‘Don’t limit yourself’: Schwarzenegger tells Belfast students to dream big

By Claudia Savage, Press Association

Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger has told students in Belfast “don’t limit yourself” to where you come from, and urged them to “pick the biggest goals”.

Two film students who met the former governor of California said it was “inspiring” to meet the star and took on his message of “dreaming bigger”.

The Austrian-born star received an honorary doctorate from Ulster University in recognition of his contributions to public service, environmental advocacy and the arts, which he described as an “honour” as he hailed the “great university”.

On his entrance, students held signs reading “Hasta La Vista Ulster” and some carried posters or copies of Schwarzenegger’s films such as Terminator.

He then supervised some powerlifters, counting out reps as they lifted barbells that had been put out at the end of the red carpet.

Students lined the atrium on the main campus, egging on the Hollywood star with a Belfast “yeo” as he turned and held his doctorate up towards them.

Schwarzenegger advised the young people “don’t waste a minute, just study and study and study”.

“We have to understand that the harder it is, the more valuable it becomes,” he said.

Using an analogy from his past as a bodybuilder, the former Mr Universe compared personal growth to muscle growth, saying “when it gets really hard and I can’t do another rep” that is “what makes it grow, and that’s the way it is in life”.

“It’s when it’s hard, it’s when you struggle, it’s when you fall, it is when you get up again and you continue on,” Schwarzenegger said.

“This is why I love to play the character of Terminator, even though it was a machine, but it never stopped, he was relentless, and this is what I want every human being to be, relentless, and not to say, ‘Oh, this is so hard, oh my God, I have to get up early in the morning, this is so difficult for me’.

“I mean, this is absurd. Do you want to accomplish something or not? Do you want to be one of millions, or do you want to be unique?

“I mean, the only way you’re going to accomplish something is if you go and you get up early, the early birds get the worm.

“Get up early, work out, study, do something, develop your brain, develop your body, be a machine, and just move forward and go after this goal.”

The actor said it is “remarkable how much talent” comes from Belfast, and told the students about his journey from Austria to becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

He said: “It is amazing because the people here don’t look at themselves as like, ‘Oh, we come from a little place, and therefore we can only do little things’.

“That’s a big mistake, because that is the mentality that I’ve seen at work in Austria.”

Schwarzenegger added: “I wanted to break out, I wanted to get into bodybuilding, even though everyone thought that bodybuilding is an American sport, not an Austrian sport, and I would never win and all of those things, but I saw myself as a champion, and I made it.

“So that’s why I say the key thing is to pick a goal.

“It doesn’t matter where you come from, it’s where you’re going, that is the important thing, don’t limit yourself from where you come from, just think about where you’re going and you can pick the biggest goals, if you work hard enough, you will achieve it.

“See it, believe it, achieve it.

“There was never a doubt in my mind for a second, in any of my goals, there was never a doubt.

“You know how great that feels to have the faith in your goal and knowing? Because the vision is a preview of what’s to come. That’s why you need the vision.”

After his question and answer session, Schwarzenegger met some students from Ulster Screen Academy, including Grace Hamilton and Tabassum Islan.

Ms Hamilton said she had a “nice wee handshake” with Schwarzenegger, “and then a lovely group photo, he had his arm on my shoulder, ‘I was like, oh, OK, hi’.”

She added: “It was nice meeting him and just hearing him, even before in the ceremony and things he had to say, especially to students, about drive and motivation and just pursuing your goals, but also dreaming bigger.”

Ms Islam said Schwarzenegger’s words “very strongly resonated” with her coming from Bangladesh.

She said: “We definitely grew up watching a lot of his films, and then coming here, which is quite far away from home, and seeing him up close getting credited and getting awarded for all his life’s work, that is so inspiring to see and also meeting him in person and to shake his hand, that was so very inspiring.”