Meet Anand Arnold — Indian Guy Who Overcame a Disease to Fulfill a Childhood Dream

I am Arnold from Ludhiana, Punjab, and I come from a family with a sports background. Looking up to my brother, I also decided to follow in his footsteps. However, things turned out for the worst, but I didn’t see it as an obstacle to reach my goal. In fact, I turned it into an advantage.

I decided to share everything with Bright Side so that I can reach more people, in hopes that reading my life story and sharing how my dreams came true will be a source of motivation.

I started bodybuilding when I was just a kid.

I was 11 years old when I started bodybuilding. At that time my brother was the state-level champion for bodybuilding and I used to go to the gym with him. I really enjoyed watching him when he was in a competition. He was our family hero and I wanted to be just like him.

When I was 13 years old I decided to ask my father if he would allow me to join the gym, but he said no. But thanks to my brother and his support my dad finally said okay. That was the day when my bodybuilding life started.

Actually, I thank my parents that I have good genes because it helped me gain muscle in the first 3 months of training. I got even more motivated when I won my first District level competition at the age of 13 and I continued going to the gym for one more year.

After a year things started to go downhill for me.

However, when I was 14 I noticed a horrible pain in my spine and I had to stop working out. After a year, when I was 15 I experienced even worse pain and just a few days afterward, I was diagnosed with cancer. However, I didn’t know about it, my parents decided to keep it a secret from me. My mom’s crying was what gave it away, and that was when I found out about my chronic cancer, which was in the last stage.

The doctor told her that if we did not operate in one week I could die. Then I asked my mom not to worry and she signed the papers for my surgery.

After the surgery, I found that I could not move my hands or my lower body. Then after a few days, when my family took me home, everything changed. 4 people had to carry me to enter my own house. It was a really unpleasant experience. But, life goes on. My family supported me, especially my mom and sister. I started physiotherapy and continued it for 3 years, and I thought that I might be able to walk again.

However, a friend, who is like a sister to me recommended a doctor to me and I agreed to go and visit him, but his answer brought me to tears: “Anand you will never walk again and you need to continue your life on wheels.” I said “Okay” and I continued living my life full of sadness.

When I entered the gym with my friend, things changed.

But, after a few months, my friend pushed me to go to the gym. I said, “Okay, but I will go with you just one time.”

We went to the gym on a scooter and he carried me like a child. In the same way, we entered the gym and it wasn’t a nice sight, everyone was staring at me, thinking, who is this guy? I felt very ashamed.

When I saw everybody exercising I was like “oh my god” this is my dream place. Then I asked my friend if he could take me to the gym every day and he said: “Yes, of course, I would love to.”

So, I started bodybuilding again, but this time in a wheelchair. And again, after 3 months I got my full packs. I went to talk to my coach to show him that I have a good physique, and ask what I should do now that I am in a wheelchair.

He encouraged me and he said that we would do something about it. So, he introduced me to the bodybuilding industry and I officially started bodybuilding in a wheelchair, as a career. However, there was one problem, there was no one else who was bodybuilding in a wheelchair in India.

I started to win one competition after another.

So I started competing with normal bodybuilders and people with different disabilities. After a few years, I won Mr. Punjab (13 times), Mr. North India (9 times), Mr. India (4 times), and many other titles.

After 2 years, I realized I had no more money for competitions, traveling, and all of the other expenses. That’s why I started doing stage shows, I was on India’s Got Talent, South India’s Got Talent, and other TV shows.

One day, in 2015, I did one show where an owner of a company was present and he announced in front of 25,000 people “Anand Arnold is the new brand ambassador for our company.” After a week he called me into his office and said, “What can we do for you, what do you need?”

I told him that I was selected 3 times for the Mr. World Competition, but I couldn’t go due to lack of funds. As an athlete, I need a good diet and money for travel expenses for the competitions. They agreed: “We will provide you with everything, but just for the Mr. 2016 title.”

I started my preparations and finally proved myself in Europe, and I won the title of Mr. World.

I went beyond competitions.

After that, calls just started piling up. I was getting one call after another with a lot of different offers. I even got a role in the movie Supreme and I did great.

After all of those events, I become even more famous and well-known as a fitness icon.

In 2018, I was selected for Pro-Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas. I was the only one who represented India there and won the title of Best Poser for 2018 Mr. Olympia, and plus 2nd place. So from there, I started to work in the USA as a motivational speaker and I motivated a lot of people.

I traveled all around the USA and again, in Columbus, Ohio, I represented my country in the Arnold Classic Bodybuilding Championship and I won Best Poser for 2019.

I also represented India in Canada and won competitions there.

This is my journey and I really feel proud to represent India. Plus, not long ago, I was contacted by a Bollywood director who told me that they would like to produce a commercial BIOPIC Film based on my life story. They want to spread my story all around the world.

If you could say something to Anand, what would it be? Did his story motivate you to stay strong no matter what? Do you know of any other inspirational life stories?