PRESTON muscleman Jon Bridge has proved he is worth his weight in gold after scooping four bodybuilding titles, eleven years after a near-fatal car crash put his future in doubt.

Jon, 35, of Kenmure Place, Preston, won the Mr UK body-building championships held at Rawtenstall, near Blackburn on May 13, his first ever body-building competition.

And it clearly wasn't a case of beginners luck, as the following Saturday he went to Southport Floral Hall where he won three National Amateur Body Building Association (NABBA) titles: Mr North West, the NABBA Open Novice title and the England v Wales title -- not bad for a man who suffered a near-fatal car crash, survived a blood clot on the lung, and beat meningitis and severe pneumonia.

Jon said: "I have been training in gyms since I was 16, spent 12 years as an engineer making fitness equipment, and last year I opened my own gym, the Ironman Body-building Centre on Wellfield Business Park in Ashton, so it's amazing that I have only just started competing!"

Jon said he would have started earlier but in 1990 he nearly lost his right arm in a motorbike accident, which set him back years.

He said: "The Citizen actually printed an appeal to find witnesses to the accident, which was a great help. The Citizen's support was a huge help in my recovery."

And despite only starting training again in February this year Jon has clearly got the muscle to be a winner, soldiering on the very day after doctors cleared him of pneumonia.

"I only trained for 14 weeks before the first competition, but I had a helping hand from my friend and body-building champ Chris Sneddon", said John.

Jon is now hoping to win the Mr Universe title when he competes in September, if only to impress his children Curtis, six, and Rachel, eleven: "They watched me win the last few competitions and are really proud of me." UNIVERSAL soldier: pictured is body-builder Jon Bridge showing off his trophies.