Fans know Arnold Schwarzenegger for his incredible contribution to bodybuilding, delivering cult-classic films, and even as California’s governor, but his journey began with a tough childhood that forged his relentless drive to achieve greatness.

The Terminator was born just two years after the end of World War II in the remote town of Thal, Austria. His family lived in poverty and owned a small farm; some days were so difficult that Arnold’s mother had to go into the streets and beg for food just to feed the family.

Frustrated with life at home, Arnold found inspiration in American newsreels and set his sights on success abroad. He began lifting at 13, joined the national service at 18 in 1965, and famously went AWOL to compete in a bodybuilding contest, an act that landed him in military prison for a week.

By 18, he was already a huge name in bodybuilding, with people across the world recognizing him. He finally moved to the USA in 1968 at the age of 21, but he was still an immigrant at that time.

Then came the moment that changed his life forever: his 1970 Mr. Olympia victory. After that, he won five more titles, making sure that he is a household name in the sport. Several cult classic films and a degree from the University of Wisconsin in America later, he finally got his American citizenship back in 1982.

His journey was tough, but through persistence, he made sure to achieve his goals. However, he wouldn’t have reached this place without the teachings of his parents.

“Be Useful,” Arnold Schwarzenegger’s father told him

“My father had a hot-and-cold-shower kind of treatment,” says Schwarzenegger to People. “When he was drunk, he was not forthcoming with his emotions. He was angry. And when he was not—two, three days later, he would maybe feel guilty and buy us ice cream and take us out, hugging, kissing, and all that stuff.”

His father might not have been perfect, but he taught him never to give up on his dreams. "'Be useful', was the very phrase that motivated me, the Terminator star says. This simple advice guided him throughout his life, from leaving Austria to making it big in another country."

“I felt that my father loved me, because I could tell by the way he held me. I learned how to feel those things rather than to hear those things,” he concluded.

His father’s phrase held such deep meaning in his life that he even built his entire life philosophy around it in his book ‘Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life.’

Do you know about any other celebrity who defeated the obstacles of an untoward childhood to become famous?

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Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Souvik Roy