIE shared by you both.”
IFBB Pro Brandon Cooper even went as far as to call the Canadian his role model.
“Biggest role model I’ve had in my bodybuilding journey. Always appreciate you and appreciate you sharing your mindset during these big moments!”
Despite respecting his choices, many fans expressed their sadness at his decision to retire.
“Great trip through memory lane! Missing seeing you on stage but so happy to see you thriving in retirement, Iain!”
Valliere went down as one of the peak bodybuilding champions of his time. His retirement may have come in early, but many considered his take on moving on peacefully with a healthy mind and body to be a smart move. Now, as he trains and looks towards new avenues for a better future, fans appreciate his inspirational stories from back in the day.
