Video: The World's First Transgender Bodybuilding Competition

Thanks to the bravery of one transgender man, many others from the transgender community can now compete in a bodybuilding competition.

The founder of this has etched his way into fitness history - it's the world's first and only transgender bodybuilding competition.  

Neo Sandja - CEO of FTM Fitness World

"Are you trying to kill yourself?" the policeman asked. 

"Yes," Neo said. 

The policeman then explained how his sister is a trans woman, and the pair began to talk.

Neo told the helping officer he'd just come to the realisation he was transgender, and his father back in Africa wouldn't accept it.

Neo (above) was born as a woman, but said he just never felt right being one. He says he always knew he was a boy.

He never wore female clothing, and tried to win male friends by keeping his hair short.

He grew up in the Democratic Republic of Congo and didn't know anything about the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) community.

But when he started going through puberty, he quickly started looking different to his male friends. 

"My body was changing. My chest started growing. I got my period, and I thought I hurt myself on a bicycle. I rushed home and I was crying and freaking out."

His sister, who sadly died when Neo was just 16, was really the only one that understood him.

Neo says he's lucky he now lives in the Western world, because now in Africa: "it's becoming worse. You can get the death sentence for being LGBT." 

And when his church found out, Neo said he ended up shivering with fear in a room amongst 15 church elders, who were praying and attempting to "deliver" him from homosexuality. 

Everyone was telling Neo that the way he was - walking, talking and dressing, was "wrong."

After a helpful counsellor told him to try on his sisters dress, his brother demanded he "never do that again."

Neo then took off for America, believing it was a medical problem that could be cured.

Eventually, a friend at college bought the film "Boys Don't Cry" starring Hilary Swank. It's a film about a female-to-male transgender teen who leaves his hometown because his secret got out. 

Neo says he really connected with the character, and felt like it was him. He says he lost sleep doing more research on the situation, eventually realising his father would never accept him.

It was then he decided to walk out in front of that car.

And luckily for the world, it was a cop car, with a very friendly officer who helped him get back onto his feet.

Neo was then diagnosed with "gender dysphoria", and called his mother from the hospital.

In a beautiful display of support, his mother said: "I'd rather have a son than another dead daughter." 

That was all Neo needed.

It was now time to become a man.

But he wasn't just any ordinary man, he was a man with a strong mission. 

After his hormone therapy, Neo started a blog called "FTM Fitness" and received support from all over the world. It then quickly became a business.

FTM Fitness

The business held its first annual conference in 2014, with the world's first transgender bodybuilding competition being the main event.

And it quickly caught on - more than 120 attended in 2015 and by next year, Neo is hoping to include transgender women in competitions too.

"Right Mind, Wrong Body: The Ultimate Trans Guide to be Complete and live a Fulfilled Life." 

Neo now lives in Atlanta, Georgia, where he is performing life coaching and motivational speaking.

He is writing a book with the title above, hoping to help so many others who want to end their life because of their gender difficulties. 

While Neo's father still doesn't accept him, his mother does, as do all of those training for Neo's competitions who he has inspired.

Hear from Neo and learn more about the bodybuilding competition below!

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