California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Again Headlines ICA’s Symposium On Natural Fitness

He came back! The 2006 ICA Symposium on Natural Fitness held in conjunction with the Arnold Fitness Weekend again included Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California, himself! ICA's 14 th Annual Symposium on Natural Fitness with Arnold Schwarzenegger offered doctors of chiropractic from around the world another multi-faceted program featuring exciting, star-packed, innovative programs, in partnership with Arnold's Fitness Weekend that has been the highlight of the chiropractic calendar for over a decade. Held March 3-5, 2006 in Columbus , Ohio , ICA 's Symposium presented a full and fantastic weekend of fitness stars, champion athletes, and innovative, practical chiropractic continuing education!

And, as with every year, each ICA Symposium registrant was able to personally pose with the world's most famous chiropractic patient -- global superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger, the featured speaker at ICA 's Symposium on Natural Fitness -- for a studio-style portrait photo! A vigorous advocate of chiropractic care for people of all ages and holding an honorary chiropractic degree from Cleveland Chiropractic College, Governor Schwarzenegger personally spoke to the Symposium attendees about his own experience with chiropractic, crediting the care he received throughout the years for his success in bodybuilding and for his ability to maintain such a rigorous public service, travel and appearance schedule.

Mr. Schwarzenegger told the chiropractic audience, “As Governor, you have a chance every day to help people. This is what we have in common…We are friends of chiropractors because chiropractors are dealing with health, fitness, strength and energy…That's what chiropractors are all about, helping people, to make them strong and fit and get their lives back together. So here we are for fourteen years, holding interesting meetings, working together, learning from each other, and I just wanted to tell you how proud we are of all of you, and how happy we are that we have joined together in this great program.”

Governor Schwarzenegger also spoke about his own personal experience with chiropractic, telling the audience that after his recent and much publicized motorcycle accident, “Even though on screen I am the robot, the mechanical man,  in reality I am also vulnerable and I have my accidents; and you probably heard about my motorcycle accident…my head was thrown forward and I had stitches on my lip…but you know your neck and back afterwards are sore, and I went to the chiropractor who fixed me up and it was really bad for a few days and I couldn't move; and my chiropractor gave me just three adjustments and I was perfectly fine after that.  So I just want to say that I love your profession.”

ICA 's Fitness Symposium has grown in size and diversity with the Arnold Schwarzenegger Fitness Weekend. Along with the Symposium's quality continuing education program and related events, registration in ICA 's gala weekend program also included special parts of the Arnold Fitness Weekend! The Arnold Schwarzenegger Sports Festival is now the largest three-day sports festival in the world, with more than 15,000 athletes competing in 30 sports, half of which are played at the Olympic level.

This year's continuing education program was co-sponsored by Life Chiropractic College West and featured distinguished faculty dedicated to exercise and athletic training in the context of chiropractic care. Practical programs by leaders in fitness and prominent educators featured a series of dynamic presentations, sports case-scenarios and how-to demonstrations that have made the Symposium such a powerful educational event each year. Speakers this year included Dr. Pete Gratale and bodybuilding legend Mr. Lee Haney, Dr. John Downes, Dr. Gerry Mattia, Dr. Eric Kaplan, Dr. Jack Barnathan, Dr. Richard Gennaro, Dr. Tom Deters , and Dr. Sean Eastman. And of course, California 's Governor, Mr. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

FORMER MAJOR LEAGUE PITCHER MICHAEL GRACE SPEAKS TO ICA FITNESS SYMPOSIUM: The 2006 ICA program also included a powerful presentation by former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Michael Grace. Mike Grace is an athlete with a history of professional competition and athletic versatility that offers a stirring testimony to chiropractic care in the world of sports. Born in Joliet , Illinois , Grace was 25 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 1, 1995, with the Philadelphia Phillies when he was drafted in the 10th round of the 1991 amateur draft. Mike Grace was a serious player of the game of baseball, dedicated to his role on the team, and was well-liked and highly respected by his team mates.

The 1998 Philadelphia Phillies played 162 games during the regular season, won 75 games, lost 87 games, and finished in third position. They played their home games at Veterans Stadium (Park Factors: 102/103) where 1,715,722 fans witnessed their 1998 Phillies finish the season with a .463 winning percentage.

Mike Grace was featured in the April 26, 1996 issue of USA Today Baseball Weekly with a report of how as a rookie he “retired the first 16 batters and pitched eight innings after scattering three singles.” As a result of the team's success that day, the Phillies won 2-0 over the Cincinnati Reds. Injury brought an early end to an already outstanding career. Within the world of professional baseball, Mr. Grace was widely recognized and respected for his effectiveness as a starting pitcher, his inherent abilities when healthy and a raw determination to fight and to work as hard as any player in the history of the game. According to one press report, “Phillies General Manager Lee Thomas never came close to giving up on Grace because the pitcher never gave up on himself. "He's had a lot of injury, but this guy's a bulldog," Thomas says. "There are certain guys whose attitude might not be the same as Mike Grace and they might have given up. But this guy really wanted to keep coming back. Just like Darren Daulton, he's had all the challenges and keeps coming back. If a guy's willing to fight back, you've got to stay with him."

Presently retired from professional major league baseball after playing his last game in October 1999, Mr. Grace has developed his many athletic abilities to excel in the world of professional golf. A dedicated chiropractic patient, he has an exciting and moving story to tell about the role of chiropractic care in assisting people of all ages, in all circumstances, in making the maximum possible physical comebacks.