Feras Saied (; January 17, 1981 – June 6, 2015) was a professional Syrian bodybuilder.

Biography

Feras Saied was originally from

Homs Homs ( ; ), known in pre-Islamic times as Emesa ( ; ), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level, above sea level and is located north of Damascus. Located on the Orontes River, Homs is ...

, a city in western

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

that was held under the regime's control. As a revolutionary, Saied took part in a few

demonstrations Demonstration may refer to: * Demonstration (acting), part of the Brechtian approach to acting * Demonstration (military), an attack or show of force on a front where a decision is not sought * Protest, a public act of objection, disapproval or d ...

with his friends and fellow athletes. This led to his capture by the authorities, and the brutal

torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons including corporal punishment, punishment, forced confession, extracting a confession, interrogational torture, interrogation for information, or intimid ...

he was subjected to. Imprisoned, he was bestially "punished" for being an activist opposed to the Assad regime. In an interview Saied recalled, "My body was strong enough to take the torture, but the real problem remained in the humiliation that I couldn't take."The story of the world champion of bodybuilding: "We are not terrorists"
/ref> He was also a member of Syrian

military forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

."وفاة فراس السيد بطل العالم بكمال الاجسام بحادث بدبي"
/ref> Saied was the winner or finalist of many bodybuilding competitions, organized at national and worldwide levels. In 2000, he won the IFBB Arab Championships, in the junior category. The same year he placed third at IFBB World Championships, also as a junior. Saied went on to win such contests as the 2006 IFBB Ludus Maximus Championships, 2009 IFBB Gran Prix One Way Fitness, 2009 IFBB Italian Championships, and 2010 IFBB World Amateur Championships. He placed second at the 2011 IFBB Olympia Amateur, in the super heavyweight category. Nicknamed "The Lion," he became a professional IFBB bodybuilder in 2011. Saied earned his IFBB Pro Card after winning the '11 IFBB Arnold Classic Europe Amateur. He was the overall winner of the 2011 IFBB 19 Grand Prix Due Torri championships. He also placed second at the IFBB California State Pro championships in 2015.2015 IFBB California State Bodybuilding Championships
/ref> His competition weight was 282 lbs (128 kg). Saied, a

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

, lived in

Fondi Fondi (; Southern Laziale: ''Fùnn'') is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Latina, Lazio, central Italy, halfway between Rome and Naples. As of 2017, the city had a population of 39,800. The city has experienced steady population growth si ...

(

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

) for several years. He then left Italy, and moved to Dubai. He died in a motorcycle accident in Dubai on June 6, 2015.

Partial contest history

* 2000: IFBB Arab Championships − 1st place in junior category * 2000: IFBB World Championships − 3rd place in junior category * 2002: IFBB World Amateur Championships − 5th place in heavy weight * 2006: IFBB Ludus Maximus Championships (Italy) − 1st place * 2007: IFBB Mediterranean Championships − 2nd place * 2009: IFBB Gran Prix One Way Fitness − 1st place in super heavyweight and overall * 2009: IFBB Italian Championships − 1st place in super heavyweight and overall * 2010: IFBB Notte dei Campioni − 1st place in 90 kg+ category * 2010: 18 Gran Prix Due Torri − 1st place in super heavyweight and overall * 2010: IFBB World Amateur Championships − 1st place overall * 2011: IFBB Olympia Amateur − 2nd place in super heavyweight * 2011: IFBB Arnold Classic Europe Amateur − 1st place in super heavyweight and overall * 2011: 19 Grand Prix Due Torri − 1st place in super heavyweight and overall * 2012: FIBO Power Pro − 5th place * 2012: Mr. Europe Pro − 4th place * 2012: Arnold Classic Europe Pro − 10th place * 2015: IFBB California State Pro − 2nd place

Filmography

* 2014: ''Syria Untold'' (documentary)

Notes

References

External links

Feras Saied's Facebook fan page

Saied's profile on flexonline.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saied, Feras 1981 births 2015 deaths Syrian bodybuilders Motorcycle road incident deaths Professional bodybuilders Road incident deaths in the United Arab Emirates Syrian military personnel Syrian Muslims Syrian strength athletes Syrian torture victims