Arnold Schwarzenegger may have battled some of the toughest opponents you can imagine, but one of his most painful setbacks happened not in the gym, but on an icy ski slope. As it turns out, even the Terminator was not immune to a nasty fall on the snowy slopes.

The unfortunate incident occurred on December 23, 2006, when Schwarzenegger was slow-speed skiing at the Sun Valley resort in Idaho. Reportedly, his skis did not release from their bindings, causing his leg to torque and snap the right femur. He was wheeled into surgery soon after, where doctors repaired the fracture with screws and cables.

"This is what happens when you are the Terminator," Schwarzenegger said, jokingly. "They switch body parts."

The good news is that doctors believed that the former Governor was in great shape, especially for his age.

As per NBC News, Dr. Kevin Ehrhart, Schwarzenegger’s surgeon, talked about his condition.

“The governor is in excellent physical condition, and his health is very good. He has fantastic muscle tone, excellent bone health, and is in great cardiovascular shape. The governor's health is in the top 5 per cent of people his age.”

The skiing accident became one of several major physical setbacks Schwarzenegger has overcome during his life and career.

The setbacks that never stopped Schwarzenegger from moving forward

However, the irony of the accident did not fail him. According to 9 News, Schwarzenegger reflected on how the accident would have made more sense if he had been going at higher speeds. However, his leg was vulnerable due to previous injuries and surgeries.

"I had an artificial hip that was replaced around five years ago. With that, because it was vulnerable, the ski torqued the leg, and it broke the femur because of that," Schwarzenegger said.

The Terminator actor has faced multiple major physical setbacks throughout his career and life. However, nothing was enough to stop him from moving forward, be it bodybuilding injuries or serious medical conditions.

Some of his major injuries and surgeries were as follows:

1965 - Torn knee injury

1997 – Open-heart surgery to replace a faulty congenital aortic value

2001 – Shoulder surgery

2006 – Broken right femur and knee surgery

2018 – Emergency heart surgery

2020 – Second heart valve replacement

2024 – Third heart procedure to receive a pacemaker

Despite the major setbacks, Schwarzenegger always showed up to do what he loved – bodybuilding and acting.

Which of his injuries do you think was the most dangerous and toughest one yet?

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Written by

Avantika Das

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi