Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dr. Corey Borck, D.C.

Chance of a lifetime

by Dr. Corey Borck, D.C.

Heroes.  We all have them as kids and even sometimes as adults we look to others for inspiration.  On the weekend of March 2nd-4th my workout partner and close friend Jordan Campbell and I had the opportunity to meet one of our lifetime hero’s, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

The Arnold Classic and Fitness Weekend has been held in Columbus Ohio for the past 19 years.  What began as a body building competition has evolved into a weekend long gala that includes participation of over 15,000 athletes in over 30 sports, many of which are conducted at the Olympic level.  For 15 of the last 19 years the International Chiropractic Association (ICA) has conducted a Symposium on Natural Health and Fitness in conjunction with the Arnold Classic weekend.  Multiple speakers from around the world converge on Columbus to educate and update hundreds of Chiropractors on the latest success strategies in health and fitness.  Governor Schwarzenegger took time from his busy schedule to make a personal presentation to the ICA members as well as participate in a photo shoot for those in attendance. 

As part of the Symposium, the ICA presented Governor Schwarzenegger with a unique crystal award for his dedication and service in the areas of health and fitness.  Upon being presented with the award, Gov. Schwarzenegger told the audience:

“I just want to tell you what a great honor it is for me to receive this award for the work I am doing, and I am going to continue to work very hard, not only on behalf of bodybuilding to make sure the sport grows, but on behalf of all of you because you are part of one of the greatest professions, talking about public service, that’s what you do from morning to night, every day when you go to your office.  You’re serving the people; you’re helping the people to feel healthier and to feel better, to send them out of the office healthy and feeling good again.  Thank you for all of your great work.  Thank you very much.”

Governor Schwarzenegger has been a long time supporter of chiropractic for all ages.  He noted how he has seen chiropractic help people on many levels, even his wife and children.  Governor Schwarzenegger’s long time friend and training partner, Franco Columbu is a practicing Chiropractor in the state of California.  In addition to the presentation by the Governor, Cincinnati Reds 12 time All-Star Barry Larkin, Darryl Lee of the Dallas Cowboys and Mr. Reg Park (Mr. Park was Arnold’s inspiration for becoming a bodybuilder) all made appearances and talked about the benefits of chiropractic in their lives as professional athletes.

Saturday afternoon Jordan and I took part in seminars; spoke with world class athletes on training methods and squirmed our way through an expo hall that saw approximately 120,000 people file through various venders and exhibitors.  Saturday evening we watched as 20 world class bodybuilders flexed and posed to impress a panel of judges to lay claim to the title of winner of the Arnold Classic and a $130,000 first prize.  The eventual winner was Victor Martinez of New York, a 10 year veteran of the professional bodybuilding circuit.  After the conclusion of the bodybuilding competition the crowd was entertained with the finals of the strong man competition.  The final event was lifting a 200 pound dumbbell with one hand over head as many times as possible in 90 seconds.  For most of the competitors this would be an easy task, but to complicate things the handle on the dumbbell was just over 3 inches in diameter (a little bit bigger than a Coke can) making it very hard to grip even for some of the largest competitors who averaged 6’5” tall and weighing in at around 330 pounds.  Current world strong man title holder Phil Phister of West Virginia came in at 4th place.  Phil is the first American to hold the title of World’s Strongest Man since Bill Kazmaier won the title in 1982.

An unexpected surprise was watching Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) legend Randy “The Natural” Couture workout in our hotel.  Randy successful came out of retirement when two days later he defeated the reigning heavyweight champ, Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia in the pay-per-view event UFC-68-The Uprising.  The UFC has gained tremendous popularity in recent years which was exhibited by the sold out crowd.  This was the first UFC fight to take place outside of Nevada or California with ticket prices averaging $400 a seat.  Right before the fight standing room only tickets were being sold for $250-300 a ticket.

The entire weekend went by with unexpected swiftness as Sunday morning we loaded up and made the three hour trek back to Hudson.  With every passing year the Arnold Classic and Fitness weekend continues to grow in size and popularity.  With society looking for more natural approaches to health; exercise, nutrition and chiropractic care are coming to the fore front of prevention and wellness rather than the treatment of sickness and disease.  Based on several conversations with world class athletes over the weekend it was with great to see so many that participated in regular chiropractic care.  Whether it was returning from an injury or regular visits to ensure peak performance everyone had a positive story to tell. 

For more information on the Arnold Classic weekend you can visit www.arnoldclassic.com. For information on the International Chiropractic Association visit www.chiropractic.org.  For information on Dr. Borck please visit www.borckchiropractic.com.