HOME PROFILES THE JOURNEY VOTE NOW PRIZES

An old Chinese proverb goes that a gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials. It is adversity that brings out the best in us, and difficulties and challenges are precisely the common threads that worked to uncover the diamonds in the rough amongst this year's 10 Are You Men’s Health Enough? finalists.

We sifted through tens of applicants – looking not for Atlas-like physiques or Narcissus-like good looks, but rather for substance in the way they outsmarted their addictions, overcame potentially debilitating illnesses or rose above the trials of life – to finally narrow our choices down to 10.

Whether it was the loss of a parent that cast them into a situation of difficulty or an assertion that they were “never good enough”, one thing is for certain – these 10 guys proved that they had what it took to trump the odds and realise their ambitions. They are ordinary guys with an extraordinary drive to succeed – your average guys-next-door made good.

So meet our 10 finalists and be inspired by their real-life anecdotes. Because it’s not just bulging biceps and a stacked six-pack that reflect the measure of a man at the end of the day – it’s the success story he has to tell.