The Jose Raymond Story

His Must-Read Inspirational Journey

Of this story author Peter McGough says, “In 40 years of writing profiles etc. the interview with Jose was one of the most stunning and inspirational I’ve ever done. To see what kind of men Jose and his brother Tito have become in spite of the circumstances they were born into is a lesson in perseverance and an example of the strength of the human will. I just had no idea of Jose’s real story. Thank for telling it my friend and I hope I did you and Tito justice.” Here we present the opening segment of the feature, which offers an insight into what prompted McGough’s statement.

 THE BUILDING OF THE BOSTON MASS

 FROM HELLISH CHILDHOOD TO A HELLUVA BODYBUILDER!

 How Jose Raymond survived a nightmare upbringing, made the big decision at age 34 to join the BIG boys, and with his 2015 Arnold 212 victory carved himself out as number one contender for Flex Lewis’s title.

 By Peter McGough

 In 40 years I’ve done countless interviews, many of them following a pattern. For instance with people you’ve never interviewed before you start out with warm soft questions while throwing in a few obscure facts about your quarry to give him confidence you know who they are, that you’ve done your research, and give he or she a sense of importance. So settling down to my first ever interview with 2015 Arnold Classic 212 champ Jose Raymond I prepared for a similar scenario.

 So we began with two functional openers:

 PM: I have your birthdate as December 29, 1974 – is that correct?

 JS: Yes sir.

 PM: Where were you born?

 JS: Boston – I’m a Boston man through and through always will be.

 I threw in a third softball and what I got back was a sensationally jarring home run out of the park and into another world. In that moment I got a searing insight into the heart, soul and psyche of a man I admired immensely before our interview, but revere even more now. I was taken into a place I had never visited, into an inferno of misery that no one should endure, but too many do.

 The third softball was, “Describe your early childhood.”

 In matter of fact style Jose replied, “Have you ever read the book Angela’s Ashes?” I concurred. Angela’s Ashes was the autobiography of teacher Frank McCourt published in 1996, eventually made into a movie starring Emma Watson and Robert Carlyle. Set in the 1930s and ‘40s the book and film chronicle McCourt’s impoverished and heartbreaking childhood in Brooklyn before the family had to move back to its roots in Limerick, Ireland.

 This month’s cover man continued, “My life was like that book. I was born into very bad circumstances. We lived in a ghetto in absolute squalor My birth parents couldn’t always provide for us so me and my brother Tito, who is five years older than me, were shuttled back and forth from foster homes to our birth home because our parents did not want to give us up. But the authorities believed we could not stay with them because they couldn’t cope on account of having so many kids. I was the youngest of eight. I’m now 40 years old. My oldest brother is sixty, I have another one who is 55, a 52year old sister, twins that are 50, Tito is 45, then came a sister who is 42.

 “All sorts of tragedy and turmoil was happening. Many times there was no food in the house or electricity or heating in a Boston winter. Violence and alcohol addiction surrounded us.

 There was another set of twins that died at birth. Before I was born my eldest brother Juan was holding his one year old sister at a sort of party, when a fight broke out and somebody got out a gun and fired it and killed the one year old. That’s the type of situation that we were commonly in. And that is why we were ultimately taken away. I was lucky enough to have been taken from that at an early enough age. We were eventually adopted when I was five and Tito was ten. We were very lucky to get to be raised together. I have seen my birth parents a few times through the years but it’s not a regular thing or anything like that. But I’ve stayed in contact with my siblings. They’re scattered all over the country: Boston, LA, Chicago, Las Vegas, Florida. I see them when I visit those places.”

 What follows now is a step-by step account of how Jose Raymond, in his own words, rose from such wretched circumstances to become one of the most respected bodybuilders on the planet and a major contender for this year’s 212 Showdown title at September’s Olympia Weekend.

STEP ONE: TITO IS THE MAN

 Obviously Tito and I are the closest because we grew up together. And you know he got me into bodybuilding. I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for him. You know he actively took on the role of father figure at a very young age. He didn’t really get the chance to be a child, because he was always worried about me. As soon as I was born he was carrying me around like a football and he was only five years old. And he immediately thought I was his and he did everything he could to take care of me; so he was my only true caretaker that I ever remember. When I was four they sent me and Tito to separate foster homes for 18 months. I think they believed back then that the kids shouldn’t see each other because they felt we wouldn’t be adopted by the same family. Being separated from my brother was the worst time of my life. Being apart from him was terrible, everything else I could deal with but not that. And when we were finally adopted when I was 5 ½, even though we had many rough moments, we were together so it was all manageable. Tito and I developed a resistance and a work ethic. From then on we used to tell each other that we’ll never live like this as adults and we’ll never -- if we’re lucky enough to have children -- have them experience what we experienced. I don’t say this because he’s my brother but Tito is one of the greatest human beings I’ve ever met in my life. Most people who have met him say he’s made a huge impact on their life. He really is as genuine as you can be. We were very lucky to get to be raised together. He has worked as a Personal Trainer at Gold’ Gym Venice since 1999, and I visit him regularly and we speak on the phone most days. We’re brothers but we’re best friends as well. He’s been married for 12 years to fitness model pioneer Amy Fadhli and they have two lovely kids.

The story then continues with the other nine steps in Jose’s life. These steps encompass how he was adopted, his entry into the gym world, his first contest, the reason he turned down a pro card three times but finally accepted one when he won his fourth eligibility, why he decided to leave the natural ranks, his unique conversation with Arnold, how he assesses 212 champ Flex Lewis as being beatable, and so much more of a helter skelter of a ride. For the full story get the August 2015 issue of Muscular Development on shelves now.

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