Who is Richard Sandrak?
Richard Sandrak is a former child star, probably best recognized as Little Hercules, a child bodybuilder who achieved an impressive muscular physique at a young age.
What Happened to Richard Sandrak?
Richard cut all ties with his bodybuilding career aged 11, when his father was sent to prison. He is now a Hollywood stuntman working for Universal Studios Waterworld in Los Angeles, California, USA. He says that some of his stunts include setting himself on fire, jumping from 50ft into the water, and getting shot at.
Richard Sandrak Wiki: Age, Childhood, and Education
Richard Sandrak was born on 15 April 1992, in a small village in Ukraine. He’s the son of Pavel Sandrak, a mixed martial arts world champion, and his wife Lena Sandrak, who is an aerobics competitor. He has a sister, Anastasia, though hasn’t shared if she’s older or younger than him.
When he was two years old, the family emigrated to Pennsylvania, USA, in search of a better life. They subsequently moved to California, feeling that Richard would have more opportunities there to succeed in show business.
Richard never went to school, being homeschooled for the better part of his childhood.
Career Beginnings
His parents were into martial arts and fitness, and thought that Richard should start his training early on. At just four years old, he started with light training and getting his hands, feet and mind into martial arts.
He progressed rather quickly, as he was under a strict regime set by his father, training six to seven hours a day, and so had no time for anything else. He started getting buffed as his training became similar to a bodybuilding program. At just six years old, he was able to lift 180lbs (82kgs) on a standard bench press.
His father created his training program, which included 600 push-ups and sit-ups per day and 300 squats. He also began taekwondo training, stretching and weight lifting. Moreover, the young star was on a very strict diet, which meant no junk food or sweets.
Once they moved to California, his parents began looking for business opportunities for their young boy, and soon encountered Frank Giardina, the famous trainer and promoter.
When he saw the boy, Giardina first thought that he was a dwarf, and that the family was lying about his age. However, after acknowledging Richard’s abilities, Frank took him under his wing.
Rise to Prominence
He continued to train under the strict guidance of his father, and started traveling the US, competing at various bodybuilding competitions. He was gaining fame at the same speed as he was gaining muscles, and soon turned into a star, becoming known as the world’s strongest boy. Richard posed for numerous magazines and fitness brands, and made appearances on TV and radio shows, including an appearance in “The Howard Stern Show”.
However, problems in his personal life affected his career. Giardina left as trainer and promoter, as he felt Richard’s father was pushing the young boy, plus he’d even threatened to kill Frank.
Richard Sandrak’s Father Imprisoned
Richard had a falling out with his father – Pavel physically assaulted him, and caused several injuries, including a broken nose and wrist. Richard called the police, and his father was soon taken to prison.
This made him and his mother move out of the family house; he cut all ties with his father, and never spoke to him again. Pavel was held under psychiatric guidance and strict supervision, and could face deportation if he repeated his actions.
Career Change
When asked, Sandrak said that his father never forced him into bodybuilding, and that he didn’t do anything against his will. He saw his parents train, and he wanted to be a part of it, and never made it an issue.
However, as his father went to prison, he quit bodybuilding as he got bored with it. He still continued to train five times a week, but started eating food his father wouldn’t let him have, including pizza. He was the star of the film “Little Hercules in 3-D”.
https://www.facebook.com/mrtintumon/photos/a.231863553675/10152811385023676/
With the help of Marco Garcia, who is his live-in manager, Richard has managed to normalize his life. In addition to working out regularly, Richard has devoted his life to raising awareness of childhood obesity.
He is more focused now on cardio exercises rather than gaining muscle, and some of his activities include stair climbing, chin-ups, and others. Richard also enjoys skateboarding.
Controversy and Criticism
His early popularity also faced a lot of criticism and controversy. Medical experts claimed that he was using steroids at a young age to reach his physique, which he and his mother, Lena, have only denied such accusations.
Moreover, he claimed that he had less than one percent of body fat, which can be lethal, and that he could bench press three times his own body weight.
Net Worth
As of mid- 2022, Richard Sandrak’s net worth is estimated at $400,000, according to sources, earned through his careers as a bodybuilder and stuntman.
Personal Life, Dating, Married, Wife, Children
Richard is very private about his personal life. He hasn’t shared details about his relationship status, and according to some sources, he’s single and focused on his newfound career.
However, we can only speculate about it until he comes forward and reveals more information about his personal aspirations.
Appearance and Body Measurements
The former child bodybuilder has light brown hair and brown eyes. He’s 5ft 9ins (1.75m) tall, weighs 165lbs (75kgs), and his vital statistics are unknown, except his biceps size – 16.
Hobbies, Interests, and Trivia
He is very physically active, maintaining his perfect form. Additional to gym training, he runs, hikes, and skateboards.
Richard has said that hes interested in becoming a quantum scientist, and that he would like to work for NASA as one of the space shuttle engineers.
