Alcoholism, loss of shape, and a new career: how the life of a "little Hercules" with Ukrainian roots, who became a bodybuilder at the age of 5, developed

American bodybuilder Richard Sandrake, who has Ukrainian roots, became quite famous in the early 2000s thanks to his impressive form. At the age of five, he began actively training and building muscle, earning him the nickname "Little Hercules," and at 11, he was named the strongest boy in the world. However, these achievements hid a really difficult childhood, so the American gave up sports long ago and even faced alcohol addiction.

In addition to popularity and the opportunity to travel the world, bodybuilding caused the bodybuilder a severe psychological trauma, Metro writes. Due to constant abuse from his father, he doesn't want to return to his old life, although he is proud of his past.

Richard Sandrak is now 32 years old. He lives in Los Angeles with his girlfriend and two cats and leads a completely ordinary life. The man gave up his career as a bodybuilder a long time ago, and instead tried his hand at being a stuntman, then a chef, and now he works as a retail manager.

Sandrak disappeared from the public space a long time ago and, as it turned out, had been suffering from alcohol addiction for a long time. The former athlete used to drink at least one bottle of tequila a day, but fortunately, he was able to pull himself together and give up his addiction.

At first glance, such a dramatic change in the American's life may seem strange, as he had many successes in bodybuilding. However, he was able to reach the top by sacrificing his happy childhood, and he did all his training under his father's orders.

"When people talk about childhood memories, they are usually associated with something positive. I can't say that this is true. For me, it was a daily occurrence when my father subjected me to physical and emotional abuse," said Richard Sandrak, "My dad would often lose his temper and what started as a normal workout would end up with me doing triple split kicks (performing three consecutive kicks) for 12 hours. I'll never forget it because it was extremely exhausting and emotionally difficult. There were too many situations where a simple workout turned into something I felt like a hostage."

According to Richard Sandrak, his entire childhood was spent in a very tense atmosphere. At one point, he realized that there was no point in arguing with his father, but that he should just "grit his teeth and continue to do what he was told." The turning point in the former athlete's life was when he witnessed his father's abuse of his mother, so he decided to call the police.

"The violence was getting worse, and I just remember sitting by the phone trying to make an important decision. I called the police, asked them not to turn on the sirens, and they came and took him away. It was a breath of fresh air," the man recalled.

After this incident, Sandrak's father was imprisoned and then deported to his homeland, Ukraine. Since then, the former athlete has not seen his father and admits that he does not want to meet him.

"Weightlifting in a sense became PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). It had to do with my past. I was tired of everything being based on my body. I wanted to move on and try other things, like acting," he said.

When Richard Sandrak turned 18, he decided to change his life forever. He was finally able to afford to try a variety of foods that he had been forbidden to eat as a child, and later became interested in cooking. However, at some point, the American became addicted to alcohol. The former bodybuilder admitted that for many years he used alcohol as an escape, organized various parties, but it did not help improve his morale. Fortunately, he was able to get rid of the habit.

"The last day I drank was October 31, 2023. I have never felt better. I look back on this whole experience and it looks like a nightmare. Everything was a blur, and there were a lot of emotions that I couldn't control," said "little Hercules."

Nowadays, Richard Sandrak spends a lot of his free time on the golf course, basketball court or hiking. He also has a very warm relationship with his mother.

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