Austin Wyant • Columnist
No. 36 on the bucket list is still considered to be the greatest day of my life.
March 6 of 2010 will always hold a special place for me. Ironically, with completed bucket list items ranging from Canada to San Diego, no one would ever come to think the best day of my life would come from Columbus, Ohio.
First, let me explain what exactly the Arnold Classic is. The Arnold Classic is a bodybuilding competition started by Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1989 and held every year in early March in the great city of Columbus.
The Arnold Classic competition rivals that of Mr. Olympia and is also a part of the Arnold Sports Festival that has events like amateur martial arts and other competitions ranging from table tennis to gymnastics.
Because of all the athletic events, large showrooms are filled with representatives from a large amount of athletic brands, martial arts brands and dietary supplement companies to showcase their brand. Also, as of several years ago, the UFC holds an event at the end of each Classic to draw in the crowd.
That is where my friends Erik Noel, Matt Hurles and I found ourselves as we closed the double doors and walked into a whole other world. As we walked through the convention center, it seemed as if we were but bees in a much bigger hive.
To the left was the professional table tennis circuit with ESPN3 recording. In a second room, we stumbled across a women's bodybuilding competition. Feeling slightly less masculine as we passed the gargantuan body builders, we made our way to the main floor. Company booths stretched as far as the eye could see, each handing out samples or selling its goods. So we moved into the stream of people heading toward the booths.
Now if you haven't been to an Arnold Classic, you must first realize that the companies that are present will place their best foot forward. I quickly realized that after passing a booth and recognized a face I had seen on TV several times.
Before me was the face of the former UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture. After a quick picture and a shake of his hand, we were on to the next booth. I was like a little fish in a big pond. I met Forrest Griffin, Don Frye and at the very end of our stroll, I met the man of the hour, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
