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THE BEGINNINGS Arnold Schwarzenegger is without any doubt one of the biggest stars Hollywood has
ever known. And then we aren't only speaking about size. He's also the
proof that everybody with a dream and a lot of perseverance can realize
his dreams. Arnold was born on July 30, 1947 in Thal (4 miles from Graz),
Austria. He grew up on the second floor of the 300-year-old home at 145
Thal-Linak with his parents Gustav and Aurelia and his older brother
Meinhard.
Although the Schwarzenegger household came with
Gustav's job as a police commandant, it had absolutely no modern
amenities (no plumbing, no central heating, no phone, no carpeting and
just a few lights. For many years they didn't even had a refrigerator. Can
you imagine? Arnold and Meinhard would have to fetch water from a well 150
yards away from their house).
He started his career in Graz, Austria, with only
one thing in mind: capturing the Mr. Universe title. The costs to be a
member of a gym were too high, so he equipped his own gym in the basement
of his parent's home. But in 1961 he met Kurt Marnul, the former Mr.
Austria. Marnul was impressed of Arnold's body and asked him to train in
the Athletic Union in Graz. And of course he wanted that. In 1965 he
enlisted in the Austrian army (where he served as a thank driver at the
Graz Tank Unit Panzer battalion from October 1, 1965 until the end of
September 1966), but to compete in Stuttgart, Arnold had to go A.W.O.L and
for that he was jailed when he came back. But he won the competition and
was awarded the title of Jr. Mr. Europe. By the age of twenty he's named
Mr. Europe and he also was the youngest Mr. Universe in history. Later in
his career he won many other titles and he decided to try his luck
somewhere else. The obtaining of the Mr. Universe title seemed to be a
good reason to go to Hollywood. He arrived in America in 1968.
After a brief stint as a road worker in Santa Monica,
California, he competed with his boyhood idol, Reg Park in 1970 and won
the Mr. Universe title again. In 1970 he also wins his 1st Mr. Olympia
title. But there's more; he also stars in his first movie, Hercules in New
York! And again in 1971 Arnold wins his 2nd Mr. Olympia title.
But 1971 is also the year in which Arnold's older
brother Meinhard died in a car accident. 2 years later Arnold's father,
Gustav Schwarzenegger also passes away.
After winning his 6th Mr. Olympia title in 1975,
Arnold retired from the sport of bodybuilding. 1977 brought Arnold a lot
of success. He writes a bestseller (The Education of a Bodybuilder) and he
wins a Golden Globe Award for his role in "Stay Hungry". He also was named
"honorary weightlifting coach" for the Special Olympics International (a
post that he still holds today).
When Arnold visits the annual Robert F. Kennedy
Tennis Tournament in Forest Hills, New York on August 28, he meets Maria
Owings Shriver. The two started dating and soon fell in love. In November
1979, Arnold graduates from the University of Wisconsin Superior. He gets
the Bachelor of Arts Degree with an individualized major in international
marketing of fitness and business administration. Arnold comes out of
retirement in 1980 to win his 7th Mr. Olympia title.
Three years later, on September 9, 1983 Arnold becomes an American
citizen. 1985 is the year in which Arnold is voted NATO international star
of the year. Arnold also proposes to Maria, and one year later, in
1986, Arnold and Maria get married.
Arnold receives the 1847th star on Hollywood's Walk
of Fame on June 2, 1987. As further tribute to Arnold's cinematic success
he was then awarded male star of the year by the National Association of
Theater Owners (NATO). Success followed the Oak as he deftly moved from
the silver screen into the restaurant business. In 1989 the first Planet
Hollywood opens with Arnold, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis and Demi
Moore as major shareholders.
But 1989 has more highlights in Arnold's life: The
Arnold Classic is born, just like Arnold and Maria's first child,
Katherine Eunice Schwarzenegger (December 13, 1989). Who better to assume
the role of chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness than a
bodybuilding icon? Arnold took the role in January 1990. That year Arnold
also becomes chairman of the Inner-City Games and makes his directing
debut in "Tales from the Crypt". In 1991 Arnold, who is a "pioneer" of the
Simon Wiesenthal Center, received the Center's National Leadership Award
for his support of the organization's holocaust studies. Arnold has given
- and continues to give - huge financial support to this charity each
year. June 16, 1991 is the birthday of Christina Maria Aurelia
Schwarzenegger, Arnold and Maria's 2nd child. In 1991 Arnold finishes his
50-state tour for President's Council on Physical Fitness (The Oak mission
had three objectives: to improve fitness of American children by returning
a regimen of daily physical activity to the school, to increase parental
involvement in their children's fitness and to promote community-based
fitness programs), is in the director's chair again (now for "Christmas in
Connecticut") and he and Maria founded Schatzi on Main. Schatzi (German
for "Little Treasure") is a beautiful 3000-square foot restaurant in
downtown Santa Monica, California. 1993: this is the year in which Arnold
is named "International Box Office Star Of The Decade", accepts the
Chairmanship of California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness. Arnold
and Maria's third child, Patrick Arnold Schwarzenegger, is also born in
1993 (September 18). One year later the Oak's hands, feet and signature
are immortalized at Mann's Chinese Theatre.
