Biography

Schwarzenegger meaning black plowman in Deutsch (german). Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in Thal a small town in Austria, close to Graz. His Father Gustav was a former military officer who later became a policeman and he was also a European Champion in ice-curling. His mother was a house wife, Arnold also had a brother named Meinhard who later died in his late twenties due to a car accident. Arnold and his brother were raised in a strict catholic home, where times were hard after the war in Europe. Arnold: bottom, left number 2 One day Arnold saw the Olympic swimming champion under the name Johnny Weissmüller in Graz and he was so impressed by him and his physical that he wanted to become an athlete. At a young age Arnold and his brother would do lots of sporting activities such as skiing, skating, swimming, soccer etc and they would compete against each other in sports and school. At this young age Arnold's father saw that his son was good in sports and wanted him to become a world class soccer player although when Arnold turned 13 he dropped out of the soccer team. Arnold was now looking for a role model and found one named Hercules, he would watch all the Hercules movies and he started collecting muscle magazines and was once again impressed at the strength and power in these magazines which then led him to have one set goal to become a Body Builder. During the year 1961 Arnold met Kurl Marnul a professional Body Builder and former Mr. Austria. Marnul was impressed by Arnold's body and asked him if he would like to train in the Athletic Union in Graz, which Arnold accepted. Now Arnold was training 7 days a week and he left school and abandoned church. Whilst training Arnold began a three year apprentaship as a carpenter, he also started competing his first competition was at the Graz Hotel and he came in second place. In 1965 he went to the Austrian Army to serve one year, duirng this time he also competed in Stuttgart Germany and when he came back he was titled Junior Mr. Europa, and at 20 years old he was named Mr. Germany and runner up in his first Mr. Universe. After he retired from Bodybuilding competition he had won been awarded Mr. Universe five times, Mr.Olympia six times and Mr. World once. He said that he would never stop Bodybuilding it's the greatest sport and he is just stopping competition. He came back once again in 1980 to claim another Mr Olympia title which would be his seventh one. Arnold Schwarzenegger began acting and and took acting classes, his first movie was Hercules but his first real hit/success was Conan the Barbarian, from here the road was a good one and his first action hit movie was produced in 1984 The Terminator. Arnold from then has been in some of the best action movies ever to be made, he owns a restraunts branch called Planet Hollywood which is in nearly every major city of the world. Arnold gets married in 1986 to Maria Shriver who he met at a Tennis Tornament during 1977 who soon after became his girlfriend. He proposed to her in a rowing boat at the Austrian Lake Tollersee when they went to visit his mother. So far they have had a succesful marriage, Maria is very fond of Arnold and says he is a good husband. They have 4 kids 3 of them are named Katherine, Christina, and Patrick. During the year of 1989 Arnold was named Chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness. While serving he visited fifty states to promote physical fitness for children at his own expense. Arnold is also a major supporter of the Special Olympics, which was started by the Shriver family and with Danny Hernadez, Arnold heavily sponsors the organisation, he organizes the Inner-City Games for youth to help keep them out of gangs, drugs and trouble. He also has started am honourable Bodybuilding even called the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic. In 1997 Arnold undergoes surgery for his defective aortic heart valve which he was born with, the surgery had no complications and Arnold made a full recovery. He even called James Cameron from his bed and asked how Titanic was going, James Cameron was amazed that he was such a loyal friend. [ Back to top ]