In late March of 2017, Arnold Schwarzenegger was visiting his native country of Austria for the Special Olympics World Games.
For those unaware, the Special Olympics, founded in August 1968, is the world’s largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual and physical disabilities.
Schwarzenegger has been proudly associated with the Special Olympics for decades, with all four of his children being longtime volunteers in the games, and even his own late former mother-in-law, Eunice Kennedy Shriver (1921-2009), being the organization’s founder.
It’s fair to say that the Special Olympics means allot to him, which explains why he didn’t take too kindly to an anonymous troll who clearly had nothing better to do then to disparage the organization and its athletes.
In the comment section of a video Schwarzenegger uploaded to his Facebook page, where he expressed his admiration for the special needs athletes, an anonymous troll stated, “The Special Olympics make no sense. The Olympics are for the best athletes in the entire world to compete against each other to determine who is the best. Having retards competing is doing the opposite!”
Clearly the comment wasn’t well received, garnering only a mere 5 likes in over 18 hours. (How anyone could possibly like such a gross comment is beyond me).
However, instead of deleting the hateful comment outright (which he would eventually do), Schwarzenegger decided to use it as a “teachable moment,” as he put it.
He responded to the troll;
“You have two possible paths ahead. Right now, I guarantee you that these athletes have more courage, compassion, brains, skill – actually more of every positive human quality than you. So take their path – you could learn from them, and try to challenge yourself, to give back, to add something from the world. Or you can stay on your path, and keep being a sad, pitiful, jealous internet troll who adds nothing to the world but mocks anyone who does out of small-minded jealousy.”
He finished by imploring the troll to be better and take the better path in life, stating, “I know what you really want is attention, so let me be clear: if you choose to keep going this way, no one will ever remember you.”
He would later delete the hateful comment.
Others in the comment section would commend Schwarzenegger for standing up for special needs athletes.
As one parent of a special needs child commented, “I have a son with autism, and know many Special Olympics participants, and you are absolutely right…these athletes have more heart and courage than the stupid Twitter troll could ever dream of having. Thank you for standing up for them!”[1]
Personally, it warms my heart seeing Schwarzenegger stand up to a hateful comment.
Growing up in the 90s, I always saw him as a larger-than-life Blockbuster hero, and it’s good to know that, in a way, despite all his flaws, he still is.
[1] Bridie Pearson-Jones and Roisin O’Connor, “Arnold Schwarzenegger terminates troll who questions need for Special Olympics,” The Independent, 25 March 2017. Available at: <https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/arnold-schwarzenegger-youtube-comment-special-olympics-troll-response-a7649466.html>
