Arnold Schwarzenegger Wrote a Touching Tribute to Franco Colombu
Following the death of his best friend, Italian bodybuilder Franco Colombu, Arnold Schwarzenegger has written a touching tribute in the form of a letter. He shared the message and a series of photographs on Medium, and spoke with great tenderness about their friendship and the impact they had on each other's lives over more than 50 years.
"You’ve heard me say that I don’t like when people call me a self-made man," he wrote. "You’ve even heard me say that you’re part of the reason I could never accept that label. But I wanted you to know why. From the minute we met in Munich, you were my partner in crime. We pushed each other, we competed with each other, and we laughed at every moment along the way."
"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."
Colombu and Schwarzenegger both held the title of Mr. Olympia, with Colombu winning the bodybuilding honor the year after Schwarzenegger on two occasions; following Schwarzenegger's retirement from the sport in 1976, and then taking it from him again following his comeback in 1981. Colombu also appeared alongside his friend in the two movies which helped launch Schwarzenegger's acting career: The Terminator and Conan the Barbarian.
According to Italian newspaper reports, Colombu drowned while swimming in the sea off the coast of Sardinia, and was pronounced dead while being rushed to the hospital via helicopter.
"I am devastated today," said Schwarzenegger. "But I am also so, so grateful for the 54 years of friendship and joy we shared. The pumps, the chess games, the construction work, the meals, the pranks, the life lessons — we did it all together. We grew and we learned and we loved. My life was more fun, more colorful, and more complete because of you."
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