After his loss to Chester Yorton, one of the competition’s judges, Charles “Wag” Bennett, offered to coach Arnold in his English. Bennet was very hospitable and even let him stay with him at his private home.
Reminiscing, Arnold said: “Being with them made me so much more sophisticated. When you’re the age I was then, you’re always looking for approval, for love, for attention, and also for guidance. At the time, I wasn’t aware of that. But now, looking back, I see that the Bennett family fulfilled all those needs. Especially my need to be the best in the world.”
A Leg Up
While going hard at the gym as a teen, Schwarzenegger noticed that his upper body was developing a lot better than his lower half, creating a disproportionate appearance. Realizing he needed to focus more on his lower half, the teen then cut off all his pants at the knee so that his self-consciousness would motivate him.
Definitely, a more creative and unique way to motivate oneself in the gym! But obviously, this technique worked for Schwarzenegger as he brought home the gold in his bodybuilding competitions more than a handful of times. And, looking at him today, his “whatever it takes” approach certainly worked!
First Plane Ride
After completing his service in the Austrian army, Schwarzenegger went to London in 1966, which was his first time on an airplane. He was headed to London to compete in the Mr. Universe competition. Unfortunately, he was not the winner this time around.
However, England had more in store for the Austrian bodybuilder. Little did he know that this time in England would open up other opportunities for him to further himself in the world. He was also clearly not deterred by this loss, and it probably only made him more hungry for the win in the years to come.
Mr. Universe
After training with some of the bodybuilding world champions, Schwarzenegger was finally crowned the winner of the Mr. Universe competition in 1967, at just 20 years old. In fact, he became the youngest person ever to win! And one victory was certainly not enough for him as he went on to win three more times.
Schwarzenegger then moved to Munich, Germany, and enrolled in business school. He then began to diversify his interests, sharing with his English coach at the time: “I’m going to become the greatest actor!” It was only about seven years after this dream, that his acting dream came true when he got his first role in “Happy Anniversary and Goodbye.”
Coming To America
In 1966, Schwarzenegger moved to London, where he finally won his first Mr. Universe title at 20 in 1967. “The Mr. Universe title was my ticket to America — the land of opportunity, where I could become a star and get rich.”
The following year he decided to head to the U.S. and was thrilled that he “overcame a thick Austrian accent and transcended the unlikely background of bodybuilding to become the biggest movie star in the world in the 1990s,” said "LA Weekly." Arnold finally became a naturalized American citizen in 1983. We guess that this stands as a testament that dreams do come true!