1966 - present

Marcus (Bottay) “Bondi” might have been born near St Kilda Beach, but it is at another famous beach that he is most well-known, as a member of Bondi’s bronzed body-beautiful fitness community.

He was born in Melbourne in 1966 to a family of 'fitness fanatics'. They focused on health, physical fitness and nutrition (no white bread, sugar, flour, nor processed foods) and practiced 'old-school' calisthenics every day. Marcus followed in their footsteps and at age 5 was able to do pull-ups on a bar set up at home.
"I have been a mad sports fanatic all my life; played ice hockey and tennis and surfing and squash and skiing and skateboarding - whatever is going on, I'm into it.” 

After university and a short career in advertising, Marcus left Melbourne in the late 1980s to become a fitness instructor practicing at the outdoor gym at North Bondi. He still trains with the ‘Bondi Beach Bar Brutes’, a community calisthenics group that meets monthly at the outdoor gym.

The Brutes attract “dedicated members of every age, gender, ethnicity and hair colour - even 93-year-old guys doing push-ups, pregnant ladies doing pull-ups and kids doing handstands.”

Social media - and millions of YouTube views of his routines and world record fitness attempts - have expanded Marcus's following and he now trains enthusiasts from around the world who turn up at North Bondi to be put through their paces while on their world travels.

Marcus started rope climbing at the Bondi Beach cliffs around 1998 with a group of ex-Russian Special Forces. He also represented Australia at the World Street Workout Championships in Russia in 2014.

He holds four official Guinness World Strength Records including: the fastest 5m rope climb (60-second time limit) - 27.8m; Weighted chin-ups 100lbs / 60-second time limit (16 reps) - full dead-hang repetitions; Weighted Chin-ups 40lbs / 60-second time limit (28 reps) - full dead hang repetitions; and One repetition maximum weighted chin-up (100.4kg). ‘Your body is your most precious material possession; respect and treasure it!,’ he advises.

Courtesy Marcus Bondi.