Hawke's Bay's Aaron Vaisigano laughed as he recalled his introduction to bodybuilding.
"During my days as a basketballer at Taradale High School I realised I was too small for my position so I took up powerlifting. Two years later I found bodybuilding."
That discovery has paid off big time. Nine years later at the age of 28, Vaisigano, will travel to Cebu in the Philippines next month with the aim of becoming Mr Universe.
"I want to be like Arnold Schwarzenegger and get into acting and modelling. Arnold was my hero when I was growing up and he still is," Vaisigano said referring to the Austrian-American Terminator actor who is a former Governor of California.
A personal trainer at The Lab Health & Fitness in Napier, Vaisigano, qualified for the November 14 Mr Universe by winning the Mr New Zealand Physique title at last weekend's Auckland-hosted National Amateur Body Building Association Championships.