Obama
'slays' German reporter in Berlin: WATCH
Bild, Germany
'Barack Obama Pumped
Up His Muscles Right Next to Me'
"While thousands of people awaited
Barack Obama at the Victory Column, I, a journalist for BILD,
met him alone - at the gym!"
By Judith Bonesky
Translated By Susanne Angelow
July 30, 2008
Germany
- Bild - Original Article (German)
1600 Hours. I've been working
out for an hour at the studio on the first floor of Berlin’s upscale Hotel Ritz
Carlton. In the 40-square-meter room there are two treadmills, three
cross-trainers, two stationary bicycles, a bench for lifting weights and three
special machines to do arm, stomach and leg training.
The digital readout of my
cross-trainer indicates that I've burned 420 calories when suddenly, a man
wearing a suit (with an earphone) steps through the door and addresses me in
English, "Democratic Presidential candidate
Barack Obama is coming. He would like to train here. Please avoid using your
telephone or talking to him!"
Seconds later: The door
opens. It’s really him! He's much taller than I thought (6.1 feet tall).
He's wearing a grey T-shirt
with black Jersey pants, both from Nike, with white jogging shoes by Asics. And
he has a devastating smile!
"Hello, how are
you," he says in English in a strong masculine voice. I reply "Very good,
and how are you?" He says, "Very good, thanks."
Obama (he has strong arms and
a striated back) puts on the headphones of his iPod and listens to pop music
while humming quietly. Then he jumps on a bike, pedals three times - and then
loses interest.
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New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd spoke to Obama about this
encounter and wrote about it on July 27. Obama complained that Bild
reporter Judith Bonesky 'hustled' him.
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Now he's lifting 16-kilo dumbbells,
alternating with his left and right arms, 30 reps per arm. Then he snatches up
the 32-kilo dumbbells. He raises them very slowly, first 10 times with the
right arm, then 10 times with the left. He inhales and exhales deeply then
takes a swallow of water from half-liter bottle of Evian.
It's shortly before five.
Obama sits on a mat directly next to may cross-trainer
and does 10 sit-ups, followed by leg-extensions.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
After a couple of minutes he glances
at his watch and says to his bodyguard, who had worked out alongside him
"It's time. Let's go."
I call out, Mr. Obama, pardon
me, can I take a picture?" He smiles and says "Sure!"
Obama asks for my name. I
reply, "My name is Judith." He says "I am Barack Obama. Delighted to meet you, Judith!"
Barack Obama puts his arm
around my shoulders and I put my arm around his hip. Wow! He isn’t even
sweating! And I think: WHAT A MAN!
CLICK
HERE FOR GERMAN VERSION
[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US August 7, 7:05pm]
