The Vancouver Pro 2026 was one hell of a weekend for my man Jack Craddock. It is an amazing comeback story - I’m going to let him take it away from here.
This blog is all yours, Jack. Give ‘er!
The Van Pro has always meant more to me than just another show. It was my first-ever pro qualifier back in 2021 and my first national-level show with my coach, Big Ron Partlow. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to win this show one day. Fast forward to 2025. I was just a couple of weeks into prep for what would have been my fourth time competing at the Van Pro Qualifier when I suffered the worst injury of my bodybuilding career: a complete adductor tear off the bone. It was one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever faced, and an injury that could have easily ended my bodybuilding career. There were some very low points along the way, but no matter how difficult things got, I never lost sight of my goal.
I took rehab just as seriously as I took my training and, after about three months, I was back in the gym. Every day was a test, pushing through some of the worst pain I’ve ever experienced. But the moment I was able to touch some weight again, it was right back to business. I won’t lie, going into my 2026 prep, less than a year removed from the injury, I had my doubts. I wasn’t sure if my leg would be big enough to compete at the level I wanted, or if it was even worth putting myself through a full prep so soon. But we decided to go for it anyway. As the weeks went by, my confidence grew. Before long, I felt like I was back to my best ever. More importantly, I realized my mindset was different this year after everything I had been through.
I started telling myself every single day that I was going to win the overall, earn my pro card, and finish top five in the pro show on Sunday. Those might have seemed like big goals to some people, but I genuinely believed I could do it. I committed to that vision and started manifesting it. Finally, Van Pro weekend was here. I came into the show with more confidence than ever, especially after winning the Van Open overall just two weeks earlier to requalify. There was no doubt in my mind that this was my show. But no matter how much you believe in yourself, nothing compares to actually hearing your name called as the last man standing.
This was also one of the deepest Van Pro Qualifier lineups I’ve ever seen, and I had to go up against some incredible competitors to get it done, they definitely didn’t make it easy on me. Winning my pro card was the best feeling ever, but more than anything, it was a huge sense of relief. All the setbacks, the doubts, the pain, and the work had led to that moment. But even after that I knew I still had work to do and my mind was already onto the pro show the next day. Competing with the pros on Sunday was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. One minute, I was looking up to these guys as a fan, and the next, I was backstage pumping up alongside them as a fellow competitor.
To top it all off, I woke up that morning with what I genuinely believe was my best look ever. Maybe it was because all the pressure was gone. I had already accomplished what I came for, and I was able to just enjoy the moment and let it all hang out onstage. One of the coolest things anyone said to me that day came from my coach, Big Ron, as I was heading out for prejudging. He looked at me and said, “This is your first show all over again.”
That really stuck with me. It reminded me to take it all in, appreciate where I was, and enjoy an experience I had worked so hard to earn. And I did exactly that. I ended up finishing 4th out of 8 guys in my first-ever pro show, and I couldn’t have been happier with the result. More than anything, I proved to myself that I belong here, and that the sky is the limit from this point forward. From my first Van Pro in 2021 to earning my pro card at my hometown show and stepping onstage with the pros in 2026, this journey has come full circle in a way I’ll never forget. If there’s one thing this past year has taught me, it’s that if I can get through everything I’ve been through and still come out the other side achieving these goals, anything is possible.
