Jay Cutler proved the power of perseverance with his first-ever Mr. Olympia win after years of standing just inches close to winning the title. He unseated the then reigning champion, Ronnie Coleman, who was on his way to winning the record, making the 9th Mr. Olympia title in 2006. Although he couldn’t land a title in Mr. Olympia before 2006, he made a breakthrough achievement in 2002 and a memorable experience with the legendary bodybuilder, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In a recent interview, he shared the excitement he experienced seeing the ‘Austrian Oak’. Also, he shared an adorable mom-son moment at his first Arnold Classic victory.

It was of enormous excitement for Jay Cutler

Cutler recounted his delight at the invitation to compete in Arnold Classic in 2002. He said that in the early Arnold Classic contests, the Terminator star would do a pre-release of the trailer of the movie before the show began. He expressed his excitement, stating, “You know, it was so cool.”

He continued, “Schwarzenegger would show up for 15 minutes; run the show and get right back on his private jet. Besides, while leaving, he might do a walk through the Expo.” Relishing the memory, he said, “..to catch a glimpse of Arnold was like a major, major thing.” Furthermore, he added, “Arnold was the number one highest-paid movie star at that point.”

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He also said he earned $10 million a movie which was ‘big money’ back then. Illustrating his memories, he stated, “I remember seeing all the pre-releases and everything and that was like the exciting thing. You didn’t want to miss the kick-off of the show because he would show that trailer.” Receiving a call to compete in the contest came as a pleasant surprise to Cutler. It was more special, as his mom also witnessed the winning moment in 2002.

Cutler’s mom loved his pose on the Arnold Classic stage in 2002

Cutler’s family also came to watch the show. They took a van from Ohio to Massachusetts to watch him compete in Arnold Classic. He expressed joy over his mom’s reaction to his pose. He posed to a nice classical song, ‘Time to say goodbye’.

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Cutler shared that his mom loved it and described it as the greatest thing ever. The 4x Mr. Olympia is one of the most disciplined bodybuilders ever. He still trains and considers it his favorite time of the day.