Arnold Schwarzenegger grew up in a Catholic family who attended mass every Sunday. His upbringing was strict, for his father – an officer in the Austrian army – was quick to anger, and alcohol did little to cool the man’s temper. Schwarzenegger Snr. beat his son, whom he found to be effeminate and unworthy of his aspirations. He hit the boy to blow off steam, to toughen him up, and to express his disappointment in the lad’s frail, sensitive character. Little Arnold had neither the stature nor the charisma of his brother, and he was a dreamer. Each day Arnold endured violence and humiliation, whether it was having his hair pulled or receiving lashes from the belt. As in many other Austrian families, children were raised by the rod. But Arnold refused to conform to these strict rules, which felt to him like the dictates of a despot. He began to rebel and to dream of America, of somewhere else – anywhere but the family home. In response, his father beat him and told the boy that departure was out of the question. Arnold swore he would leave and never come back, and that he would build a new life. He wanted to become someone.
At school, Arnold was a happy, cheerful and exuberant student. His father wanted him to become a police officer, while his mother said he should be a businessman. But the boy himself wanted to become a champion. He would build himself the body of an athlete, and perhaps that would finally impress his father. He had decided to sweat, to fight, and to spend every instant toiling to escape his situation. He tried his hand at many sports, but success was slow to come. He thought night and day about new pursuits to try. One afternoon, while he was walking down the street, Arnold’s gaze was drawn by a magazine cover in a shop window. It was a moment that would change his life forever. The teenager pushed open the shop door and grabbed the magazine, with just enough money in his pocket to buy it. He handed over the coins as the vendor eyed him curiously. When he left the shop, Arnold sat down on the sidewalk and opened the pages wide over his knees. It was a picture of Reg Park, the famous English bodybuilder. How handsome and strong he looked; how simply impressive. Arnold decided then and there that, one day, he too would be named Mr. Universe.
Arnold quickly devoted his life to bodybuilding. His father was extremely concerned, for now the boy spent all his time training. The Austrian army officer decided to forbid his son from going to the gym, but Arnold Schwarzenegger trained in secret, lifting everything he could, even trying to move cars in an effort to achieve ‘the pump.’ His body began to take shape as Arnold sweated and toiled to achieve his goal, sculpting himself into the Austrian Oak. “I want to become the most built guy on the planet, then go to America to become an actor,” his told his father casually.
“You’re so handsome, Mr. Arnold!” said one of the dancers from the Folies Bergères, rolling her Rs in her alluring French accent.
“Keep it up, you look great!” cried another.
“Mr. Schwarzenegger, I bet you could lift two of us right over your head,” another dancer mused with a smile.
The dancers from the Folies Bergères had been invited to a photoshoot with Mr Universe, who by now had acquired various nicknames including “Schwarzy” and “the Austrian Oak.” Arnold Schwarzenegger lifted his arms and flexed his biceps, as the girls marvelled at his powerfully sculpted frame. The French dancers were impressed, but their admiration was only a taste of the stardom that was to come. He was a champion, yet even now Arnold could little have imagined he would one day govern the State of California, and that people would call him the “Governator.”
Alan Alfredo Geday