paul still treasures his hardback copy of the Arnold Schwarzenegger Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding.

I wasn’t known for wagging class. In fact I can probably count on one hand the number of classes I skipped on purpose across my high school, college and university career. I loved learning, and I knew my parents had never been afforded the opportunity to go to school and study like I had – so I went for me, and in some small way, for them. But this day was different. It was payday.

At college, when I was 16, I was entitled to $76.45 a fortnight Austudy. A payment from the federal government to support my further education. It was paid direct to my bank account, and I paid for my bus travel and some study costs out of this government benefit. I lived at home and relied on Mum and Dad for everything else.

In Autumn 1991, to get to College 52 kms away from where I lived, I travelled by public bus from George Town to Launceston and back each day. In a car the trip took about 45 minutes. By bus it took well over an hour and quarter each way. Effectively, I left at 7.30am and arrived at 8.50am in Launceston for a short walk to College. At the other end of the day I left Launceston at 3.20pm and arrived home as late as 5pm some nights given the traffic and drop off points on the return journey. Although I was in the city everyday, I had very little time to ‘shop’ in the city – unless I skipped class.

When I could ‘shop’, I frequented book stores like Birchalls, and browsed. I would place books on my mental wish list. Early in 1991 I spotted a single hardback copy of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s, Encycopledia of Modern Bodybuilding in Angus and Robertson Bookstore. It has been carefully laminated and it was just waiting for me to purchase it. Problem was, I didn’t have the $95. I would need to save up.

Two and a half months later, it was pay day again, and I had finally achieved my savings goal of $95. I wandered past the closed bookstore as I walked to college from the bus that morning.  Squashing my face agains the window I couldn’t see the book on the shelf in the dimly lite store. I feared it has been sold already. I accepted I had to wait a bit longer and I shuffled off to school.

I was distracted all day. I couldn’t wait for the 3pm. So I didn’t. I wagged last period, withdrew $100 from the ATM and ran to the bookstore. My fear that the book was sold was allayed when at 2.30pm I placed my hands on that single pristine laminated copy. I handed over my money and carried the heavy volume out of the shop like I had won the lottery.

I read that book from cover to cover, and kept returning to it for years – particularly when I was working as a personal trainer. For an adolescent that struggled with acne and self esteem issues at the time, I was able to immerse myself in the text and browse the 850 training photos of Arnold as a source of inspiration.

The book still sits proudly on my bookshelf 30 years later.