Athletic career
With Schwarzenegger, Columbu moved to California in the late 1960s to train and work with Joe Weider. Weider provided them with a place to live and an $80 (equivalent to $700 in 2025) per week stipend. The stipend was not enough to live on, so to support their bodybuilding careers, they began a bricklaying company named European Brick Works in 1969.
At 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) and a competition weight of around 185 pounds (84 kg), Columbu won the IFBB Mr. Europe and Mr. Universe titles in 1970, and the 1971 IFBB Mr. World. He won the lightweight class of the 1974 and 1975 IFBB Mr. Olympias, before winning the overall competition for the first time in 1976.
Columbu participated in the inaugural edition of the World's Strongest Man in 1977. He placed fifth, behind four men who each outweighed him by around 100 pounds (45 kg). During the event, he dislocated his left knee while carrying a refrigerator on his back. The injury kept him out of competition for a few years, and he received a reported $1 million (equivalent to $5.3 million in 2025) in compensation. Columbu returned to win the 1981 Mr. Olympia then retired from competition.
Known for his strength, Columbu's clean and jerk record was 400 pounds (181 kg), his bench press record was 525 pounds (238 kg), his squat record was 655 pounds (297 kg), and his deadlift record was 750 pounds (340 kg). He was named in The Guinness Book of Records in 1978 for bursting a hot water bottle by blowing into it, which he achieved in 55 seconds.
