No other bodybuilder has ever received Arnold Schwarzenegger’s prized honor. He is the inspiration for the Arnold Classic, a well-known bodybuilding tournament.
Jim Lorimer, who co-founded the event and was a personal friend of Arnold Schwarzenegger, died recently.
As a special tribute, the famous bodybuilder posted a touching message on social media about his late buddy, to which his fellow athletes responded in the comments.
Celebrities and well-known bodybuilders react to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s thoughtful post.
Lorimer died on November 24, 2022, at the age of 96. In addition to co-founding and organizing the Arnold Classic competition, Jim Lorimer worked as an FBI agent, mayor, and national track coach.
Lorimer and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s mission was to popularize bodybuilding. To that end, the two founded the Arnold Classic event in 1989, which evolved to become the world’s second most prestigious bodybuilding competition.
“I am devastated that I will no longer be able to sit with him and hear his wisdom, or debate bodybuilding with him, or simply laugh and laugh,” Schwarzenegger wrote on Instagram.
Both Lorimer and Schwarzenegger are considered bodybuilding pioneers. Schwarzenegger was a key adviser to President George H. W. Bush at the time.
As chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, the bodybuilder recalled how his dear friend Lorimer had assisted him in making sound decisions.
In the article’s comments section, several more bodybuilders and celebrities expressed their condolences.
Several well-known bodybuilders, including Jay Cutler, have written:
“It’s unfortunate. RIP. I’m glad I met him at the competition. Jim, rest in peace.”
“That tribute is felt all the way down to the bones, the heart, and the soul. Such a powerful and also really true statement. Our hearts go out to his family and friends. Jim, may you rest in peace…”
Others have commented:
“Life is an incredible journey!” It goes by quickly! Now is the time to appreciate and amaze our loved ones.”
“I’m really sad for your loss…”
In his post, Schwarzenegger also expressed his sympathies and best wishes to the Lorimer family.
The friendship of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Lorimer
Lorimer and Schwarzenegger met when Lorimer invited a young Schwarzenegger to a party in Columbus, Ohio in 1970.
Soon after, the two became close friends and formed an unofficial alliance to promote bodybuilding in the United States. The Arnold Classic, founded by Schwarzenegger and Lorimer in 1989, has since grown to become one of the most well-known sporting events.
Lorimer is credited by Schwarzenegger and many other athletes with the rise of bodybuilding and other sports in Columbus and abroad. His athletic energy and enthusiasm catapulted him to great heights in life.
