A BODYBUILDER who has met his idol Arnold Schwarzenegger several times has achieved his long-term goal of landing the British title.

Austin Williams from Coleford was inspired by ‘Arnie’ in his blockbuster Conan the Barbarian film to start bodybuilding at 13.

And he has dedicated the triumph to his ‘Nanna’ Doreen Williams after promising before she died in 2014 that he would win it.

The 37-year-old blew the opposition away at the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham on Sunday, October 14, to land the United Kingdom Bodybuilding Fitness Federation (UKBFF) British Classic title.

Austin’s quest to win the British title began back in 2012 and he has competed in more than 50 bodybuilding shows, including 15 internationals in Europe and America.

Along the way he has met bodybuilding and Hollywood legend Schwarzenegger at the likes of the superstar’s own Classic events in America and Europe.

He warmed up for the UK title tilt at the Arnold Classic in Barcelona, where he landed a best ever third place.

And this year’s British Finals were the realisation of a long-held dream, after placing third three times and second twice in the last five years.

Two weeks after competing in Spain and knowing he was at his best, Austin took first place to win the gold trophy and title of British Champion in the Classic Bodybuilding category for his height and weight.  

He then went on to win the Best Overall Classic Bodybuilding title which gave him a large trophy and a much coveted International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness IFBB Elite PRO card.

He said: “I’m so happy that I have finally achieved my goal. The support I received from, not only the UK, but from all over the world, from friends and people I have met, was unreal.

“I made my Nanna a promise before she died that I would win – she hung in there until I did the 2014 British finals waiting to hear from me. But she is still my drive and determination to succeed.”

As a teenager, Austin was inspired to go to the gym by seeing ‘Arnie’ on the cover of a bodybuilding magazine and watching Conan.

Austin said: “I’ve done eight Arnold Classics, and he has got to know me on a first name basis and each year comes over to shake my hand and have a photo while congratulating me on my conditioning.

“It is still very surreal when I think back to seeing him on the cover of FLEX, my dad renting Conan the Barbarian from the video shop and reading all of his books and watching all of his movies.

“He became an idol and a role model to me and I dreamt of the day I could meet him, which happened at the 2014 Arnold Classic in America and it was all thanks to the UKBFF.”

Austin, who trains every day of the year, has received hundreds of congratulations on his British title, including messages from those who knew him at his former schools – Coleford St John’s School, Lakers School and the Royal Forest of Dean College – as well as friends, colleagues and students from Tae Kwon Do where he was a 2nd Dan Black Belt instructor in Cinderford for many years.