Arnold Schwarzenegger has kept a promise he made 60 years ago. The bodybuilding legend returned to Belfast, reuniting with the people from an iconic 1966 photograph. The event brought back memories of a time before he was an international superstar.

And one such moment is the bodybuilding legend reuniting with the team behind the iconic Belfast photo.

On March 31, the Irish News YouTube channel posted a short clip showing the seven-time Mr. Olympia attending an event with Sandra Weir, one of the two women pictured with Schwarzenegger and Ray Smith, the photographer working with the Belfast Telegraph at that time.

In the clip, Weir explained the process behind the iconic photo and shared her reaction when a report from The Irish News asked whether she knew that, 60 years later, the photo would become iconic.

She said, “Never... Well, we were working away, you know, worried about our getting our targets every week.

And uh, the photographer came into the room, and he says, 'Here, do you want to get a wee picture taken?' One of the guys. I say, 'All right.' So went out with them. He says, 'Bring somebody with you,' and I tapped Dry in the shoulder, and Dry came with me, and that was the other girl that was there.”

She also revealed that the team enjoyed the moment because the young bodybuilder could not speak fluent English.

In the meantime, Smith admitted that during his tenure with the Telegraph, he clicked many pictures, but that specific picture “has kept bobbing up about every decade.”

However, when the photo was first released, it did not attract as much attention as it does today because at that time, Schwarzenegger was not “the Schwarzenegger.”

In a 1995 interview on a BBC chat show, Ivan Dunbar, one of the judges of Mr. Universe, said that when Schwarzenegger arrived with no money, spoke no English, but had great charisma.

Weir also expressed her gratitude to the bodybuilding legend for being so respectful and down-to-earth because she never thought that after becoming so famous, Schwarzenegger would see her again.

In the city, Schwarzenegger not only impressed his old teammates but also inspired many students with his speech at Ulster University.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Inspiring Statement From the Ulster University

The 78-year-old attended the University to receive an honorary doctorate. During his visit, he gave a speech that transformed the event from a ceremonial honor to a celebration.

He said that after winning a bodybuilding tournament, he was invited to give a speech in English. At that time, his English wasn’t very good.

He said, “People always talk about how difficult it must have been with the Irish accent. But I didn’t even know there was an accent because I didn’t speak English at all. The only words that came out of me were, 'I no speak English.'”

However, what impressed him the most was that, instead of ridiculing him for his accent, the audience encouraged him, and the host praised Schwarzenegger for his bravery.

By sharing his story, the legend of bodybuilding inspired all the young students and his fans that perfection comes with practice, but success comes with confidence.

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil