Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.
25 years on from his famous childhood, the man once known as 'Little Hercules' has made a heartbreaking admission.
Richard Sandrak was once regarded as the 'world's strongest boy', earning the title when he was just eight years old thanks to some muscles that put most fully grown adults to shame.
The Ukrainian-American child had been exercising from the age of five and was able to lift dumbbells in the gym that were three times his body weight, so it might be a surprise to see that he no longer works out as a 33-year-old adult.
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Sandrak looked pretty likely to live up to the Greek hero's name, without the challenges of slaying the Nemean lion, stealing golden apples or obtaining the belt of an Amazon queen, which given the cost of Jeff Bezos' recent wedding, probably would have set him back a fair bit.
Sadly, Sandrak's alarming physique wasn't something to be admired, as it allegedly stemmed from some physical and emotional abuse from his father.
His parents Lena and Pavel homeschooled him, which meant that he didn't have any real friends, while his father allegedly forced him to maintain the diet and exercise plan of an adult bodybuilder.
"You grit your teeth and keep doing what you’re told"
Speaking to Metro, Sandrak said: "When people talk about a childhood memory, it’s usually associated with something positive. I can’t really relate. For me, it was a daily occurrence to where I was physically and emotionally abused by my dad."
While most families sit down to watch a film together, Richard said he had to do squats for the entire duration.
He added: "That was something I got used to because that was my entire childhood. That’s how I was raised. I had nothing to compare it to. I didn’t have a friend to tell me, that’s not what we do.
"I got physically beaten into it. My dad was very abusive. I learned early on not to ask to stop. You grit your teeth and keep doing what you’re told."
Sandrak continued: "My father would often go into rage fits and what would start as a normal workout ended up with me doing a triple split kick [performing three consecutive kicks in a single motion] for 12 hours.
"I’ll never forget it, because it was just extremely exhausting and emotionally heavy. And there were more times than I can count where a simple training session turned into what felt like a really intense hostage situation."
The former gym buff reported his father to the police in 2003 after he launched a particularly violent assault on his mum, resulting in Pavel being jailed and deported from the US to Ukraine.
What is ‘Little Hercules’ doing now?
Now 33, Sandrak has stopped working out and started working on himself, confirming that he decided to go sober as he sought a way to escape controlling influences in his life.
Bodybuilders can sometimes face serious health issues as a result of the intense training and it seems as if Sandrak has ditched the weights for good, instead staying fit through cardio and skateboarding.
Most recent reports suggest that he is working as a stuntman at the Universal Studios Hollywood Waterworld show, enjoying life away from the cameras and enforced training plans which plagued his early life.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.
Topics: Mental Health, Ukraine
James Moorhouse