Arnold Schwarzenegger is mourning the death of fellow bodybuilder Dave Draper.
Arnold Schwarzenegger opens up about the death of his idol
The 74-year-old Hollywood legend took to Twitter to pay tribute to the legendary weightlifter - who he hailed an "idol" - following his death on Tuesday (30.11.2021) at the age of 79.
Alongside a photo of himself and Dave at a bodybuilding competition, Schwarzenegger wrote: "Dave Draper was an inspiration to millions of people all over the world, including me. He was one of my idols. In Austria, I kept his photo on the wall above my bed for motivation, and when I saw him starring in ‘Don’t Make Waves’, I thought, my dreams are possible."
The 'Terminator' star then went on to speak about meeting his hero and how his heart was "as big as his pecs."
He added: "When I got to America and finally met Dave, I learned his heart was as big as his pecs. He even hand-built my first furniture when I moved to Santa Monica, and man, he was talented. Can you imagine meeting your idol, becoming his training partner and traveling the world together?
I was in heaven. He couldn’t have been more welcoming, and he always pushed everyone around him in the gym to be better. He was an amazing writer and a great family man. I will miss the Blond Bomber, but his memory will always be with me. My thoughts are with Laree [his wife] and the family."
It comes after Dave's widow took to Facebook to announce her husband's passing.
Without revealing a cause of death, she wrote: "Hi, friends. As the word is getting out, I wanted to let you know, so there’s no confusion — Dave died early this morning. I was with him and it was calm and peaceful. It, as the doctor told me a little while ago, was a good death."
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