• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • FFS PRODUCTIONS
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content

Home> Community> Weird

Published 09:10 21 Jul 2023 GMT+1

World’s strongest boy ‘Little Hercules’ now wants to work for NASA

The former child bodybuilder decided he wanted to do something else and work for NASA

Joe Harker

Joe Harker

The man who was once dubbed the 'World's Strongest Boy' and 'Little Hercules' ended up having a very different dream when he grew up.

Richard Sandrak is a Ukrainian-born American bodybuilder who shot to fame at the turn of the millennium when his parents showed off that he had incredibly developed muscles.

Able to lift up to three times his own body weight, Richard's fame soon turned into some notoriety as health experts pointed out that this wasn't a healthy physique for a child to have.

Advert

When he was 11 years old Richard was named the 'World's Strongest Boy' but as he grew up he found that it really wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

As a result of his training, it was reported that the young weight lifter possessed just one percent of body fat - which is dangerously low.

As a child he was able to life three times his own weight, though some had concerns how health it would be.
Inside Edition/ YouTube

According to Men's Journal, such low body fat can result in serious health issues, such as being prone to serious heart problems, getting sick a lot, and muscles become weaker to the point where you struggle to operate.

Austrian bodybuilder Andreas Munzer, who died over 25 years ago, remains the cautionary tale for any bodybuilders losing body fat.

Advert

He died at just 31 years old, with an autopsy revealing he had 0 percent body fat when he passed away.

After a documentary about young Richard was released, his parents received a lot of criticism, with many saying his gruesome training was cruel and unethical for his parents to put him through.

At the time, some medical professionals said that a child of Richard's age wouldn't be capable of producing enough testosterone to get that size.

They suggested he was using steroids - something which is highly advised against for children - though Richard's mother continuously denied those claims.

While he was a child star as a bodybuilder Richard grew up and gained a dream of working for NASA.
Inside Edition/ YouTube

Advert

Now a fully grown man, Richard admitted he was no longer interested in bodybuilding and instead it seems as though his dreams lie in the stars.

In an interview with Inside Edition in 2015, he said: "I don't lift weights anymore.

"People tried to make me seem to be some of freak of nature - there are many kids that have a similar physique.

"I’m very proud of my past. It’s not something I don’t want people to know, it’s just that I’m not going to be stuck living in it."

Richard's career has mixed up a bit since the 'World's Strongest Boy' days, as of 2015, he was working as a stuntman at Universal Studios Hollywood Waterworld show.

Advert

While he still stays in shape with cardio exercises the former bodybuilder also revealed that his dreams lay with joining NASA.

He said he'd wanted to be a quantum scientist and eventually become an engineer for NASA.

At least you know he'd have no trouble putting all the heavy components of a spaceship together.

Featured Image Credit: Inside Edition/YouTube

Topics: Health, Weird, US News

Joe Harker
Joe Harker

Joe graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Journalism and worked for Reach before joining the LADbible Group. When not writing he enjoys the nerdier things in life like painting wargaming miniatures and chatting with other nerds on the internet. He's also spent a few years coaching fencing. Contact him via [email protected]

X

@MrJoeHarker

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

17 hours ago
19 hours ago
21 hours ago
23 hours ago
  • Getty Stock Image
    17 hours ago

    Signs you may be an ‘otrovert’ as new personality type discovered

    Rob Hwang said 'everything clicked' for him when he read up on otroverts, as he realised it perfectly described him

    Community
  • Getty Stock Images
    19 hours ago

    Gen Z say you are officially old if you use any of these emojis

    Millennials are being picked on again by their younger counterparts

    Community
  • Getty Stock Images
    21 hours ago

    Couples therapist says people should ask partner 10 questions for better relationship

    Around 2.87 million people across the UK are living in 'distressed' relationships, a study has shown

    Community
  • Getty Images
    23 hours ago

    Adult with ADHD says condition impacts sex life in one huge way

    The Reddit user explained how ADHD can cause an issue with intimacy

    Community
  • What world's strongest boy Little Hercules looks like now as he speaks out after 25 years
  • World's strongest boy 'Little Hercules' lives a very different lifestyle 25 years on
  • World’s strongest man competitor ‘nearly dies’ from CrossFit challenge after muscles ‘blew up’
  • World's strongest boy 'Little Hercules' lives a very different lifestyle 24 years on