Arnold Schwarzenegger wants his Pump Club community to start their fitness journey without waiting for New Year’s Eve. So, as part of a December challenge, he offered a $1000 cash prize for three members of his village who keep the wellness momentum going. Recently, the youngest participant in the contest stunned the 76-year-old with his perseverance to live. 

The Austrian Oak shared an inspiring story of a young boy who is defying odds battling Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a fatal condition with no cure. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger cheers for the perseverance of the little boy 

The 7x Mr. Olympia revolutionized the fitness arena this year with his wellness newsletter, Arnold’s Pump Club. It has become the positive corner of the internet, sharing inspiring stories, and Deccan Gill’s tale is the highlight among them. Gill’s Instagram handle posted a reel noting the young boy’s commitment to staying active under Arnold’s challenge hashtag. Schwarzenegger was happy to witness the little champion’s grit to survive and shared his story on his Instagram and wrote, “Amazing! Tell him that he is doing great.”

It has been four years since Gill was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. His parents are spreading awareness through his Instagram handle, raising funds of over 200k for treatment and hoping to find a cure. The young lad pursues Hockey with utmost passion and also plays for a team. 

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Despite the fatal condition that eventually weakens muscles, Gill is mostly asymptomatic as of now and enjoying life to the fullest, being active in the sport he loves. And Schwarzenegger, born with a congenital condition, never misses such motivating life stories that could inspire many. 

How Arnold Schwarzenegger’s congenital condition never stopped him

Lifting heavy weights at the gym requires strenuous amounts of power, and Schwarzenegger is known for supreme strength. However, Arnie had an underlying congenital condition, bicuspid aortic valve, that was carried forward across generations from his mother’s side. 

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But the Austrian Oak had already become a Mr. Olympia champion before he was diagnosed with the condition in the late 1970s. But Arnie didn’t opt for immediate treatment and survived with the condition, for the next two decades performing deadly stunts for movies Like Terminator, Predator, and True Lies. It was only in 1997 that he first underwent valve replacement surgery. After the surgery, he stunned his fans with blockbuster Terminator 3.

Deccan Gill is following Arnold Schwarzenegger’s suit by fighting fate with enthusiasm for life. Let’s hope he soon finds the means to recover from the fatal disease because nothing is impossible with the resolution that he has shown.