'World's strongest boy' at 8 gives up bodybuilding and wants to work for NASA

20 July 2023 , 16:24

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Richard Sandrak became a global sensation in 2000 for his muscles, despite being only eight (Image: Stewart Cook/REX/Shutterstock)

At just eight years old, his image made headlines for a physique normally only seen in gym-dedicated adults. But now in his thirties, the 'world's strongest boy' has ditched the bodybuilding and is chasing very different ambitions.

Richard Sandrak shot to fame in the early 2000s and was nicknamed 'Little Hercules' for his mega muscles despite having not reached puberty. Following an extremely strict training regime and diet, the youngster was able to lift three times his body weight whilst also mastering karate.

His efforts were not without controversy either, as claims of Richard having a body fat percentage of just one were criticised as being dangerously low for a child.

Richard was hailed the 'world's strongest boy' as a youngster (Channel 5)

His physique earned him the nickname 'Little Hercules' (Stewart Cook/REX/Shutterstock)

His childhood would go on to be hit by horror at age 11, when his father Pavel would later go to jail for domestic abuse against Richard's mother, the Daily Star reports.

Yet his dedication to pumping iron has definitely fallen by the wayside as he's grown into an adult, and as a man now in his early thirties, he reveals he'd rather be skateboarding than deadlifting.

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In a recent interview, Richard lifted the lid on his life now as an adult, where it emerged he was working for Universal Hollywood Studios. He also claimed he now has dreams to work in the science sector in the future.

"I don't lift weights anymore," he told Inside Edition in 2015. "People tried to make seem to be some of freak of nature – there are many kids that have a similar physique."

Speaking of his history as a baby gym buff, Sandrak said he was "very proud" of what he achieved in his younger years. But he added he had outgrown bodybuilding, choosing instead to skateboard to maintain his health and fitness.

In his most recent public appearance, he revealed his ambitions of working in the science field (Inside Edition/Youtube)

"If anything it just got boring. I’m very proud of my past," he added. "It's not something I don’t want people to know anymore, it’s just that I’m not going to be stuck living in it."

When asked about his lifelong goals, Sandrak said he didn't see a future for himself in bodybuilding as he dreamt of becoming an engineer instead, using his brain rather than his muscles.

Asked what he now had his sights set on he said: "Quantum scientist, more specifically, [as] an engineer for NASA."

When asked if he believed his goal could become an actual reality one day, he replied: "Absolutely, there's no reason it couldn't be."

Susie Beever