Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1965 meeting with Franco Columbu formed an unbreakable brotherhood that, according to the 7-time Mr. Olympia, changed everything.

It was the Junior Mr. Europe event in Stuttgart, where the 18-year-old bodybuilder defeated all the other juniors from across Europe. That night, Schwarzenegger not only won the title but also planted the seed of a lifelong friendship with Columbu.

On May 11, when the Austrian Oak appeared on the John Hansen podcast, he opened up about meeting Franco. He said, “That was the night I met Franco. Franco won the European Championships in powerlifting in a lighter weight category. He was a phenomenal lifter, extremely strong. He didn't have big muscles, just little.”

He was just a skinny guy, an Italian who was working in Munich as a bricklayer. During that event, Schwarzenegger revealed his dream of going to Munich and becoming a trainer.

And just like a real friend, “Franco introduced” him “to Albert Busk, who managed the gymnasium in Munich.”

That was an important stepping stone in Schwarzenegger’s journey to Mr. Olympia, as before that, he had trained only with manual equipment, such as dumbbells and a bench. However, in Munich, the young bodybuilder was able to work out on machines.

After meeting Busk, he met with Buzinger, “the guy that actually organized the gym in Munich and organized bodybuilding competitions in the federation and all that stuff.”

The bodybuilding legend said, “And so we then started working on a plan for me to move after the military to Munich and to become a trainer in the gymnasium.”

While Columbu played a vital role in Schwarzenegger’s journey to Munich, the legend also maintained their friendship after he settled in the USA.

Arnold Schwarzenegger helped Franco Columbu establish himself in the USA

After Schwarzenegger moved to America, he felt incomplete without his friend and convinced the bodybuilding guru Joe Weider to sponsor him.

As a result, Columbu came to California in 1969.

From there, the duo embarked on a new journey. Both trained together and started European Brick Works, a bricklaying business.

Their friendship gained worldwide recognition after the release of Pumping Iron. They were living together and practicing positivism.

Even Schwarzenegger and Columbu attended ballet classes to sharpen their posing.

The 2-time Mr. Olympia also appeared in many movies, such as The Terminator and Conan the Barbarian, alongside Schwarzenegger.

When Columbu died in 2019, Schwarzenegger was visibly sad. In an emotional message on social media, the bodybuilding legend said, “He was always loving, always supportive, and encouraging to the very end. A friend for more than 40 years, I’m so glad I recently had the chance to dance with him and to tell him how much I loved him.

The pumps, the chess games, the construction work, the meals, the pranks, the life lessons – we did it all together…. I will always miss you.”

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil