From the Golden Eagle.... I vividly remember my first bodybuilding contest when I was a senior in high school. It was the 1973 Mr. Adonis competition, which was held at the Detroit YMCA basketball court. We had a makeshift stage underneath the basketball hoop. In fact the posing light was wired on to the hoop. I trained really hard for this show with full support of my gym teacher, Mr. Sargent, and my classmates. The only equipment available to me were the five old Universal machines - we made up routines as we went. There was no squat rack or free weights available. There was a wrestling mat in the middle of the gym.

After the workouts, I would stand at the mirrors in the locker room, and my friend Rob would tell me "God, you look great! Just like the guys in the magazines!" And I would reply, "doesn't my one trap look bigger than the other; it looks odd??" He would say, "Of course it does look a little strange, but look at me." Rob was a bit thinner.

Gradually, Rob recruited the whole gym class, and they would all cheer me on, even while we were running track - it felt great with that kind of support. My biggest concern was not my diet or training, but I was really scared that no one would applaud while I was on stage during my posing routine. But to my surprise and sheer delight, Rob brought about a 100 guys from my class to the event, and when I walked out on stage a roar came from the crowd from all over the court, screaming my name. To heighten the day even more, I won the title of Mr. Adonis 1973. To date, that show has been just as important and meaningful as any Mr. Olympia contest I competed in! Those were the days!