Northland street attack survivor Rob Ludlow has made a courageous comeback, competing in his first bodybuilding competition just over a year after being released from hospital. 

Ludlow, who was assaulted in Whangārei in February 2023 leaving him in a coma fighting for his life in Auckland hospital, not only smashed his goal by winning two medals, he’s now on the path to becoming a personal trainer. 

Just competing in the Waikato Natural & Regional Championships in Rotorua on October 19 was a huge win for Ludlow, who has undergone extensive rehabilitation to re-learn how to eat, walk, talk, and read. 

“At the start of the year I was pretty sad and down, I was depressed I couldn’t go to work,” he said. 

“It was a big goal for me to do that, and now I have the job I’m looking forward to training for. 

“It’s looking really good now. 

“Everything’s looking very positive ... I’m getting back to living life as normal.” 

Ludlow suffered a traumatic brain injury after he was assaulted on Water St in the early hours of February 26, 2023. 

After numerous surgeries and spending time in an Auckland rehabilitation facility, he returned home to his wife Elysha and their two young children, Frankie and Finn, in September of the same year. 

Ludlow recalls dreaming of entering a bodybuilding competition while he was in hospital, which he was training for just before the assault. 

He went back into the gym in January, and was soon training an hour a day, six days a week. 

“In hospital I dreamed of getting out of the wheelchair and off the walker and competing in a bodybuilding competition in 2025. 

“I noticed the gains were phenomenal, the gains were coming quickly, and in May or June I thought ‘why not do it straight away?’, and decided to do this competition.” 

Elysha Ludlow is proud of her husband’s remarkable comeback 20 months after he was assaulted. Photo / Michael Cunningham 

Ludlow was second in his weight division of up to and including 101.6kg, and placed fourth in the ‘natural first-timers’ out of 19 other competitors. 

He performed three posing routines to Hozier’s hit single Take Me To Church, and was up on stage five times in total. 

“It went really well,” he said. 

“I was a bit worried about posing and what I had to do, as occasionally I did forget, but on the day it went well.” 

Elysha, who was working in Auckland and watched Ludlow compete on Facetime, said she was proud of her husband. 

“Knowing the dedication and all the work he put into getting there... it was amazing, I was in tears. 

“I was so proud and relieved he was doing it, and it looked like he was having the best time. 

“It was so cool to see, for him to get two medals out of it was the cherry on top.” 

Ludlow said though the assault left him blind in his left eye permanently, and he is still affected daily by memory lapses and fatigue, he was 80% better than he was. 

A former construction manager, Ludlow said he’s now looking forward to a new career as a personal trainer. 

He is starting a course in a couple of weeks, then will look for work in a gym. 

“Before the accident, it was always a dream to be a gym worker, after spending years going to the gym, I can combine my hobby with a job. 

“I’m very excited to help people through their recovery and with their strength. 

“With the things I went through in hospital, I can start helping people out.” 

Ludlow thanked Elysha for helping him practice his routine, and Auckland-based nutritionist Leanne Simays for her diet advice. 

He also thanked his posing coach Brad Wade, an Auckland-based Les Mills personal trainer who also helped with Ludlow’s training programme. 

Rob Ludlow won two medals at the October Waikato Natural & Regional Championships. Photo / Lindashootz 

Wade, who grew up in Australia and is an ex-premier level rugby and AFL player, also sustained a life-changing head injury in 2009 when he was hit in the head with a bat in Auckland while walking home from a party. 

He was in an induced coma for 25 days. 

After years of rehabilitation, Wade rebuilt himself to where he is today, a competitive pro bodybuilder who holds three New Zealand national titles and four New Zealand pro titles. 

Wade said Ludlow’s comeback was “tremendous”. 

“It’s a testament to his ability to want to get back to normal life, but also make amends with the fact he’s lost a portion of his life due to injury. 

“He still has the potential to kick on and carry on with whatever he wants to do, and prove to himself he can still do these things outside the head injury.” 

Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering human interest stories, along with roading, lifestyle, business, and animal welfare issues.