Legendary bodybuilder Jay Cutler just added another notch to his belt of accomplishments. During the 2024 Arnold Classic, which took place from February 29 to March 3, Jay Cutler was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award during the closing ceremony on Saturday evening.
Having spent over a decade in bodybuilding, Jay Cutler faced formidable opponents and defeated talents such as the eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman in 2006. Leading up to toppling ‘The King,’ Coleman and Cutler had one of the greatest rivalries the sport had seen, though both men had respect for one another and would go on to have a lasting friendship off the competitive stage.
After earning his first Mr. Olympia, Cutler would defend his title once more in 2007 before losing to Dexter Jackson in 2008. However, this didn’t deter Cutler who came back strong the next year and earned back the coveted title in 2009 with his legendary quad stomp. This permanently solidified his place in bodybuilding history and earned him the nickname ‘The Comeback Kid.’ Since that incredible victory, Jay Cutler hasn’t stopped his quest for greatness.
Jay Cutler has remained an active figure in the bodybuilding community providing invaluable tips to aspiring talents and fans alike through multiple social media platforms. He has also gone on to become a successful entrepreneur with not only a supplement business but also a pet butter line that he recently pitched on ABC’s Shark Tank.
Jay Cutler Receives The Lifetime Achievement Award On Day 2 Of The 2024 Arnold Classic
With such an incredible record of accomplishments, it was no surprise that on Saturday evening March 2, day two of the 2024 Arnold Classic, that Arnold Schwarzenegger presented Jay Cutler with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
“You’ve been an extraordinary competitor, a great Mr. Olympia, an Arnold Classic winner,” said Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Cutler shared an emotional speech thanking all of those who not only inspired him but also supported him throughout his bodybuilding journey. He specifically mentioned the great Arnold Schwarzenegger as a monumental influence that helped him embark on his bodybuilding career.
“There’s many special people that I owe this to, but I want to start first, Arnold walked off. I had a little story for him. So, it was July 3, 1991 and Terminator 2 launched in the movie theatres. And I had been picking up bodybuilding books and you know, I’m a teenager and looking at the physiques in there and I was like wow how do these guys get like that” Cutler shared.
“I had known Arnold from the Conan days, when Terminator 2 launched out, I had watched that. I saw that physique on there and I’ll tell you, I left that theatre, and one month later, August 3, 1991… I joined the gym on my 18th birthday.”
“That was when I actually made the commitment that I wanted to fulfill a journey. Okay, where I mentioned this before, many kids want to be lawyers, doctors, professional athletes, I wanted to be a bodybuilder.”
In addition to thanking Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cutler addressed other major influences in the bodybuilding community that helped shape his career.
“He was a major inspiration and a stepping point of that. Of course, I looked at Sylvester Stallone, Jean-Claude Van Damme, you know, I grew up in Sterling, Massachusetts, youngest of seven kids, no one in my family lifted weights.”
“Within six months, I was one of the biggest kids in the gym. And, sooner or later, I met someone who played an important role in my success, Chris Aceto, he lived in Maine. He’s not here tonight but I really wanted to send a message to Chris Aceto who wrote out a diet for me.”
“Jim Manion, Jim Manion runs this organization, big shout out to Jim.”
Lastly, Jay Cutler gave a special shoutout to Ronnie Coleman who not only served as an incredible competitor but also his role model while coming up in the sport.
“Where is Ronnie Coleman? He better be here,” said Cutler. “Ronnie, you’re the reason you are the reason for my abilities, my greatness, I owe everything to you because you pushed me to do everything on the Olympia stage and beyond” Jay Cutler added.
“You’re a huge huge inspiration. You are my idol. I ended up beating my idol but…I love you. We spent a lot of great moments Ronnie Coleman. The greatest bodybuilder of all-time.”
The 2024 Arnold Classic was filled with exciting moments and shocking twists such as Wesley Vissers claiming the Classic Physique victory and former Mr.Olympia Hadi Choopan taking gold in the Men’s Open. The unforgettable evening had no better end than adding Jay Cutler to the list of greats to earn the Lifetime Achievement Award, joining Ronnie Coleman and Flex Wheeler.
Jay Cutler is a major influence on the fitness community with a vast knowledge of bodybuilding. He serves as a continuous source of wisdom and inspiration for athletes as well as any individual looking to achieve a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle.
To see Jay Cutler receive the Lifetime Achievement Award and give his emotional speech, click the link below:
