About me…

Hello, my name is Rico Lara Rivas. I was born in Peru in 1979, of Peruvian / Brazilian ancestry. I experienced a lot bullying as a child, due to how skinny and small I was.

My mom brought me to the US when I was 14, to live the American dream. I love my family, my parents, and my older sister. They are the motivation of my life.

I came to this country not knowing how to speak English. Here in the US, my first job was a janitor at Gold’s Gym in Santa Rosa, California, where I discovered my passion for bodybuilding and how to get big.

It was there where I met my good friend Tom Miller, who is now one of my biggest sponsors. He was the one who introduced me to the sport of bodybuilding, which I loved the minute I started learning the sport. I decided to dedicate my life and everything to build my body to perfection, and to never be small again.

In my career of bodybuilding, I have competed in 24 shows. I have placed 1st ten times, including my latest show, the 2018 Mr. Olympia Amateur, competing with bodybuilders of the highest caliber from all over the world. It was an honor to be invited to compete.

In other shows, I have placed 2nd nine times, 3rd twice, and 4th, 5th and 6th once each. My love for bodybuilding grew exponentially. I am proud to call myself a contender in the sport of bodybuilding, which I to use as a platform to help others.

I believe that there is always room for improvements to be a better person, and to be a better bodybuilding contender. This has been and will always be my goal. There is always room to better yourself.