Sergio Oliva, “The Myth”

Bodybuilding is a rather controversial sport You either like it or you don't.
There is no middle ground! Some people see bodybuilders as nothing more than steroid-fueled individuals flaunting their muscles ready to burst, while others admire the perfect definition of visible muscles, the epitome of the sublime.

So, for bodybuilding enthusiasts: while watching bodybuilders perform is captivating, discovering their backgrounds is even more fascinating, even bewildering. Indeed, Behind an imposing physique or extremely defined muscles, often arduous journeys are revealed, accompanied by unwavering courage and strong determination..

Sergio Oliva, the famous Cuban bodybuilder, wasn't called "the myth" for nothing. Beneath his robust physique, Sergio Oliva's path was far from smooth and required courage, strength, and even audacity., It took a lot for him to enter the legend of the epic of Bodybuilding.

A teenage life under the sky of the Cuban revolution:

Sergio Oliva was born in Havana, Cuba, on July 4, 1941. From a very young age, Sergio Oliva accompanied his father to the sugarcane fields. At 16, his father wanted him to join Batista's army. Despite the young Sergio lacking a birth certificate, the recruiter deemed him old enough to join the armed struggle against communism.

Sergio Oliva will therefore fight against the regime of Fidel Castro. However, he and his compatriots would lose the war against Castro. Witnessing the changes in his country, Sergio began to wander the beach. Whether by fate or pure chance, he crossed paths with a weightlifter who invited him to his gym. There, he discovered a world of mutual support and brotherhood during training. These training sessions also represent pushing oneself to the limit, constantly seeking to exceed one's own boundaries. Sergio Oliva will find himself in harmony with the moral values of the discipline and also see it as a possible escape from his country.

From that moment on, Sergio Oliva threw himself into training. Very quickly, he would even get noticed and distinguish himself by the weight he lifted with agility.

From Cuban competitions to the Jamaican escape route:

In one year of training, young Sergio Oliva has managed to develop considerable strength, endurance and musculature. He then attempted the Cuban National Weightlifting Championship in 1962. There, the result was more than encouraging since’'He came second in the competition, behind Alberto Rey Games Hernandez.

A second sign of fate: in the same year, 1962, the championship's grand winner, Alberto Rey Games Hernandez, was injured and therefore unable to compete in Jamaica at the Central American and Caribbean Games. Sergio Oliva was then chosen to replace him. He quickly realizes that this opportunity may represent his passport to freedom.

Upon arriving in Kingston, Jamaica, Oliva took advantage of a moment of inattention from the guards to escape their vigilance. His fate was then decided: Sergio Oliva began to run at phenomenal speed towards the American Consulate. Having succeeded in Paris, he pushes open the doors of the consulate, completely out of breath, and requests political asylum.. His audacity and determination will set an example for 65 other Cuban nationals, who follow in his footsteps.   

His American breakthrough:

For Sergio Oliva and the Cuban weightlifting team, obtaining political asylum in America represents the realization of their freedom.

Sergio Oliva thus arrives, for the first time on American soil, in Florida, in Miami. More than motivated, he initially accepts small jobs to survive: television repairman, truck unloader.

Once he had settled in, Sergio Oliva decided to move to Chicago, Illinois in 1963. In this new environment, Sergio worked both at a local steel mill and at the Duncan YMCA. Along the way, Sergio would meet a local bodybuilding figure: Bob Gajda (ancient Mr. AmericaBob Gajda immediately saw Sergio's full physical potential. He therefore took him under his wing and introduced him to weight training.

Working 12 hours a day, Sergio still finds the energy to do weight training for 2 to 3 hours every evening. Starting weight training this way, Sergio Oliva quickly increased his muscle mass. Just a few months later, he even obtained his first title: Mr. Chicagoland. Efforts always pay off in the end!

Encouraged by this first trophy and the remarks about his exemplary physique, Sergio Oliva therefore embarked on competitions, year after year.

Throughout this competitive career, spanning from 1963 to 1985, a career filled with vitality and passion, Sergio won a total of 20 titles, establishing himself as the overall winner. Thanks to his audacity and rigorous training, Sergio becomes the first Black bodybuilder to win the titles of Mr. America, Mr. World, Mr. International, Mr. Universe, and Mr. Olympia.. He would go on to win the Mr. Olympia title three times (in 1967, 1968, and 1969). Nicknamed «"The Myth"», he will be the only one to manage to beat Arnold Schwarzenegger at the competition Mr. Olympia. It was even said that Sergio Oliva had the ability to paralyze his opponents. He inspired as much veneration as fear in some of them. On stage, he was incredibly imposing. Surely the most imposing of his generation, while still maintaining a relatively slim figure.

He tragically ended his competitive career in 1985, succumbing to anger., his wife He will shoot him 5 times in the abdomen. He will survive, but will remain affected.

Through his story, the trials he has faced, and his audacity to believe in his ability to succeed, Sergio Oliva has risen to the level of bodybuilding legend.. His journey reminds us of the importance of never giving up (both in daily life and in training sessions).The road is often long, but the road builds character, just as bodybuilding shapes the body.

Sergio Oliva passed away on November 12, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois, from kidney failure. But "The Myth" continues to accompany us, as a symbol of perseverance.