In his 76 years of existence, Arnold Schwarzenegger has inspired millions with every aspect of his life. Be it his journey from Austria to America or his beginnings in the bodybuilding field, he has always had a story to tell. But how did a boy from a small town in Austria beat the boundaries to become what he is today?
In a recent podcast with Steven D. Levitt, Schwarzenegger spoke about his childhood, building his dreams, and getting through hurdles in his own house before venturing into the world. The former bodybuilder came from Thal, a small town with not too many avenues for a budding fitness freak. So, he had to improvise.
Levitt was curious about how Schwarzenegger still made it through rigorous training and competitions in a town where people wouldn’t even consider ambition integral. The star’s response was simple. Other opinions didn’t matter as long as he saw himself winning on stage.
However, he had to cross a sea of apprehension and doubt before he could even start training. At 15, when the star was sure of the path he wanted to embark on, his parents were not too enthusiastic about his plans.
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“I heard only one thing, and that is, ‘Arnold, are you crazy? It’s never gonna happen. It’s impossible’. But I saw it very clearly in front of me.”
Eventually, in the process of becoming like his idols Steve Reeves and Reg Park, Schwarzenegger picked up magazines to get some help with training routines. He juggled school and intense workouts while battling people’s negative thoughts about his dreams. He joined the local powerlifting team so he could put some solid practice into becoming the new Hercules.
“I saw progress. And I really saw myself grow and respond. And people around me that were helping me with my training were responding and saying, ‘Wow, this is unbelievable!'”
His efforts came to fruition when, at 18, he won his first international-level competition, Mr. Europe Junior. It was all onward and upward from there on. Schwarzenegger went on to participate in the Mr. Universe championship in Miami when he turned 21. And while he lost to Frank Zane back then, it gave him a new edge to be more competitive and learn the workings of the industry.
Success wasn’t easy for Arnold Schwarzenegger
When Schwarzenegger turned 21, his dream of making a household name for himself in America took flight. Joe Weider, the pioneer of competitive bodybuilding, invited him to Miami to participate in the Mr. Universe competition. And that’s when the Austrian Oak learned his biggest lesson – overcoming failures with grace.
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Recalling how he lost to Frank Zane, the star once reminisced about the panic that washed over him when the reality of the failure hit. Thoughts, like going back to his old life in Austria, plagued him. But things worked out better when he accepted reality and chose to rise from it. Zane eventually became a good friend, and Schwarzenegger received a valuable lesson that he could impart in the future.
