“It’s so overwhelming” – Samson Dauda on the pressure of facing Big Ramy at 2022 Olympia
Samson Dauda made his Mr. Olympia debut at the 2022 Olympia competition. The “Nigerian Lion” put in an outstanding performance to finish sixth in the event. Just days later, the bodybuilder recalled the experience of competing against former champion Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay.
In a recent video, Dauda sums up the experience of making his debut alongside Ramy and the added pressure it brought. Highlighting the encounter, the bodybuilder said he was “overwhelmed”. The dark horse at Olympia 2022 said it was “extremely different” seeing the big names backstage before the competition.
Explaining his Mr. Olympia experience, Samson Dauda said:
“Oh man. Honestly, you know, the thing is, people don’t know. When you’re backstage and you’re at a big show and you know all the big names and all the big stars and you see them face to face — it’s so different. People always say, ‘Oh, I saw the clips, I saw the pictures.’ Trust me, when they’re right in front of you, it’s so different. It’s so overwhelming.”
The bodybuilder went on to state that trainer Milos Sarcev told him to ‘fight for his place’ in the event. Dauda revealed he was nervous after finding out he was positioned next to defending champion Big Ramy at the start of the prelims.
He added:
“When I made the first call with Ramy next to me, believe me, I had no idea how I was looking next to him, because you can’t see yourself. I only know this – Milos told me, ‘Look: your number is next to him, don’t back down. Grab it. Fight for your country.’ It’s overwhelming. You look at [lineup] and go shit, well, this is Olympia.”
Samson Dauda also stated that his confidence grew as soon as he reached the first call.
Bodybuilder said:
“For me, at that point [making first call-out] this was a confirmation of the moment. Yes, I knew I could do it, and I believed without a doubt that I could do it. This was an eye opener. It was for many people, but for me, it was the biggest eye opener. You can dream and work hard, but you don’t really know what happens until it happens.”
Dauda went on to state that pushing Big Ramy to the stage gave him tremendous motivation for the coming year. The Nigerian Lion said he is now looking forward to facing the Egyptian at the 2023 Arnold Classic in 10 weeks time. Dauda, who earned a pair of fourth-place finishes at the Arnold Classic and Boston Pro this year, is aiming for the prize this time around.
Samson Dauda in his sixth place in Mr. Olympia
It is pertinent to note that Samson Dauda considers his sixth-place finish in his Mr. Olympia debut as an achievement. After the competition, Dauda took to Instagram to declare that he had the “most amazing weekend” of his life at the event. The bodybuilder said he was over the moon with the result.
Speaking in a video posted on his Instagram account, he said:
“Wow, wow, what a weekend. This is definitely the most amazing weekend I can remember in my life. Not in my wildest dreams did I think I would be able to get this position in my first Olympia … I’m over the moon. Honestly, I’ve never felt so happy…”
It will be interesting to see how the bodybuilder builds from the strong debut. It is safe to say that Samson Dauda will be one of the top contenders in Mr. Olympia 2023.
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