Keep Moving Forward: Interview with Bodybuilding Champion Tony Pearson

I recently went one-on-one with bodybuilding champion Tony Pearson. Tony is a former Mr. Universe and won multiple AAU, WBBG, WABBA, IFBB, and NABBA titles over the course of four decades. Tony is the subject of the new documentary feature Driven: The Tony Pearson Story

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you and your journey. What is the most surprising thing about life as a bodybuilder?

Tony: Going on stage for the first time was truly a surprise. I was so shy and naïve, and it was terrifying. I’d seen other bodybuilders pose, but I had no idea what that experience really was. That was also a big surprise because I didn’t realize how much work went into it! The other guys made it look so effortless. Plus, I didn’t really quite know how to pose yet, so it was a shocking, scary moment to go on stage that first time --- but I somehow liked it. Once I learned how to really pose, up on that stage, under the lights, with the audience applauding, that was the only place I really felt comfortable. Otherwise, I was still very shy and introverted off-stage.

Adam: How did you get here?

Tony: When I was young, I played basketball and could shoot well, but wasn’t really tall enough for the game. But, I was very strong and I decided to try out for the high school wrestling team and won a couple of matches, but sustained a knee injury that resulted in surgery and hospitalization. As a result, it was through rehabbing my knee that I discovered the weights in the gym. At that time, there was no such thing as physical therapy, and the doctor told me to go find a weight room. After a while, I thought, “Why not pump up the biceps as well?” [You know how kids are!] I started to notice that I was growing a bit and got even more excited. My wrestling coach came to the gym, saw me working out, and asked if I was interested in going to a real gym. That was the night I walked into George Turner’s gym, and that was the beginning of the journey to bodybuilding as a career when he offered to train me.

Adam: What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Tony: People would tell me I was never going to amount to anything. Everyone in the bodybuilding industry, from other athletes to writers, to the top magazine publishers and more, seemed to dismiss and not see me as the champion I knew I could be. So, I decided I was just going to keep my mouth shut and do the work. I had the attitude of “I’ll show you!” The biggest challenge was to survive. I had no money, no home, no life, and no support. It really was me against the world. But, from an early age, I instinctively knew that I would have to work hard at everything I did in order to be the best I could be. When I came to California, I went to Gold’s Gym in Santa Monica in that setting, watching the pros, I learned how to train, be disciplined, and sacrifice.

Adam: What do you hope viewers take away from your new documentary?

Tony: My hope is that this film encourages viewers to understand that if you are strong in body, mind, heart and spirit, you can overcome anything. I think they will see that you have to be ‘Driven’ to believe in yourself and not wait for someone to save you. If you are focused and committed absolutely nothing is going to stop you. At any age. To this day, in my 60s, I practice what I preach, and people will see that. I am still in the gym every day, whether working out or training others, and it is a way of life that has saved and sustained me.

Adam: When you were training, how did you motivate yourself on the days you didn’t feel motivated? What are your best tips on the topic of motivation?

Tony: The first time I went to a real gym, I watched other athletes, and it motivated me. After that, I read bodybuilding magazines and saw the true champions and that inspired me even more. Going to California, I was training side-by-side with real champions and that instilled a competitive spirit in me, and if you’re competitive, you know you can’t have bad days, You just have to get up and make it to the gym. Being surrounded by what inspires and pushes you is critically important to staying motivated. Also, if you have any negative energy in your life, you have to learn how to use it to motivate yourself and push through it. It has to come from within and you have to work on having the right mentality. I enjoyed going to the gym, so it was never work, I wanted to be there. Plus, seeing the positive results and gains of the work is motivating. Keep that in mind.

Adam: Who are the greatest leaders you have been around? What did you learn from them?

Tony: Arnold Schwarzenegger approached me at Muscle Beach when I was 19, after I’d recently arrived in California. He said, “I’ve been watching you. You train really hard and have a lot of potential. I think you’re going to be a great champion one day.” He then led me through a workout, consisting of chest and triceps. I realized later, it was because I had weak chest and tricep development, so he pushed me in the right direction. After that day, I was never the same. I was completely ‘Driven’. That was all I needed.

Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Tony: When I was seven years old, I saw a Time magazine with boxer Muhammed Ali on the cover, wearing the world championship belt around his waist. He was the strongest man I had ever seen, and it is an image has never left my mind. On that day, he became my hero. Later, as a young teenager, I actually had the opportunity to see him in person. He was 6’ 3” in a tailored blue suit with big, broad shoulders. It was the single most influential moment of my young life and it inspired me to become an athlete. It truly felt like God put him directly in front of me that day, because it changed my life, inspired me, and gave me direction. Muhammed Ali was strong, charismatic, and spoke with confidence and conviction about what he believed, and those are the qualities of an effective leader. When he would speak, you had to stop and listen because he captured your attention. He was an athlete but spoke about civil rights, social justice, and equality, and was someone who was positive and motivating every time he spoke.

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?

Tony: Set a plan, make a goal, and keep moving forward.

Adam: How can anyone develop a winning mindset?

Tony: Believe in yourself, that you can win. Surround yourself with champions and people who are successful.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Tony: When Arnold told me I had a lot of potential, I believed it and then set out to prove it.

Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?

Tony: Never give up. Life is tough and most people, if they fail a couple of times, give up. But you have to find a way to make it work. Don’t make excuses or blame somebody else. Only the strong survive.


Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally-recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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