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During a recent event at the Academy Museum of Motion Picture's David Geffen theater in Los Angeles, Arnold Schwarzenegger shared a heartwarming and humorous anecdote about his childhood. The action star revealed that when he was aspiring to become a world-famous bodybuilder, his bedroom walls were adorned with posters of boxers, wrestlers, and bodybuilding champions. However, this sight initially upset his mother, according to Yahoo.
Schwarzenegger recalled his mother's reaction, saying, “My mother was always looking at that wall, and she said, ‘All of your friends have pictures of girls. Where did I go wrong?'” He went on to describe how she would cry in front of the wall every day, expressing her concern about his choice of posters.
In response to his mother's worries, she decided to consult the family doctor. Schwarzenegger humorously recounted the doctor's reassuring words, saying, “He finally said, no, this is quite normal in the kids at this age. They idolize men that are strong. Don't worry about it. He's not gay,” which apparently alleviated his mother's biggest fear.
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Arnold Schwarzenegger explained that bodybuilding legends like Steve Reeves and Reg Park served as his idols during his formative years in the sport. He immersed himself in reading about bodybuilding and emulated the workout routines and techniques of his idols.
However, his parents were initially concerned about his intense dedication to bodybuilding. Schwarzenegger recalled, “My parents thought that I was a little bit sick in my head, and they thought I was overdoing it and I was obsessed and it was bad for my health.”
Despite their concerns, Schwarzenegger's passion and hard work paid off when he became the youngest Mr. Universe winner at the age of 20 in 1967.
