#417 Arnold Schwarzenegger

David Senra· Host0:00

It was the summer I turned fifteen, a magical season for me because that year I discovered exactly what I wanted to do with my life. It was more than a young boy's mere pipe dream of a distant, hazy future, confused fantasies of being a fireman, detective, sailor, test pilot, or spy. I knew. I knew I was going to be a bodybuilder. It wasn't simply that either. I would be the best bodybuilder in the world, the greatest. I'm not exactly sure why I chose bodybuilding, except that I loved it. I loved it from the first moment my fingers closed around a barbell, and I felt the challenge and exhilaration of hoisting the heavy steel plates above my head. I had always been involved in sports through my father. With my father's encouragement, I first got into organized competitive sports when I was ten. However, by the time I was thirteen, team sports no longer satisfied me. I was already off on an individual trip. I disliked it when we won a game and I didn't get personal recognition. The only time I really felt rewarded was when I was singled out as being the best, so I decided to try individual sports. I still remember my first visit to the bodybuilding gym. There it was before me, my life, the answer I had been seeking. It clicked. Once I started, it didn't take long. I was literally addicted. I loved the feel of the cold iron and steel warming to my touch and the sounds and the smells of the gym. I still love it. I remember