“He Is Watching Us From Heaven”: Emotional Arnold Schwarzenegger Honors Late Friend and Mentor at Arnold Classic 2023

The Arnold Classic has already made a big splash in the bodybuilding fraternity in its 2023 edition. Though the event has every element that causes a stir among fans, the co-founder and bodybuilding icon Arnold Schwarzenegger felt an omnipresent void in the entirety of the competition. Nevertheless, the Austrian Oak reminisced about a close friend and an Arnold Classic organizer, James J. Lorimer, who left the world for his heavenly abode in November 2022.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Arnold Sports Festival. Since its first edition in 1989, the Austrian has been celebrating the festivities with his close-knit acquaintance and the main promoter of the festival, Jim Lorimer. However, following Lorimer’s demise in 2022, the Terminator actor addressed this year’s Arnold Classic without his friend by his side. In his memory, Schwarzenegger paid Lorimer a heartfelt eulogy.

Arnold Schwarzenegger pays tribute to Lorimer as he convincingly carried on the legacy that the duo had set back in 1989

Before the commencement of the Men’s Open event (LIVE on Fanmio TV), the 75-year-old took a moment to commemorate his dear friend Jim Lorimer. In his sincere encomium for his mentor/companion, the Austrian said, “I know he is watching us from heaven right now and he would be very pleased to see that we are moving on full power and moving ahead”.

Recalling Lorimer’s presence in the past events, the Terminator added, “When you come to a place like this and you do this for the first time kind of by yourself. Yes, I have hundreds of people helping me, but by myself means that my partner is not with me, and that of course saddens me”. The 7x Mr. Olympia then recalled Lorimer’s words and shared them with the spectators.

Read More: “I Will Miss Him”: Arnold Schwarzenegger Mourns the Devastating Loss of an Old Friend

“He said, ‘if anything ever happens to me I need you to continue on with full power’”, recalled the ex-governor of California. Clearly, the Austrian walked down the nostalgic lane as he remembered his 34-year-long amity with J. Lorimer. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Lorimer: Since 1970

The Austrian and the former attorney and F.B.I. special agent, J. Lorimer met for the first time in 1970. The former Mayor of Worthington was like a mentor to the 7x Mr. Olympia. Interestingly, Lorimer taught the Terminator a lot about organizing shows and establishing a brand image. Then in 1989, the mentor and mentee laid the roots of one of the most iconic and elite bodybuilding events—that’s Arnold Sports festival.

In the words of legendary Jim Lorimer, “Fitness is fun. We try to capture and portray in the best possible way.” Lorimer and Schwarzenegger built a great colossus in the form of the Arnold Classic, as the event paved the way for many generations of fitness enthusiasts for 35 years now. Though Lorimer is not here with us today, his name will always be remembered in the golden pages of bodybuilding history.

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