All bodybuilding greats were inspired by someone greater than them, or someone who graced the domain before them. For legend, Arnold Schwarzenegger it was a British bodybuilder turned filmstar, Reg Park. Similarly, for Rory Leidelmeyer, the former Mr. America, was the late Herculean movie star and athlete, Steve Reeves, per his recent Instagram post. 

The American athlete revealed the influence of Reeves in his life while growing up with a heartfelt note in the caption. He got candid and shared how he would play with his imagination, emulating the Hercules movies. 

Icons inspire icons!

As per the source, the 65-year-old pro took the opportunity to dedicate a post to the late icon only hours ago on Instagram. Reflecting back on his childhood, he revealed that the superheroes on the silver screen really influenced him as a young boy. Taking the instance of Steve Reeves, he hailed him as being “legendary.” 

Furthermore, Leidelmeyer also illustrated glimpses of how he would “re-enact those Hercules movies” played by the star bodybuilder. The former pro wrote, “I would play this game using my imagination wearing only my tighty whities and a stick as my sword.” 

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Reeves’ portrayal as the mythical half-god and half-human really intrigued a young Rory, lasting an influence for years. “As you can tell in the photograph That little boy still lives inside of me with that big imagination,” the 5’11 athlete continued in the caption, hinting at the added picture of his impressive physique in his prime, giving Herculean looks. Besides, Leidelmeyer seized the moment to chime in with a beautiful message in the end. 

Rory Leidelmeyer urges others to dream

Apart from reminiscing the Reeves-times in his life, the Golden-era icon also took the responsibility to encourage today’s youth with a mindful and heartwarming message. Leidelmeyer iterated the significance of dreaming big, and chasing them until fruition.

He wrote, “For those that dare to dream please dream big and use your imagination. You never know. You might become what you only imagined you could be.” Given his pioneering achievements in the sport, and also having trained a notable football athlete, Tony Mandarich, Leidelmeyer certainly made his dreams come true. 

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Not only Leidelmeyer, but many others idolized Reeves throughout his career. Apart from Hercules, he also played the muscular characters of Goliath and Sandokan. Do you have any similar influences in your life? Share with us in the comments.