Maybe you heard about wheelchair bodybuilding after becoming disabled, and meh… never thought about it again. Or maybe you’ve never heard about it and could care less, because hey…wheelchair bodybuilding isn’t your thing.

But when Time magazine does a photo essay on it, you know you’re gonna like it. In this photo essay by Lauren Fleischman, a Brooklyn NY-based photographer, she has done an amazing job highlighting the sport in a fresh, real, and of course beautiful way.

Time LightBox published her photo essay last week. Her photo series follows Nick Scott (a top US wc-bodybuilder) and other pro-wc-bodybuilders at the 2nd annual IFBB (International Federation of BodyBuilders) Pro Wheelchair Championships held in Houston, Texas on October 13th. The essay is comprised of 21 black and white photos, some of Scott, but many of his competitors, including British bodybuilder Dan Smith and the only female wc-bodybuilder in the competition, Fallon Turner.

In addition to the 21 photos you click through, there’s additional photos, with audio from the subjects overlaid them. I am such a huge fan of photojournalism. It changes your perspective completely. And the way Lauren portrays wc-bodybuilding makes it seem even more fascinating, mysterious and powerful than it already is.

You also learn why they compete. For one guy, bodybuilding saved his life. It was the only thing that made him want to live. And for Nick, who was injured at age 16 in a car accident (now he’s 30), he fell in love with the sport because he even though he couldn’t walk anymore, he still could be the strongest guy in the room. I can get that (a lot).

Even if you’re a little, anyone can start wc-bodybuilding. There’s even a dude with CP in the photo essay (big biceps, but that‘s about it). And there’s also not many female wc-bodybuilders out there either, so ladies, something to think about.

View the photo essay: Wheelchair Bodybuilders Muscle Their Way to the Top

Have you tried wheelchair bodybuilding? What saved you after becoming injured?