Bus driver muscles up his lifestyle

Three years ago, Danny Riedel had no idea in what direction his life was headed.

He had just been through a divorce and nearly hit rock bottom. That's when he chose to make a lifestyle change.

“I decided I was not going to go down and I wanted to make a change in my life,” the 45-year old Marysville resident said. “My two boys were in the military and I started my journey.”

That journey began when he joined a gym, started lifting weights and changed his diet. After nine months of sculpting his body, he had dropped his weight from 265 pounds to 189.

He then started entering body building competitions throughout the state and came away with unexpected quick success in his age group.

In September, his hard work and determination paid dividends after we won the World Bodybuilding & Fitness Association Masters State Championship during a meet held at Chico State University. That victory gave him a spot on the WBFA's Team USA and an invitation to the Team USA Bodybuilding & Figure Championships: Team USA vs. Europe on Nov. 18 in Las Veags. Riedel will be competiting for the Masters National Championship.

“When I found out that I qualified, I cried for an hour and a half,” he said.

Riedel said it's his discipline which has allowed him to achieve all of his success, including becoming one of the best school bus drivers in the state.

Earlier this year, he took first place in the annual Sacramento Region, Chapter 6 “School Bus Safety Road-eo” and the Northern Region, Chapter 17 “Road-eo” in Redding.
“I set my mind on something and then go,” he said.

Riedel said each day he runs three to five miles, works out at the gym for three hours and eats nine chicken breasts when getting ready for a show.

“I eat every two hours and wake up in the middle of the night to eat,” he said.

It all seems like a lot, but Riedel said he wouldn't have it any other way.

“I've come to believe in myself once again,” he said. “Going through that divorce took me down, but I was able to find myself again.”

Riedel said WBFA officials have told him he was a true success story for accomplishing so much in such little time. By next year, he hopes to be competing for the Mr. Universe Masters title.

“My ultimate goal is to get there,” he said. “It's pretty intense to take it this quick.”

Also keeping Riedel focused are his sons, Danny, 23, Derrick, 21, and Jacob, 5. Danny is currently serving in the Army and Derrick in the Marines.

“They're my inspiration,” he said. “Before Danny went into the military, he was strung out on drugs. But he cleaned himself up, and when he was promoted in basic training, he said to me, ‘I did this for you. You changed your life, so I changed mine, and I saw what a real leader was.'”