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Everyone gets their inspiration from somewhere, and for Arnold Schwarzenegger, it came in the form of a bodybuilding magazine. The former governor of California relayed this story to listeners in one of the most incredible motivational speeches of all time.
Reg Park was a bodybuilder and actor who inspired Schwarzenegger, who revealed:
"One day after school, I walked by a store in Graz. So I went inside and I looked around and then I saw a magazine. It was a bodybuilding magazine that had Reg Park on the cover. Reg Park was then a three-time Mr. Universe, and I saw him on the big screen as Hercules."
It was at that moment that the future actor and bodybuilder knew exactly what he wanted to do in life. Schwarzenegger continued:
"I read that and said to myself, 'Wow! This is the blueprint for my life. This is exactly what I want to do. I want to become a bodybuilding champion just like Reg Park. I want to get into movies just like Reg Park. And I want to make millions of dollars and be rich and famous just like Reg Park.'"
He knows he was lucky, as many people don't know what they're going to do, especially not at such a young age. The movie star explained:
"You know how great it felt that I knew where I was going? Imagine the majority of people don't know where they're going. I knew where I was going. That I'm going to become this body-building champion just like him... When you have a goal, when you have a vision, everything becomes easy."
Arnold Schwarzenegger's astounding career
Before Arnold Schwarzenegger was The Terminator, he was a world-class bodybuilder. His main goal when he was younger was to become Mr. Olympia but he failed his first attempt.
Schwarzenegger returned in 1970 and won the competition. That victory made him the youngest ever Mr. Olympia at the age of 23, a record which has still not been broken, 50+ years later.
Schwarzenegger competed but didn't win in several Olympic competitions, in powerlifting and weightlifting events.
He may have wanted to be a three-time Mr. Universe like Reg Park but the Hollywood star ended up outdoing his idol. Schwarzenegger was a three-time pro Mr. Universe and a one-time amateur Mr. Universe. He remains one of the most successful bodybuilders of all time.
