LOOKS
LIKE WE
HAVE A
SILENT
KILLER
ON OUR
HANDS.
Just like that, William Bonac has climbed
up the Olympia rankings, and he’s now
nipping at the heels of the seven-time
champ, Phil Heath. Bonac, originally
from Ghana but now living in
Amsterdam, placed 15th at the
Olympia in 2014, finished eighth and
fifth the next two years, and in 2017
he took third, just behind Mamdouh
Elssbiay.
But unlike the runner-up, Bonac’s
ascension up the IFBB Pro League
ranks has been a relatively quiet one.
Meaning, no trash talk during the year
on social media and no bold
declarations made at an Olympia Press
Conference. He’s been so
cordial, so respectful, that you wonder
if Bonac lacks a bit of competitive fire.
He doesn’t, for the record.
In this exclusive interview with FLEX,
Bonac explains why he’s steering clear
of the mud-slinging, while also sharing a
few insights into his personal interests
and professional ambitions. The
competitive juices are there,
even if the trash talk is noticeably (and
refreshingly) absent.
FLEX: In recent post-Olympia
interviews with Phil Heath (2016 and
2017), he’s had very good things to
say about you. It seems like other
competitors like to talk smack to the
champ, but not you. Why have you
chosen not to engage in the
smack talk?
130
FLEX | MARCH 2018
WILLIAM BONAC: Aside from the fact
that I like the champ and his beautiful
family, especially his mom,
I respect him. I mean, come on, he’s won
the title seven times in a row now! Plus,
he handles himself well as our champion.
I get a lot of people talking bulls---, trying
to break me on social media, and I’m not
even the champ. So imagine all the
bulls--- he has to deal with. In simple
words, if you’ve achieved what Phil has,
or even half of that, then talk s---. If not,
please sit your ass down and
be humble.
With Heath in the middle of a long
string of Olympia titles, how do you
stay the course and not get
discouraged? Is it just a matter of
being patient and waiting for
your time to come?
I can’t control Phil Heath and his
team and what he does and
what he looks like onstage. All I
BIRTH DATE:
can do is control me. I’m doing
May 18, 1982
my thing, step by step, and I
HEIGHT: 5'7"
believe in myself and my team.
WEIGHT: 225 lbs
And yeah, patience is bitter, but
(contest); 235 to
its fruits are sweeter than
240 lbs (off-season)
honey.
WILLIAM
BONAC
BIRTHPLACE: Ghana
Persistence must be
important for a professional
bodybuilder, yes?
Absolutely. It’s very important
not only for a bodybuilder but
for anyone in life. Just when you
feel like quitting, that’s when you
know your breakthrough is
around the corner.
RESIDENCE:
Amsterdam,
the Netherlands
CONTEST HIGHLIGHTS:
2017 Mr. Olympia, 3rd;
2016: Nordic Pro, 1st;
Prague Pro, 1st; 2015:
Nordic Pro, 1st; Dayana
Cadeau Pro, 1st; 2014:
Golden State Pro, 1st;
Russia Grand Prix, 1st
SOCIAL: Instagram
And what about focus?
@william_bonac;
What visions and goals
Facebook @William
do you tend to focus on
BonacOfficial
during the off-season, when
things get mundane, and
pre-contest, when the diet
can be restricting and not
always fun?
I think about being the champ one day.
That keeps me focused when the diet
isn’t fun. In the off-season, I tend to keep
my workouts going and resting my body
for as long as it needs and still trying to
keep it all lean. My short-term goal right
now is winning the Arnold Classic. And
after that, we’re aiming for the crown.