The world’s strongest boy ‘Little Hercules’ makes heartbreaking admission 25 years on – community

WARNING: This article contains discussion of abuse of children that some readers may think they are worrying.

When Richard Sandrak was known as ‘Little Hercules’ across the globe, a heartbreaking recording has made a heartbreaking recording 25 years later.

The boy earned the title of just eight years old when he was tilted as ‘the world’s strongest boy’. But after stopping lifting weights as an adult, there have long been theories of how Sandrak’s life that grew up was.

After working every day, since he was just five years old, he was able to push three times his own body weight, become a global phenomenon as the media covered the history of the young bodybuilder.

And during that time Sandrak says he was abused.

Sandrak in 2004. (Paul Harris/Getty Images)

The now 32-year-old childhood was far from normal, but it wasn’t quite something he was used to when he ‘had nothing to compare it with’.

After struggling with alcoholism, Sandrak is now sober over a year, free of the controlling influences he grew up with.

“When people talk about a childhood memory, it is usually associated with something positive. I can’t really relate. To me it was a daily event where I was physically and emotionally abused by my father, ”he told Metro.

The former Body Builder explained that his physique came as a result of ‘training eight hours a day, constant weight training and a diet with pure eating.’

Sandrak’s parents, Lena and Pavel, home -schooled him, and he grew up without any friends and experienced a very different upbringing than other children at the time.

“My dad would often go into rage passes and what would start as a normal workout ended up doing a triple split kick (performed three consecutive kicks in a single movement) for 12 hours,” he claimed.

“I will never forget it because it was just extremely exhausting and emotionally heavy. And there were several times than I can count where a simple training session turned into what felt like a really intense hiding situation. “

He has now talked about being abused by his father. (Michael Bezjian/WireImage)

At the age of eight or nine, he remembered having to do non-stop squats while watching a movie.

“It was something I got used to because it was my whole childhood. This is 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, ”he claimed.

“I was physically beaten in it. My dad was very violent. I learned early not to ask to stop. You cling your teeth and continue to do what you are told. “

Being in the limelight and meeting celebrities brought some positive things, including the fact that his father should treat him properly in public.

“It was a very confusing childhood. I don’t remember too many pleasant memories until after my dad was gone, ”he added.

Sandrak has since left Bodybuilding afterwards (YouTube/Inside Edition)

Sandrak called 911 on his father after a particularly violent attack on his mother in 2003.

He said he had always been too scared to make ‘the dramatic step’, but with the abuse got worse, he made jumped: “And I called them, asked them not to sound their sirens and they came, and they took him away. It’s been a breath of fresh air ever since. “

Pavel was imprisoned for abuse and deported to his homeland Ukraine.

The former ‘Little Hercules’ has not seen him since, without the interest in connecting again and no excuse from the father.

“I always want to keep anger to him. They say ‘forgive and forget’. I may be willing to forgive, but I will never forget, ”Sandrak said.

If you have been affected by any of these problems and want to talk to someone in confidence in a child’s welfare, contact NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10 to 20 Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.