The following 3 years Arnold would make 5 movies:
True Lies and Junior in 1994, Eraser and
T2:3D in
1995-1996 and Jingle All The Way, in 1996 too. In 1996 Arnold also
receives the Honorary Degree of Humane Letters from the University of
Wisconsin, Superior. Batman and Robin, Arnold's 35th movie, opened
in 1997. In that year Arnold also receives the Leadership Award by Simon Weisenthal Center, and he and Maria gave birth to their 4th child on
September 27, Christopher Sergeant Schwarzenegger. On April 16, 1997 Arnold
underwent elective heart surgery to repair a defective aortic heart valve.
The surgery had no complications and Arnold made a complete recovery.
Shortly after being released from the hospital Arnold and Maria were going
to an event to promote his new movie Batman and Robin, when they
arrived a group of over eager photographers (paparazzi) trapped Arnold and
Maria in their car and essentially held them hostage while they scrambled
for the "first photos" of Arnold after his surgery. While in Graz Austria
promoting Batman and Robin, visiting friends, and family,
Arnold had the honor of opening the "Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium". The
stadium named for the famous Austrian is an impressive site and a tribute
to Arnold and all of his hard work. Arnold's Mother, Aurelia, passes away
in 1998 after a heart attack. In 1999 Arnold makes his "comeback" after two years with
End Of Days and his latest movie is The 6th
Day. In 2002 is another time
Terminator in T3.
Arnold's first approach to bodybuilding was fairly
atypical. When he was 13, he played soccer, but felt very dissatisfied
with a team sport. "I didn't like the fact that I couldn't be personally
gratified" he declared. He tried other endeavors: track and field, boxing,
javelin throw and weightlifting. But only when his coach suggested he
tried working with weights (to strengthen his legs), Arnold found his true
vocation. When he first walked into a gym he was literally awed. "I found
myself in a gym, in awe of muscles I had never seen before and of which I
didn't even know the correct name. The bodybuilders were powerful,
Herculean. Before my very eyes, my true future opened up: I had found the
answer I had been looking for." (writes Arnold on "Education of a
Bodybuilder", New York, Fireside, 1993) Thus began, at 16, the career of
the greatest bodybuilder of all times, the man who would be crowned Mr.
Olympia for a record seven times.
RESPECT
As his physique started developing, so did his
self-confidence. Very soon he discovered the thing somebody described as
the "power of size". And, as his muscles grew, so did the respect he was
receiving from his peers. The growing of his muscular mass, started
influencing his relationships with other young men and, of course, with
women too. He realized that some women were decidedly turned on by his
physique, whereas others seemed to be disgusted by it. "I wanted to become
even bigger, so that I'd be able to really impress the girls who dug
muscles and... irritate even more the ones who disliked them."
MISTAKES
Even Arnold made mistakes. "I was pretty
inexperienced - he
says - so I was observing other bodybuilders' routine and tried to imitate
them. There was a famous bodybuilder who smoked cigars and drank whisky,
so I thought that if I did the same I'd be winning too! God, how awful I
felt!
So, I learned the hard way never to do that again, backstage, or before a
contest." Mistakes could also be of a psychological nature. Arnold recalls
that, while he was on the flight to London, in 1966, to participate in a
contest, he started looking at the pictures of men he would have to
compete against. "I started thinking: I can beat this one, but I can't
defeat that one and so forth. In so doing, I had already defeated myself -
mentally - even before I set foot on stage for the competition."
FIRST VICTORY
The first step toward stardom for Arnold was the
junior Mr. Europe, held in Stuttgart in 1965. In those days, Arnold
was drafted in the army and he asked permission to attend the contest,
permission which was denied. He left anyway. In spite of not having the
vaguest idea about how to pose, he won anyway and that first success
officially started his bodybuilding career. Upon his return to military
camp, he was punished with one week in detention, however, his victory
seemed to favorably impress his commander, who - from then on - encouraged
him to persevere in further training.
THE IDOL Finally, Arnold met his idol, Reg Park, and
started training with him and even went to visit him in South Africa,
where Park lived. Arnold claims he learned a lot from Park like many
useful tips on how to better train the parts of his physique more in need
of development. Most importantly though, he learned from Park how to
improve himself as a human being. "At the time I was just a punk, a bully,
always ready to show off. I used to get in fights almost daily. Coming in
contact with Reg helped me getting rid of my behavioral problems. He was
such an accomplished gentleman and it certainly wasn't difficult for me to
admire him and wanting to emulate him."
ASCENDING TOWARD STARDOM
The beginning of Arnold's true ascent towards the
top of the bodybuilding ranks took place in 1967. He went back to London
to compete for NABBA Mr. Universe and, as he had promised, he
triumphed. To achieve that, he had to defeat Dennis Tinnerino, the
freshly crowned Mr. America. Arnold is still particularly fond of that
memory: "I beat them all, including Tinnerino. That was the first time I
heard the crowd calling out my name out loud." Taking notice of this
important victory, among others, was Mr. Joe Weider. "I kept hearing about
this massive young athlete," says Joe, "so I asked my European associates
to find out more about him. I already knew that someone like Arnold would
be very beneficial for our sport."
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