http://www.fresnobee.com/384/story/213991.html
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday said he was deeply saddened by the death of his former trainer and mentor, legendary bodybuilder Reg Park.
"He was like a second father to me," Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "He is the reason I was motivated to become Mr. Universe myself and come to America and make movies."
South African media reported that Park died Thursday morning in Johannesburg. The Mail and Guardian in Johannesburg reported that he died from advanced skin cancer. He was 79.
"Other than my parents, there may be no single person who had more to do with me becoming the person I am today than Reg," Schwarzenegger said of the three-time Mr. Universe winner.
Park, originally from Yorkshire, England, was a key influence early on in Schwarzenegger's bodybuilding career, when he trained with the future governor in South Africa.
"It was Reg who impressed upon me how hard I would have to work if I wanted to achieve my dreams," Schwarzenegger said. "I'll always remember him making me do calf raises with 1,000 pounds at 5 o'clock in the morning."
Schwarzenegger went on to compete against Park in a bodybuilding contest in 1970, and beat his mentor in a closely fought contest, according to the Reg Park Legacy Foundation's Web site.
Park's striking figure - he was six foot and in his younger days weighed up to 250 pounds - caught the eye of film producers and he starred in five Italian "sword-and-scandal" movies in the '60s, according to the Web site.
Park is survived by his son Jon Jon, daughter Jeunesse and wife Marion.
"Reg was a dear friend, an extraordinary mentor and a personal hero," Schwarzenegger said.
