Lou Ferrigno

Lou Ferrigno was the Hulk - just look at him

In my opinion a hero is someone who achieves many things despite how hard it is and how many people get in the way of their goals. A hero is someone who goes through the impossible and makes it possible. A hero is someone who can see past the hard things and keeps focus on what matters to them. Lou Ferrigno is my hero because he is strong, hard working, and brave. He has had to overcome so many obstacles. These challenges have made him the heroic person he is today.

As a little boy Lou Ferrigno suffered from an ear infection which wasn't treated properly and he has lost most of his hearing. His hearing loss made things difficult for him because of kids picking on him about it and about his size. With his size in mind, he turned to athletics to get away from the bullying and to channel his aggression and anger from being picked on in a positive way. Lou loved playing football and body building. Lou had gone on to play professional football in the Canadian league after he won his first Mr. Universe title at the age of 21 and won it again when he was 22. While he was playing in the Canadian football league the producer of the Hulk saw him and realized that his six foot five, two hundred eighty-five pound frame was perfect for the role.

Lou Ferrigno was an incredible bodybuilder

Lou's hearing problem didn't hold him back. It just gave him fuel to keep going, to never settle, to always want to achieve more, and to succeed past everyone's expectations. He achieved a lot at this point as a professional football player, Mr. Universe title two years in a row, and his acting career just starting. His role as the hulk wasn't a walk in the park for him. The producer often got short with Lou because of his hearing problem, but Lou didn't give up and wouldn't. He stayed in show business and appeared on TV shows. They were often about his freakishly huge physique, which Lou didn't mind because he had to work hard to get the size he was. He also got a role in the Hercules movie in 1983 and Sinbad of the Seven Seas in 1984.

Hercules was played by Lou Ferrigno

Lou's body building career was a great success. Like his acting career he has many titles with his name on it and he is considered one of the greatest body builders that we have had so far. He is up there with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronnie Coleman, Jay Cutler, and Sylvester Stallone. He won his first two Mr. Universe competitions he was even in, Mr. America and teenage Mr. America in 1970. He was invited to Egypt by the president to be a personal guest at a public event. The event was cancelled and a few days later the Egyptian president was assassinated. It was later discovered that the original plan for the assassination was at the public event. Lou could have been killed as well if it wasn't for the president of Egypt canceling the public event Lou was supposed to attend and sit right next to him. He was the youngest bodybuilder to hold the Mr. Universe title at age 20 let alone winning it two years in a row.

Lou Ferrigno was by without a doubt a successful man, despite people trying to hold him back because of his hearing loss. Lou had to face many obstacles in life to get what he wanted to achieve. He fought hard and long to become a great actor, bodybuilder, writer, and football player. He went through a lot to become what he was and still is to this day. He is disciplined and lifts every day like he always has. He will never give up and he never will shut down he will always keep pushing to better himself. Lou is my hero for his work ethic, the differences he had to face, and his strength.