Child bodybuilder ‘Little Hercules’ went viral in the 90s - but what happened next?

[Sugar Cookie]

For a while, Richard Sandrak was the strongest boy in the world. Looking like a mini-Schwarzenegger he was touted as being ‘pound-for-pound the most powerful human being on Earth’.

At the age of five he was working out all day every day, and by the time he turned eight, he had rock hard abs, chiselled pecs and was able to bench press three times his own body weight.

He competed in bodybuilding contests all over the world and soon became a global phenomenon, appearing on TV and in magazine spreads, and hanging out with the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger and the original Hulk, Lou Ferrigno.

But of course, behind the tiny bodybuilder and martial arts expert known as ‘Little Hercules’, there was a malevolent force who pushed and coerced him into an unnatural physique with dangerously low levels of body fat. Richard was roundly misused and abused, deprived of a normal childhood and forced to train against his will, he tells Metro.

He gained international fame for his unbelievable achievements, but as he grew older, dark details of a life of violence and abuse emerged, and he retreated from the limelight.

Richard, now 32, lives a quiet existence with his attorney girlfriend and two cats Miko and Mushu in Los Angeles. His bodybuilding days have passed and he has embarked on a number of careers since, as a stuntman, chef and now as a retail manager.

Little Hercules’ story has been clouded by mythology and untruths, and when Metro contacted him last year to set the record straight, he was in the throes of alcoholism, drinking a minimum of a bottle of tequila a day. Now, over a year sober and free from the controlling influences of his past, he is ready to tell his story.

‘When people talk about a childhood memory, it’s usually associated with something positive. I can’t really relate. For me, it was a daily occurrence to where I was physically and emotionally abused by my dad,’ he explains over video call from his San Fernando Valley home.

Having shaken off his demons and found contentment at last, Richard spends much of his spare time on the golf course, basketball court or hiking in the Simi Hills and the San Gabriel Mountains. He remains very close to his mum and is enjoying the clarity and health brought on by sobriety.

We were both victims’, he explains. ‘Anyone who was in my father’s presence was a victim of his manipulative and violent nature. He was a very hard person to work with, let alone try to reason with. We didn’t have the tools or people to explain to us this was illegal.

‘Deep down, we knew it was wrong but didn’t understand to what extent. I will never have anger towards my mother. We have been through hell and back together and will always be able to lean on each other no matter what. She has come out of these situations like a rising phoenix; strong, wise and a loving teacher.

Read complete article here

MSN

 

[Craygor]

Anyone who was in my father’s presence was a victim of his manipulative and violent nature.

I remember when this was happening and I could tell during the interviews his father was a big piece of shit. He was "juicing" his boy and was hiding it from both Richard and the enquiring sport-health officials at events.