What Is A Hero?

When one thinks of heroes, names such as Ghandi, Martin Luther King, and Mother Theresa often come to mind. These individuals have all helped society tremendously through their determination and unselfish deeds. However, we may not notice some of society’s other heroes. One such heroic person that comes to my mind is Arnold Schwarzenegger. Many people perceive Arnold as only a blockbuster movie star and not as the hero he truly is. People see the glittery and glamorous fascade of the actor but not the truly heroic acts of the humanitarian. Through his charity work, Arnold has truly touched the lives of those who are less fortunate.

There is a growing concern in the United Sta tes, where health problems are increasing at an alarming rate. The diets of many men, women and children are unhealthy, and lead to high blood pressure strokes, diabetes, osteoporosis, hypertension, and mental health problems. The poor state of America’s health is a serious concern for Arnold, and he is constantly striving for ways to improve it. Arnold is an advocate of health and fitness as displayed by his own lifestyle. He uses his celebrity status to showcase himself as a living example of health, which encourages a healthy lifestyle in the general population. The fact that “a quarter of a million deaths each year can be attributed to physical inactivity” (Modern Maturity) is utterly shocking. I firmly believe that Arnold’s relentless motivation to educate and teach people the benefits of a healthy lifestyle can reduce these horrific numbers dramatically. Arnold was the chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and is the author of many books that promote health and fitness. Arnold began a fifty-state tour to encourage health and fitness by going to schools, meeting with governors, legislators and various community leaders. This tour took a tremendous amount of his own time and money. Nevertheless, he undertook this task to improve the health of people he did not even know. Arnold’s three goals for his tour were to “improve fitness of American children by returning a regimen of daily physical activity to the school, to increase parental involvement in their children’s fitness, and to promote community based fitness programs.” (Schwarzenegger) His extraordinary effort shows his genuine concern for the greate...

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... a program of sports training and athletic competition for over one million kids and adults with physical and mental disadvantages. Arnold played a key role in developing the weightlifting program for the Special Olympics; he has worked with countless special Olympians and inspired them to participate to the best of their abilities. He said, “when you train with Special Olympics athletes, you go in thinking that you are there to inspire them. But the fact is, you feel inspired by what they can do with all those obstacles.” (Schwarzenegger )

If a hero is defined by his or her selfless contributions to society, and through their positive influences on other people, then Arnold Schwarzenneger is truly an unsung hero. Through Arnold, the general population of America is more informed on health issues, inner city kids have been given a chance to succeed, and the mentally or physically handicapped are truly made to feel good about themselves. A real hero doesn’t care if they are noticed for their work, as the knowledge that they have helped somebody is reward enough. Arnold has unselfishly given his money, but more importantly, his time and dedication to improve the lives of others.