This March I had the opportunity to go to the “Arnold” convention. The “Arnold ” is a bodybuilding and sports convention that was started by Arnold Swatenegger in 1989. It is held in Columbus Ohio yearly. The reason I went this year was for my sport called Armored Combat. Recently, they have started doing competitions at the Arn  old for the first time. Arnold Schwarzenegger himself likes to showcase smaller-known sports at his convention. He’s taken a particular liking to our sport. So we are normally given the privilege to rent a large portion of the convention center for our sport. Therefore, we were in the eyeshot of pretty much everyone there.

The first day I went, I wasn’t prepared for what I was getting into. There were bodybuilders left and right and everyone there seemed to be a fitness influencer. The con was super packed but I was still able to move around. There were booths selling different macro-friendly foods. There was even one brand called “Muscle Mac” which is a high-protein mac and cheese. There were several stations promoting their various pre-workout supplements. There were even T-shirt stands selling shirts that said things like “Dragons and Deadlifts” and “Merry Swolemass.” Most importantly, there were panels nearby that particularly struck my interest. I walked up to one and there was a bodybuilding competition going on. It was really cool to finally see one in person. All of the contestants up on stage really showed what it’s like to have true dedication. It’s beautiful to see what the human body is capable of.

After watching the competition, I went to walk around a bit more and grab a bite to eat. While I was eating, I saw Eddie Hall walking down a flight of stairs. I was shocked and amazed to see him in person. I didn’t approach him because I knew that he probably was sick and tired of people approaching him, but it was really cool to finally see him in person. Afterwards, I walked back to the stage where the bodybuilding competition went on to see if anyone was there. When I walked up to the crowd, there was a former Mr.Omlypia up on stage. I can’t remember his name, it was really cool to see that. Once he was done with his panel, I was able to sneak around and get a free seat to get a break from standing. Over the next two hours of sitting, I was able to see Eddie Hall talk, Larry Wheels talk, Jesse James West talk, and Chris Bumstead and his trainer talk. It was super surreal. After that, I decided to head back to the hotel and skip the next day of the convention. I needed my rest before duels on the third day.

When I woke up on the third day, I was ready for violence. I first made sure to get a good breakfast. I normally make oatmeal before my fights. Complex carbohydrates are great to eat before heavily taxing sports. When I pulled up to the convection, my dad and I had to drag my armor all across the building. Once I armored up, I was ready for carnage. For the Sword and shield category, I almost made 3rd place. For the sword and buckler challenge, I almost made it out of the second bracket. In total, I won 9 out of my 12 fights there. I was super proud of myself. I had a great time at the Arnold.