Posted on 10/18/2006 6:34:55 PM PDT by World_Events
The Schwarzenegger campaign circulated a letter today from Joe Weider, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's longtime patron and friend (see photo), who recently appeared with the governor at a bodybuilding contest at Muscle Beach in Venice. The campaign is rounding up support for the governor after state Treasuter Phil Angelides said he once defended the apartheid regime in South Africa.
Weider wrote today:
"In 1975, during the height of apartheid in South Africa, the country wanted to host the Mr. Olympia competition and the world amateur bodybuilding competition. Participants from 60 countries were set to compete.
"Arnold Schwarzenegger was so opposed to the racist apartheid government in South Africa that he asked me not to allow the Mr. Olympia competition to be held there. Arnold asked to join me in South Africa for a meeting with that country's minister of sport, Dr. Pete Kornhuff, to discuss the event."
"Arnold Schwarzenegger forcefully explained to Dr. Kornhuff that the bodybuilding championships would not be held in South Africa unless black and white athletes participated together, black and white athletes stayed at the same hotels, black and white athletes ate at the same restaurants, and black and white fans were all allowed in the audience together. In short, Arnold would not participate if the competition was segregated."
The competition was desegregated
(Excerpt) Read more at latimesblogs.latimes.com ...
And that sure worked out well for South Africa, didn't it?
What's your point? Arnold took a principled stand against racial discrimination. I applaud that. If South Africa has handled itself poorly over time, I don't blame Arnold for it.
My Governor can beat up your Governor
I try to find good in most people.
HAHA...Joe Weider, the original "roid" pusher....Arnold needs to disavow himself from this rediculous "sport"....and before anyone flames me, i know more about it than you might think.
The Democrat is politically bankrupt. Three weeks before the election and out of ideas.
The CaDEM couldn't have selected a worse candidate using darts or a lottery.
Could this be why ABCNews spiked the interview back in 2003 that made the allegation Arnold supported Apartheid?
I guess it's safe to assume you were never Mr. Olympia or Mr. Universe.
"Arnold Schwarzenegger, "The Austrian Oak", was a bodybuilding prodigy who won the 1967 NABBA Amateur Mr. Universe title at the age of 20.
He went on to take the professional version of that championship in 1968, 1969 and 1970. Under the guidance and sponsorship of Joe Weider, he relocated to Santa Monica, California, in 1968 and within a year, became the most popular and charismatic bodybuilder in the sport. Arnold won the 1969 IFBB Mr. Universe and, in his IFBB Mr. Olympia debut that same year, placed second to Sergio Oliva, but Arnold never lost again.
He proceeded to dominate the IFBB Mr. Olympia with six consecutive wins, 1970 to 1975, before briefly retiring to pursue a film career. He was the focus of attention in the ground-breaking movie Pumping Iron, which documented the 1975 IFBB Mr. Olympia.
He became an America citizen in 1983 and, in 1986, married Maria Shriver, niece of slain president John F. Kennedy. In the early '90s, his film career took him to the heights of Hollywood, but Arnold also busied himself with charitable undertakings, such as the Special Olympics and many inner-city projects.
His umbilical link with bodybuilding remains through his Arnold Fitness Expo, held annually the first week of March in Columbus, Ohio. It is true to say that no other bodybuilder took the sport to a wider audience that the seven-time IFBB Mr. Olympia. Arnold is without a doubt the most famous bodybuilder ever."
http://www.schwarzenegger.it/mro/schwarzenegger.html
I( saw Joe Weider and his wife recently on a talk show, forget which one. I think Joe WIder is 92 or 94. His wife looked great too.
I read "Education of a Bodybuilder" when it came out...I know Arnold's life story...What's your point? I also know he injected steroids straight into his lagging calves...among other things...don't try to BS me about bodybuilding....it's a bunch of egomaniacs injecting themselves with growth hormones and stacking decadurabolin, dianabol, winstrol and anavar, diuretics...whatever they think will push them to the edge....even Arnold has admitted that it has gotten out of control these days...he used to just do a cycle of juice to maintain some bulk as he went on contest diet...usually once year toward the end of his career.
and yes...i agree...he is the best of the best...i pull "Pumping Iron" out and watch it every once in a while....I still think him and Frank Zane are the two greatest.
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