Failure the sign of success - Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger

 Failure the sign of success - Arnold Schwarzenegger

Schwarzenegger left school at 14 to focus on bodybuilding and to work as an apprentice carpenter. He became one of the world’s greatest bodybuilders, a successful actor and film producer and, since November 2003, the Governor of California, USA.

Born in Austria, Schwarzenegger played many sports as a child and discovered his passion for bodybuilding when, during his teens, his soccer coach took the team for weight training.

At 18, Schwarzenegger served in the Austrian army. One day, he sneaked off from the army base to compete in his first bodybuilding competition. He won the junior title of Mr Australasia. He was punished for sneaking off, but reportedly earned the respect of his army superiors.

In September 1968, Schwarzenegger moved to the United States. He had little money and limited knowledge of English. But he had a dream — to become the greatest bodybuilder in the world by winning the prestigious Mr Olympia contest.

He failed in his first attempt in 1969, but won for the next six consecutive years, from 1970 to 1975. In 1980, as a late entry with only eight weeks to prepare for the competition, Schwarzenegger again won the Mr Olympia title.

Meanwhile, Schwarzenegger embarked on a successful Hollywood career and is best known for the movies, Terminator and Terminator II: Judgement Day.

Lesser known about Schwarzenegger is that he became a millionaire at age 22, before his bodybuilding and Hollywood successes. He made his money through a brick-laying business which he co-founded with another bodybuilder in 1968. The duo later started a mail order business for bodybuilding equipment and instructional tapes and Schwarzenegger also invested in real estate.

In addition, Schwarzenegger was a founding “celebrity investor” in the Planet Hollywood chain of theme restaurants, launched in 1991. He severed his ties with the business in 2000. 

In 2003, Schwarzenegger was elected Governor of California. Along his career path, as a 32-year-old adult in 1979, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Superior with degrees in International Marketing of Fitness and Business Administration. 

“There are no shortcuts—everything is reps, reps, reps.”

-Arnold Schwarzenegger