FLYING DUTCHMAN – DEAD AT 40!!!
Update: March 28, 2013
It was recently reported that bodybuilder Eduard van Amsterdam had died of an apparent heart attack. Born in 1972, Eduard was only 40 years old when he went into cardiac arrest leaving behind a wife and 2 children. This competitor was well known throughout the European bodybuilding scene and we at www.steroidanalysis.com are saddened by the news. We join our fans as they hope the best for the Van Amsterdam family during these trying times.
Among his peers, Ed was commonly referred to as the ‘Flying Dutchman’ but made use of his imposing presence on and off stage. Fully grown, Ed stood 6′-2″ with a body weight hovering slightly above 300 pounds offseason but in the realm of 260lbs at weigh-in.
Ed won his first competition as Dutch Junior Champion by the age of 17 though his best ranking was only 7th place at the 2002 at the Grand Prix Holland. Unfortunately, his contest rankings were not impressive with typical 10th – 17th placements; often failing to place for various reasons.
This death is most tragic to his family but, with great sensitivity, we must still contrast (a) the details of Ed’s death against (b) undeniable and verified ’cause-and-effect’ outcomes of steroid/HGH use that have been published throughout the science community.
In 2013, we reported on the deaths of other popular bodybuilders including Matt Duvall and Nasser el Sonbaty. During that coverage, we at www.steroidanalysis.com purposefully adopted a terse tone which deviated from our standard softer & sympathetic condolences. After careful review, we were determined to properly attribute the 2013 deaths to their true cause – steroids.
Soon after our posting, entrenched steroid users responded violently with hate speech, accusations, and ridicule to our viewpoint. Others tried to redirect blame away from the obvious culprit by implying both Duvall and Sonbaty were predisposed to other medical conditions. Only a few brave bloggers cautiously acknowledged steroids as being a potential contributing factor to the Duvall and Nasser deaths. Hours after Van Amsterdam’s heart attack and without a shred of evidence, posts began to emerge implying that his heart attack was actually a result of ‘heavy drinking’. Only a few brave souls cautiously acknowledged steroids as being a potential contributing factor to the Duvall and Nasser deaths.
The fact remains that heart enlargement (or ultimate heart attack) is the leading cause of death among steroid users. Perhaps, a true dialog without the bully tactics of many steroid bloggers will serve as the overdue wakeup call. From our perspective, nothing will change in our reporting of events like these. Our critics must realize that preventable deaths are particularly painful to parents who often support the athletic pursuits of their sons & daughters. With so much fame, reputation, award money, and bling at stake, competitors are too immersed in their ‘quest for success’. They fail to appreciate the sacrifices of supportive family members and friends while delusions of grandeur cloud basic understanding (i.e. a healthy concept of reality).
On the website www.steroidanalysis.com, we routinely receive testimonials from those who attest to the total collapse of their family structure during tragic circumstances. In the case of Eduard van Amsterdam, he left behind a dedicated wife and 2 bright children who sacrificed much of their future to support the journey of one driven man.
What a loss!
Administrator
Photos courtesy Body-xtreme.de
