Growing up in a small, isolated village in Austria, he turned to bodybuilding as his ticket to a better life. Prior to that he served a mandatory one year in the Austrian military (beginning in 1965). After conquering the world as arguably the greatest bodybuilder who ever lived, he went to America to make his name in motion pictures. A succession of over-the-top action films made him an international box office star. After his long, and successful movie career, he ran in the California recall. He is now the Governor of California, yet another celebrity to be elected to the position.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Political career


Schwarzenegger's first political appointment was as chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, on which he served from 1990 to 1993. He was nominated by George H. W. Bush,He later served as Chairman for the California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under Governor Pete Wilson.Schwarzenegger announced his candidacy in the 2003 California recall election for Governor of California on the August 6, 2003 episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. At first Governor Gray Davis refused to debate or talk about the issues with Arnold. As the election came near and Gray Davis realized that Arnold was a force to be reckoned with, he tried to change his policy, but Arnold had already become a strong candidate.On October 7, 2003, Schwarzenegger won the election by about 1.3 million votes.Schwarzenegger was the first foreign-born governor in California history.Schwarzenegger enjoyed a large degree of success and victories in his early governorship.
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Early life

Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in Thal, Austria, His parents were the local police chief Gustav Schwarzenegger (1907–1972), and his wife, the former Aurelia Jadrny (1922–1998). It was a Roman Catholic family who attended Church every Sunday. Schwarzenegger has said his father had “no patience for listening or understanding your problems…there was a wall; a real wall.” Schwarzenegger had a good relationship with his mother and kept in touch with her until her death. At school, Schwarzenegger was apparently "in the middle" but stood out for his "cheerful, good-humoured and exuberant" character.
Money was a problem in the household; Schwarzenegger has recalled that one of the highlights of his youth was when the family bought a refrigerator.
As a boy, Schwarzenegger played many sports—heavily influenced by his father.
He picked up his first "barbell" in 1960 when his soccer coach took his team to a local gym. At the age of 15 Schwarzenegger chose body-building over a career as a soccer player and at 17, officially started his competitive career.During a speech he said: "My own plan formed when I was 14 years old. My father had wanted me to be a police officer like he was. My mother wanted me to go to trade school." In 1961 Schwarzenegger met former Mr. Austria Kurt Marnul who invited him to train at the gym in Graz (is the second-largest city in Austria). He was so dedicated as a youngster that he was known to break into the local gym on weekends, when it was usually closed, so that he could train. "It would make me sick to miss a workout … I knew I couldn't look at myself in the mirror the next morning if I didn't do it."

Early adulthood

Schwarzenegger served in the Austrian army in 1965 to fulfill the one year of service required of all 18-year-old Austrian males at the time. He won the Junior Mr. Europe contest in 1965. Schwarzenegger went AWOL(Absent Without (Official) Leave) during basic training so he could compete in the competition and spent a week in an army jail: "Participating in the competition meant so much to me that I didn't carefully think through the consequences. When I got to Stuttgart (City of Europe), I was all confused. I forgot my posing routine, I had to borrow posing trunks, but still I won!"