“I Couldn’t Thrive Without You”: Emotional Arnold Schwarzenegger Was Left Devastated After His Best Friend Passed Away in 2019

The legacy of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbu is unmatched. They were like brothers, devoted companions, and training partners and remained like two peas in a pod. All these reasons mounted to an emotional moment for Schwarzenegger, who gave a fitting tribute to his best man after his untimely passing.

It’s almost three years since Columbu passed at 78. But the pain in Arnold’s eyes remains forever. Like Arnold, Franco was one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time, pushing each other to strive to get better. The Instagram post that Arnold shared for Columbu after he passed away remains in the hearts of the bodybuilding fraternity. It was emotional.

Arnold Schwarzenegger shares a heartfelt post

Notably, they met in Munich in 1965 while emigrating to the USA to establish themselves as the finest bodybuilding superstars. Being close and spending most of their life together, Arnold shared a heartfelt post for his best friend. A self-made man, Arnold paid tribute to Columbu for understanding his career path and the struggles he faced. Arnold knew Franco was his “partner in crime” the day they met. 

Arnold expressed his joy in spending time with him for over 54 years and recollected the significant moments in their lives. “When I finally got to America, I was alone. I’d left my family, my country, my whole life behind. So when I asked Joe Weider to bring you to train with me, it was because I knew I wasn’t the same without my best friend. I could thrive without money, without my parents, but I couldn’t thrive without you.”

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Leaving his family behind at a young age, Arnold, with his determination and courage, was destined for greatness as he laid his eyes set on the shores of America. With the help of Franco, they had fascinating episodes in life that one can only dream of. 

Taking care of his daughter and wife

After Columbu’s successful bodybuilding career, he became a successful chiropractor in Los Angeles for around 30 years. He survived with his wife Debbie, and their daughter Maria. Arnold mentioned, “I will always miss you. But I’ll also know that a part of you lives on in me, in Debbie, in Maria, and in the millions of people, you inspired every day you lived. And I will be there for Maria and Debbie, so you can rest now with no worries.”

Having a similar career path to Arnold, Columbu acted in some movies like Terminator, Conan the Barbarian, and the Running Man. He became an author of several books related to nutrition and fitness, becoming very successful. To sum up, he was a friend to look up to. When talking about their friendship, the famous Thomas J. Watson quote comes to our minds: 

“Don’t make friends who are comfortable to be with. Make friends who will force you to lever yourself up.”

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