Born in rural Ukraine in 1992, Richard Sandrak is the son of martial artist champion Pavel Sandrak, who cultivated in the boy an interest in exercising early on, as noted by the Mirror. When Richard was two years old, the Sandraks moved to Pennsylvania, where Pavel started training him with support and help from Richard’s mother, Lena, according to The Guardian. The family later relocated to California in hopes of profiting off of Richard’s bodybuilding.
To achieve their goal, the Sandraks put him on a strict diet that reportedly put his body fat under 1%, a percentage that falls below healthy levels. Richard trained up to seven hours a day before he turned 10, per The Sun. Frank Giardina, Richard’s manager, told The Guardian in 2007 that the boy’s upbringing often crossed the line of abuse. At the time, Richard didn’t see it that way. “I’ve never been forced to train or do anything against my will,” he said.
However, ABC News reported that Richard later admitted that his parents controlled every aspect of his life. The boy’s parents opted to homeschool him to maintain better control of his life, according to The Sun. Pavel kept his son on tight reins until 2003 when he was arrested for allegedly attacking his wife, per The Guardian. Richard and Lena broke all ties with Pavel in the aftermath. Despite the isolation, Richard holds no grudges. “I’m very proud of my past,” he said on “Inside Edition” in 2015.
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