Arnold Schwarzenegger: A Biography

Under the direction of his father he was encouraged to participate in all the sport activities. For him, the day began at 6A.M. He used to do sit-ups and squats daily. He was instructed by his father to give a 10-page essay on his activities during the day, before retiring to bed. Right from very young age he was so determined that he would break into the gym to muscle his arms, pumping iron until he was wet with sweat. At the age of 20, he was awarded with Mr. Universe, the prestigious award many dream for. He won this award for five times. Following this there were many bodybuilding awards to add to his fame. He joined the Austrian army in 1965 as a tank driver, but that didn’t leave behind his fascination for bodybuilding.

Arnold also didn’t neglect his education. In 1968, he moved to the United States of America, where he studied business and economics at the University of Wisconsin. He received a business degree of B.A. from the University of Wisconsin in 1979. He was rewarded with the title of Mr. World in1970 and also Mr. Olympia, a title he won each year until 1975. Just like any other youngster he was fascinated by Hollywood and tried his fortune by making debut in low budget films. In I971, his older brother Meinhard was killed in an auto accident. The very next year he was hit with one more blow, his father Gustav Schwarzenegger passed away in Weiz, Styria, where he had been transferred as a police official. Arnold was unable to attend his father's funeral. These two years were very bad for him.

In 1976, he played a leading role in a comedy movie, Stay Hungry which paved him a way to prove his acting skills. It was then that people recognized Arnie as a talented actor. In the same year, he won 7th Mr. Olympia title. During the same period he met TV journalist Maria Shriver, a member of the Kennedy clan at a tennis tournament. They kept on dating for eight years. Finally Arnold proposed her while they were boating on a lake in Austria. They married in 1986. They now have four children - Katherine Eunice, Christina Maria Aurelia, Patrick and Christopher Sargent.

In 1980, he settled himself as a leading actor in new genre of Herculean action films, beginning with Conan the Barbarian (1982) and then Conan the Destroyer (1984). In the later half of this year, he acted in the blockbuster, "The Terminator" which raised him to new heights. Following years, his films became increasingly technological and violent, including Commando (1985), Predator (1987), The Running Man (1987), and Total Recall (1990). He also acted in light comedy films such as Twins (1988) and Kindergarten Cop (1990).He was able to find success in every field he stepped in. After that he entered politics. In 2003, he fought for the post of Governor against Gray Davis. On 7th October, he crushed his enemies in the elections, with a whooping 1.5 million votes beating his closest rival by a clear 500,000.

He is also known as the Austrian Oak, the name he got from his company name. He is no doubt the valuable man of cinema and it’s evident from the fee he charges for each movie. He takes approximately $25 million per movie. He owns restaurants. He is also involved in supporting of the Special Olympics and the Inner City Games, a foundation in aid of sport for kid.

Arnold presently serves in the Governors council of physical fitness in the state of California. He has taken a stand against youth drug abuse, and started mini Olympics designed to help kids. He thinks that fitness is a safe and effective alternative to drug abuse. He spread the message amongst the public to ignore drugs and enjoy the healthy and fit life style. Arnold is working as a chairman of the Inner-City Games Foundation; this program covers 10 cities and is continuing to grow. This shows that he is a great human being who has got each and every quality an ideal human being must posses.