INTRODUCTION
Sometimes a person’s story isn’t just written by their muscles, medals, or achievements… Sometimes a story is written by the bond, the love, and the sacrifice that the world doesn’t see.
This story is just like that. This isn’t just the journey of a bodybuilder… It’s the story of a wife’s belief, a coach’s discipline, and a couple’s unstoppable partnership.
Samson Dauda—From a simple boy from Lagos to the biggest title on the world stage: Mr. The journey to winning the 2024 Olympia… But its real hero isn’t just Samson, but the woman whose love, pressure, patience, and passion transformed a man into a champion—Marlena Dauda.
When the world saw an athlete in Samson, Marlena saw a future Mr. Olympia in him. When the world criticized him, Marlena motivated him. When Samson wanted to give up, Marlena lifted him up.
This is the story of that moment when a wife saw in her husband what Samson probably couldn’t see in himself. And that belief, that dedication, that madness became their path… the path to the Mr. Olympia trophy.
A wife can make any man a champion and if that wife is your coach then it is confirmed that you will become the best bodybuilder in the world and this is the story of wife Marlena who made her husband the world’s number 1 bodybuilder 2024 Mr. Olympia champion Samson Dauda.
EARLY LIFE OF SAMSON DAUDA
Samson Dauda, born in Lagos, Nigeria, is the first Nigerian bodybuilder to win the world’s best title in 2024, titled Mr. Olympia.
Samson Dauda also redefined the standard of bodybuilding. From a rugby player to becoming one of the world’s best bodybuilders, Samson Dauda’s journey is not just about physical transformation.
Behind this title lies a story of trust, a relationship, and a wife’s love and sacrifices.
Samson Dauda spent his childhood in Lagos, Nigeria, with a simple and loving family. When Samson Dauda was 16, he moved to England for a better education and better opportunities, which were not possible in Nigeria at that time.
This transition was a very important phase for Samson. Here, Samson Dauda worked on his education, sports, and personal growth.
Even during his school days, his interest was in sports, especially rugby. Playing rugby became a way for Samson to make new friends, but Samson Dauda was becoming more famous for his athletic physique and strong build than for his game.
HOW SAMSON DAUDA MEET WITH MARLENA
During this time, Samson Dauda met Marlena, a former physique competitor. Later, she became his wife. Even Marlena saw something different in Samson.
She asked Samson Dauda, have you ever thought about bodybuilding? Samson replied straight away, “I don’t do all that.
Bodybuilding is a very demanding sport. Intense training, strict diet, and posing practice, especially standing on stage with your clothes off, not for me.” Samson said all these things to Marlena.
SAMSON DAUDA ENTRY IN BODYBUILDING
Then in 2013, Samson saw Phil Heath becoming a champion, and that was the moment when everything changed. Inspired by Phil Heath, Samson decided to try bodybuilding.
Marlena promised him that she would. Samson’s presenting, nutrition, and training were all handled by the marlena.
In 2014, Samson competed in his first bodybuilding competition. Under Marlena’s guidance, Samson placed 2nd in that show. Inspired by this success, Samson began competing at the amateur level.
Marlena took care of Samson’s training, nutrition, and competitions. To pursue bodybuilding, Samson Dauda worked as a constructor and also worked in a nursing home.
In 2017, he competed in the IFFB amateur show and earned his pro card. Samson Dauda had now become a professional bodybuilder.
He was confident that he would soon compete on the Olympic stage, but the reality check was painful in 2018.
Samson played his first pro show in Prague where he got 5th place and 8th place in Italy when Samson Dauda was losing in all these shows when people were underestimating him when he was lagging behind in every competition. Marlena used to boost him up every time.
She was not just a cheerleader. Every posing routine, every training plan, every diet chart, Marlena was handling everything herself when Samson Dauda gym Had I been there, Marlena would have given him his diet, given him notes, noted his weaknesses and even given him the next plan.
When Samson Dauda would say that he was fine, Marlena would say that just one set or one rep and when the money started running out, then he maxed out his credit cards and worked overtime just for these dreams.
When Samson Dauda would travel, then Marlena would manage everything from hotels to food and his supplements. And whenever Samson Dauda would lose a show, Marlena never blamed him, she would only say that next time we will do better.
THE BREAKING POINT OF SAMSON DAUDA
Disappointed, Samson Dauda took a serious decision that he now wants to quit bodybuilding. Marlena emotionally convinced him to try for just one more year.
His friends also encouraged him. Samson finally agreed that he would give his last attempt in bodybuilding in 2020. In 2020, he started his preparation for Arnold and Brazil six weeks out.
THE LOWEST PHASE OF SAMSON DAUDA (PANDEMIC STRUGGLES)
The pandemic came. All the shows would be cancelled. Last year’s plan would be completely ruined. But he agreed that he would continue his preparation and whenever a show becomes available, he will compete in that show.
