He became a world champion athlete and captured 13 championship titles, including Mr. Universe, Mr. Olympia, and Mr. World. He took on Hollywood to become one of the world’s most successful actors, despite recommendations that he would never make it with a strong accent and impossible name to spell. He became an accomplished businessman managing ventures in real estate, aviation, and fitness. These business achievements placed him among America’s most successful business leaders. Today, Arnold Schwarzenegger has become one of the country’s top leaders for children’s issues and progressive educational reforms. Arnold inspires people by sheer focus and devotion to achievement.

Mr. Schwarzenegger has made countless contributions of his time and money to leadership initiatives focused on providing sports, educational, and after school programs for children. In 1979, he was named the International Weight Training Coach of the Special Olympics and served as a Global Ambassador to the cause. In what was later seen as a major breakthrough for mentally and physically handicapped children in the largest country in the world, Arnold was responsible for bringing the Special Olympics to mainland China. He also worked with Nelson Mandela to bring the Special Olympics to South Africa. Nearly 25 years after his appointment to the Special Olympics, Arnold is still highly involved and travels throughout the world to raise the awareness of the Special Olympics.

He was appointed Chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under the George H. W. Bush Administration from 1990 to 1993. With his great leadership skills, Arnold took what many considered a ceremonial post and made the position meaningful and important. He traveled to all fifty states on his own dime to encourage kids around the United States to become leaders through academic excellences, physical fitness, and sports. He raised awareness throughout the nation by hosting physical fitness events with children at state capitals and the White House. In addition to his post at the national level, Arnold also served as the Chairman for the California Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under Governor Pete Wilson.

In 1991, Arnold began his term as Executive Commissioner of the Hollenbeck Youth Center Inner-City Games in Los Angeles. Taking a great cause in Los Angeles, Arnold saw the potential for nationwide expansion and established the National Inner-City Games Foundation. He currently serves as its National Chairman. The National Inner-City Games Foundation is now called After-School All Stars. Largely credited to Arnold’s leadership, this foundation now stretches to fifteen cities around the nation, reaching over 250,000 kids in over 400 schools.

In 2002, Arnold authored and backed an after-school initiative in California – the After School Education and Safety Act of 2002 (Proposition 49). Proposition 49 recently passed overwhelmingly in the 2002 California election. As the initiative’s sponsor, author, and Chairman, Arnold created the initiative to make state grants available for after school programs. These programs will be available to every public elementary and middle school in California that chooses to offer one. The program puts over $455 million in grants into the California public school system and is estimated to save at least three times its costs to the California tax payer.

Given Proposition 49’s benefit to children, the initiative won endorsements from nearly all of the major teaching associations in California including the California Teachers Association and the California Parent Teachers Association. Proposition 49 saves taxpayer dollars, crime victims and society approximately $9 for every $1 invested. As a result, Proposition 49 also won endorsements from top taxpayer and government associations including the California Taxpayers Association, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, and the California Business Roundtable. Proposition 49 is a perfect example of legislative leadership which has a tremendous benefit to the children of California, a great social benefit to the people of California, and a fiscal benefit to the taxpayer.