A bodybuilder in his 60s from Swindon has secured a podium position at a national competition.

Vernon Montgomery, 61, came in third place at the Mr Britain finals in Wolverhampton on September 15.

The gym manager, current Mr World and former Mr Swindon returned to competing after a 30-year break when new categories were added to encourage older athletes to participate in the sport.

But his training has been threatened by a planned hernia operation less than two weeks after winning the bronze trophy, with recovery delaying preparations for the Mr Britain 2025 qualifier later this month and Mr Universe competition in November.  

Vernon said: "I want to spend a little less time at work and a little more time doing what I always enjoyed - competitive bodybuilding.

“I intend to continue to compete until I win both the Mr Britain and Mr Universe titles and have just missed out on qualifying for the Arnold Classic in Madrid with the chance to be presented a trophy from Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“Injuries do happen easier as you get older and you need more care and focus on good nutrition and correct form, as the body tolerates less intensity and is more vulnerable in later years, I'm proof of this.”

(Image: Vernon Montgomery) Vernon told the Advertiser in July: “My work is my passion and I love what I do. I trained for two years solidly on my own, going from being fat and happy to fit and firm and I came down from 16 stone to 12 stone.

"I decided to compete again and I did two warm-up shows to get the feeling of being back on stage again after being away for 30 years and came second twice.

“It was scary going back up there again and there is a new way that things are done. Also, there’s no audience anymore, it’s all for online and there are social media cameras out the front, so it’s more of a film set than a show people come to see.

"I haven’t got Facebook or Instagram – I’m 61 years old and none of it makes sense to me.

“It’s more theatrical than it ever was and social media is driving the new model. More people want to be on it, hence bigger shows and more competitors. Social media is a great place to get your abs out or sell yourself as the person that everyone wants to be.”