New Delhi: Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former California governor spoke at the Hindustan Times leadership summit  about his family, his passion of body building and his politics.
The Terminator shared how family wanted to be like the Von Trapps from the Sound of Music and had no interest in bodybuilding or showbiz. Fortunately though, the superstar stuck to his passion of bodybuilding to move to America. He told that “Every set I did, every weight I lifted, gave me joy and got me closer to the title of Mr Universe.†He eventually won the crown at 20 years of age, the youngest to do so.
Talking to Riz Khan, Schwarzenegger said perseverance and self-belief is key to realizing dreams. “The bigger you shoot, the further you go. And I shot big,† adding that it was always his unrelenting desire to “shoot from the top, to be the best in bodybuilding†that ensured he made it big.
“People always asked me about how I stayed so hungry and driven. It’s because I grew up in Austria when it was poverty all around,†he said, but pointed that bodybuilding was still a passion that he pursued to move to America.
The superstar was repeatedly rejected when he tried his hand at Hollywood first but the ability to stay unfazed by failure and “naysayers†held him in good stead.
When asked how bodybuilding has changed over the years, he said “Rules in bodybuilding are still the same. One just needs to have a clear vision. Merely exercising everyday doesn’t make you a champion. Reg Park was my idol. He was the star of Hercules movies and a bodybuilder. I saw it on a poster ‘Mr Universe becomes Hercules star’ and it gave me a blueprint on how to be ‘another Reg Park’. I would visualise and see thousands cheering and in standing ovation. And soon afterwards, I was standing on the stage of London… at the age of 20, youngest Mr Universe ever.”
Speaking on the rising levels of obesity, he said, “It is important to educate people on how to eat well and exercise. We should exercise everyday like we sleep, eat and have sex. That’s why I am so radiant.”
His movie career was marked by incredible dedication — Schwarzenegger learnt not just to act but to speak the English language, besides attending accent-removal classes.
The same determination later saw him win an unprecedented two terms as governor of California. “Even then, people said I didn’t have a chance because California was 60% Democrat and 40% Republican, and I was a Republican,†he said.
His long friendship with Sylvester Stallone also came up for discussion. When an audience member asked him about the secret behind looking so much younger than Stallone, he said, “I am not going to tell him what you said. We were at war in the ’80s. Ever since the ’90s, we became friends. We were mature enough to say that we have to stop this and had a great time working together. In fact, I will meet him tonight in Macau.”
On the question as why he was never satisfied in life, moving from bodybuilding to acting and finally landing up in politics, he said, “People ask me why I get so hungry for more, I tell them it is because I grew up in Austria after the Second World War. We had no food, we had acute poverty and the condition was worse than it was during the war.”
Arnold also spoke on how important America was for him. “Everything that I have achieved in life is because of America. It opened its gates and gave me the opportunity and I worked really hard. It was seven years of hard work and that gave me nothing but joy to serve the people of California.”
When a fan asked him for an advice in life, he said, “Don’t listen to naysayers. Everyone in Austria said that bodybuilding is an American sport. ‘That’s crazy’, they used to tell me. Then people said 150 pound guys don’t make actors. ‘You will never make it’. ‘And the accent will not work for you either’. ‘Don’t do it’. I said I am gonna work just as hard as I did on bodybuilding. Conan the Barbarian stood No.1 at the box office. They wanted a muscular body and the makers said ‘If we didn’t have Arnold, we would have to build one’.”
Schwarzenegger’s other passion is the environment, which he believes isn’t a problem for just a few countries. “We are talking about global climate change, and it doesn’t matter which country you are from. 14 billion tons of greenhouse gases were released last year. I am on an ‘environmental crusade’ to inspire sub national governments (city, states). Federal government said these gases aren’t pollutants. It’s crazy how people are still in denial on climate change.”
 He cited Dr Rajendra Pachauri as an example, saying the Nobel laureate didn’t wait for governments to make changes. He took the initiative and ensured changes were made. The swashbuckling star promised to return to India in February for a climate conference and signed off with his trademark, “I’ll be back.†He didn’t have his shades on, but you don’t doubt the Terminator.
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