He continued his preparation for months; gyms were closed, yet he would go to his friends’ gyms to workout; daily 2 hours of driving and intense training; Samson was also in quarantine for 14 days to compete in South Korea.
He was locked inside the room, due to which he lost his job; the company noticed that Samson was traveling within South Korea during the pandemic, due to which he was immediately fired from the job.
Samson literally had nothing left, no employment, mounting debt, hotel quarantine; only obsession with bodybuilding remained and Samson went into depression, but Marlena did not give up.
She used to guide and motivate him every day on the phone, plan his meals She managed everything remotely and finally got a 2nd place in a show in South Korea.
RISE OF SAMSON DAUDA IN BODYBUILDING
After that Samson decided to pursue bodybuilding full time. With Marlena’s full support, Samson’s hard work started paying off in 2021 when he achieved a 2nd place in the Arnold Classic UK and also got 10 thousand pounds in prize money.
In the same year he also played and won the Prague Pro Show. And finally, Samson Dauda qualified for Mr. Olympia 2022.
Samson Dauda was emotionally overwhelmed as all the painful memories came before his eyes. In 2022, Samson made his Olympia debut and placed 6th.
The next year, 2023, was even more successful for Samson when he won the Arnold Classic US and placed 3rd within the Olympia.
Marlena’s role was even more important as she was managing Samson’s diet and daily routine.
THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL DECISION OF SAMSON DAUDA
But in 2024, Samson faced a serious challenge when he decided to separate from his coach and make Marlena his official head coach.
The bodybuilding community viewed this decision with skepticism because many people did not accept a female coach.
In such male-dominated shows, Marlena received a lot of hate and criticism. People on social media started attacking Marlena personally, they start commenting on marlena in social media like ugly, fat, unqualified, due to which Marlena went into depression.
And this was not only Marlena’s emotional breakdown, Samson was also very emotionally affected.
She was the person who introduced Samson Dauda to bodybuilding, shared his struggles, shared his financial debts, and supported him in every single training session.
After which, Marlena told Samson that he should ignore all this negativity. After which, Samson Dauda decided that he would answer everyone with his performance on stage itself.
THE DAY OF GLORY OF SAMSON DAUDA IN BODYBUILDING
Samson’s clear target was to prove to everyone that Marlena was the perfect coach. A few weeks out, when his training became even more intense, he even suffered an attack.
Marlena calmly suggested Samson to eat and rest, and that Samson would recover in 30 minutes. In the mirror, he described his career.
I saw my best physique. Then came that day. Mr. Olympia 2024 Samson Dauda was in his best ever physique.
His posing made his body look perfect in every way. On the day of Olympia, when all the competitors were with their coaches, Samson Dauda was accompanied by his wife Marlena.
And when the name of 2024 Mr. Olympia champion Samson Dauda was announced, there was a storm of emotions in Samson.
Samson picked up the trophy of Mr. Olympia and gave it to Marlena, then The moment wasn’t about a title. This relationship and this journey proved that when a woman believes in a man, he can win anything.
Being a coach means creating champions. Marlena combined both rules and the result was Mr. Olympia champion Samson Dauda.
WHAT THIS STORY TEACHES US
So friends, the story of Samson Dauda isn’t just a bodybuilding story… It’s a reminder that when life tries to break you, that one person—the one who understands your breath, your hard work, your every defeat picks you back up.
Samson was a champion… but Marlena made him a complete champion. Samson had talent… but Marlena shaped that talent. Samson had a dream… but Marlena gave direction to that dream.
And most importantly—when the world doubted Samson, Marlena believed in him. When Samson fell, Marlena picked him up. When the world criticized him, Marlena gave him love.
When Samson got tired, Marlena pushed him: “Just one more rep.”And today, as the world recognizes him as Mr. Olympia 2024 – World’s Best Bodybuilder, the truth is that this trophy doesn’t just bear Samson’s name— it bears Team Dauda.
The Mr. Olympia stage that day wasn’t crowning a champion, but rather a relationship. A bond that encompassed love, discipline… sacrifice, madness… and most importantly—unshakeable belief.
When Samson handed Marlena the trophy, that moment wasn’t just a moment of triumph… It was a message to the whole world:
“When a woman believes in a man, that man breaks every limit.” And Marlena proved that being a coach isn’t just about providing a training plan; being a coach means building a champion, not breaking someone down.Ultimately, the story teaches us this:
that success is never lonely… there’s always someone who silently handles your nights, your fights, your struggles, and your tears. And that person in Samson’s life was Marlena Dauda— wife, warrior, and the world’s most underrated coach.
This isn’t just a story about winning Mr. Olympia… It’s a love story of two champions. A champion who conquered the world… and a champion who made his world.
