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Thread: RIP Franco Columbo
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08-30-2019, 01:53 PM #1
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RIP Franco Columbo
So sad, one of my favs from Pumping Iron
ranco Columbu is the former Mr. Olympia who died on August 30 at the age of 78. Columbu, a native of the island of Sardinia in Italy, won Mr. Olympia the year after Arnold Schwarzenegger retired from bodybuilding. Columbu was long considered one of Schwarzenegger’s closest friends and confidants. Columbu passed away just over three weeks after his 78th birthday. The bodybuilding legend is survived by his wife, Deborah and their daughter, Maria.
Columbu’s sad passing was first reported by multiple reports from his homeland. Columbu had lived for years in Los Angeles. The preface of his book, “Franco Columbu’s Complete Book of Bodybuilding,” reads, “Nobody embodies the American dream better than Franco Columbu.” During his career, Columbu won Mr. Olympia, Mr. Universe, Mr. World, Mr. International, Mr. Europe and Mr. Italy.
In the 1980s, Columbu made appearances in the Schwarzenegger movies, “The Terminator,” “Conan the Barbarian” and “The Running Man.”
La Nuova reports that Columbu drowned while swimming at the beach in the town of San Teodoro in Sardinia at around 2 p.m. local time. Other reports says that Columbu suffered a heart attack while swimming. Emergency services airlifted Columbu to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Columbu Was Referred to as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ‘Squir
Franco Columbu Dead: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com
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08-30-2019, 02:10 PM #2
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08-30-2019, 05:45 PM #3
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08-31-2019, 11:06 AM #4
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Franco,
You’ve heard me say that I don’t like when people call me a self-made man.
You’ve even heard me say that you’re part of the reason I could never accept that label.
But I wanted you to know why.
From the minute we met in Munich, you were my partner in crime. We pushed each other, we competed with each other, and we laughed at every moment along the way.
When I finally got to America, I was alone. I’d left my family, my country, my whole life behind. So when I asked Joe Weider to bring you to train with me, it was because I knew I wasn’t the same without my best friend. I could thrive without money, without my parents, but I couldn’t thrive without you.
I am devastated today. But I am also so, so grateful for the 54 years of friendship and joy we shared. The pumps, the chess games, the construction work, the meals, the pranks, the life lessons — we did it all together. We grew and we learned and we loved. My life was more fun, more colorful, and more complete because of you.
I will always miss you. But I’ll also know that a part of you lives on in me, in Debbie, in Maria, and in the millions of people you inspired every day you lived. And I will be there for Maria and Debbie, so you can rest now with no worries.
I love you Franco. I will always remember the joy you brought to my life, the advices you gave me, and the twinkle in your eye that never disappeared. You were my best friend.
Love always,
Arnold
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08-31-2019, 12:31 PM #5
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rip to a legend
There is an idea of who I am: some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me; only an entity, something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel my flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable, I simply am not there.