When Brandon Curry won the 2019 Mr. Olympia, becoming only the 15th man to hold the title of Mr. O, it’s safe to say fans who have been following his career from the beginning weren’t too surprised. It took years of dedication and plenty of sacrifices—he once spent 11 months training in Kuwait, away from his wife, Brandy, and their children—for Curry to achieve the bodybuilding world’s most prestigious victory.

Now that he’s won the Olympia, Curry is qualified to compete in the competition every year until, well, forever (a perk that the legendary Dexter Jackson was seemingly going to take advantage of before announcing that the 2020 Olympia will be his last show.)

Some may see that part of the prize as a chance to forget about representing the title until it’s time to prepare to defend it. Instead, Curry is using his newfound full off-season—something he’s never had in years past—to be there for his family, keep working toward his ideal physique for this year’s competition, and go out of his way to be present for fans around the world.

That’s because despite the time and effort it took for him to clinch the win, Curry carries his title with the mindset that it’s not just his, but it also belongs to the people who support him—and even the bodybuilding fans who don’t. No matter who you are or where you’re from, he’ll hand you his Sandow trophy and rattle off facts about the winners listed on the storied award.

“I know some of the bodybuilding history, speaking notes for the title holders, which are on the trophy, to just kind of give [people] some general background on the sport,” Curry told Muscle & Fitness. “Some of the people they can identify are doing things today. So it’s a way to communicate what our sport is, what we do and how significant it is.”

He drives the point home by doing everything he can to positively represent the title of Mr. Olympia, from attending charity events to speaking for youth sports teams, visiting high schools, and taking the time to talk to his fans on social media.

“I try to give back in those ways as much as I can because you know, I’m on a platform ,” Curry said. “I’m representing us, and at this point it’s a responsibility on me. I like to connect with the fans, any way I can.”

Curry has also caught the attention of Dan Solomon, the man in charge of the Olympia. “Brandon has been a model champion. He has traveled the world as Mr. Olympia, inspiring people of all ages to pursue their dreams. We are incredibly proud of the way Brandon is representing the sport of bodybuilding.”

With this year’s Olympia Weekend rapidly approaching, we spoke with Curry for his take on what it means to bring Mr. Olympia to the fans, his experience on the 2020 Olympia All-Star Tour, and his strategy for defending his title in 2020.