Besides bodybuilding, Arnold Schwarzenegger has always been a sports fan, including soccer, skiing, and others. The seven-time Mr. Olympia is active and enjoys participating in these sporting activities. However, in 2006, shortly before starting his second term as the Governor of California, Arnie had an accident at a skiing resort.

In his 2012 book Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story, Arnold Schwarzenegger recounted the terrible Christmas of 2006. The bodybuilding legend wrote he was in a?“fantastic mood”?when he reached Sun Valley with his then-wife Maria Shriver. However, a skiing accident would ruin that year’s Christmas for Arnold Schwarzenegger. As he battled?“excruciating pain”?in the hospital Sylvester Stallone would provide some much-needed motivation.

How Sylvester Stallone cheered up Arnold Schwarzenegger

Two days before Christmas, Arnold Schwarzenegger was eager to go skiing.?“There is even a trail called Arnold?s Run,”?near his house, wrote Arnie. While admitting he was a good skier, Schwarzenegger broke his leg while skiing on a bunny slope.?“I simply tripped over my poles,”?wrote the seven=time Mr. Olympia. The resulting injury was quite serious. Arnie snapped his thigh bone.

After a?“makeshift Christmas,”?the Governator flew to L.A. for surgery. While Maria Shriver accompanied him, she had to fly back to host the annual Christmas party. Lying in the hospital bed, missing family, and dealing with constant pain, Schwarzenegger felt miserable.?“The surgeons had to insert a metal rod with a wire around the bone,”?Arnie wrote in his biography.

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However, one night during Arnie’s eight-week recovery period, his rival-turned-friend Sylvester Stallone visited him. The Rocky actor brought a surprise gift for his friend.?“He gave me a pair of boxing gloves to remind me to fight,”?the Terminator star wrote. The symbolic gift gave the then-Governor a much-needed motivation boost. It also symbolized how far, Arnie and Stallone had come in their friendship.

The evolution of Arnie and Sly’s relationship

The two titans of action cinema cross paths early in their career at the 1977 Golden Globe. While the Austrian Oak and Sly were both nominated for the best debutants, Schwarzenegger won. The decision didn’t sit well with Stallone, and when the two came face-to-face, it resulted in a physical altercation.

Since then, the rivals have done everything in their power to outdo one another at the box office. However, with time, their relationship turned rivalry into friendship. Now, the 76-year-old Arnie and 77-year-old Sly often meet up. They reminisce about their intense rivalry and laugh about the childish things they did to get the upper hand.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger is a mentally strong individual. However, laid out on the hospital bed and missing his family, Schwarzenegger felt down. So, Stallone’s gesture helped him of Rocky Balboa’s fighting spirit when he needed it the most.