I Met My Childhood Hero — And He Was Everything I Hoped He Would Be

Georges St-Pierre is one of the greatest MMA fighters ever.

He was the most dominant champion in Welterweight history, a true-blue superstar who somehow managed to transcend the sport while remaining a class act in and out of the ring. Perhaps more importantly, he holds the dubious title of being the fighter that got me hooked on mixed-martial arts.

Watching Saint Pierre vs Diaz when I was an impressionable 17-year-old inspired me to become a fighter. Fighting gave me the confidence I needed to start my own business. Starting my own business led me to become a contestant for The Apprentice — and competing on The Apprentice was how I met GSP.

Isn’t it funny how the butterfly effect works?

All in all, it’s safe to say that Georges was my childhood hero.

And getting to meet my childhood hero in the flesh was a surreal, surreal experience.

I’m pictured above in blue, posing with my double knuckles up, looking as happy as a newborn lamb.

I got to hang out with Georges for a couple of hours, and he was every bit as cool as I thought he would be. Anyhow, if it wasn’t already obvious, Georges and I are on a first-name basis now. Good old Georges and Alvin, just two buddies palling around, heh heh.

On a less imaginative note, here are some of the things GSP did that transformed me into an even bigger fan.

He Was Unafraid to Admit His Fear

“Bran thought about it. ‘Can a man still be brave if he’s afraid?’

‘That is the only time a man can be brave,’ his father told him.”

― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

Georges is terrified of heights.

Which didn’t help matters, because we met during a physical challenge that involves us rappelling from an 11 storey bridge. He was the Team Captain who was supposed to lead us to victory — yet he himself was scared to death.

What made him stand out was the fact that he was upfront about his fear. He told us straight up that he was afraid. He was honest from the get-go. He was vulnerable. And his vulnerability made all the difference.

I would later find out that there were people on my team who were also scared of heights. But spurred on by George’s example (he was the first one among us to step off the ledge), all of us managed to complete the challenge.

I suspect things would’ve been very different if Georges chose to keep his feelings close to his chest.

Keep in mind that Georges is a professional fighter. He has a reputation to protect. Seen this way, he had every right to mask his emotions, to pretend that he was a macho man unafraid of death, heights and falling.

He chose to be vulnerable anyway.

In doing so, Georges came down to our level. Instead of being a fearless god floating above the rest of us, George’s became human. He became relatable. And a relatable leader who admits to his fears and shortcomings — then goes on to overcome them anyway, is a truly inspiring figure.

Cornily enough, Georges made us believe that if he can do it, then we can, too.

He Asked a Woman He Didn’t Know For Advice

Georges has a reputation for being a humble guy, and I can say from first-hand experience that this reputation is warranted.

There were long moments during the shoot where the cameras weren’t rolling. During these moments, Georges would just chill and chat with us, him genuinely relaxed, my team and I awestruck but trying to act relaxed.

While chatting, an interesting interaction came when Georges found out that Joy, one of my teammates, was a gymnastic coach.

He immediately asked her for advice, specifically how to better transition from an L-sit to a handstand. Joy showed him some modifications he can make; he thanked her, then immediately started practicing them.

I was deeply impressed by this seemingly innocuous encounter. Sure, it’s well-known that Georges has a long-standing fascination with gymnastics, and it’s natural for an athlete to hone his craft. But here’s the thing: Georges is a legendary world champion and a celebrity guest on the show. He’s also a multi-millionaire with his own private coaching team at his beck and call.

Many a man would have let all this and more get to his head.

Georges didn’t.

When he found out that somebody he was supposed to coach had a better understanding of a subject than he did, he had no qualms about asking her for advice. And he didn’t just pay lip service to Joy, either. He actually spent several minutes practicing what she showed him. Georges, in short, saw a chance to learn, and he took it.

This is humility at its finest.

He Offered to Help Our Team For Nothing In Return

The last point may be the coolest thing Georges did.

As the Team Captain, Georges obligations ended the minute the challenge was over. All he had to do was go back to his five-star hotel, chill for a day or two, then hop on the plane back to Montreal, and he’ll be home free.

That’s not what he did, though.

Our team was losing badly, and we desperately needed help for the business challenge due the very next day. At our wit's end, two of my team members decided to ask Georges for help.

They slipped a note under his door, asking if he would be keen to appear as a guest for our pitch. It was a last-ditch, Hail Mary attempt, one born out of sheer desperation.

But it worked.

On the very next day, Roman, one of my team members, got a phone call from a number listed from Quebec, Canada. When he picked up, Georges was on the other end of the line.

The first thing Georges said was, “Hey Roman, how can I help?”

No beating around the bush. No terms and conditions. No yes sirs and no mams. Just Georges offering his service, man to man, friend to friend, for nothing in return.

Our idea that Georges guest star on our pitch was eventually shot down (just as well, because the pitch was a disaster that caused me to get fired from the show) but it just goes to show what a genuinely nice guy Georges is.

He had nothing to gain from helping us. We couldn’t pay him. And God knows he didn’t need the extra airtime or fame. He had good intentions. He was offering his services out of the goodness of his heart, for no other reason than to help a brother out.

And being helpful without expecting anything in return, is to me, the very definition of a nice guy.

In Summary

It’s not every day you get to meet your hero, and it’s even rarer to meet him and then him them live up to your expectations.

Georges St-Pierre lived up to every single one of mine.

He wasn’t scared to own up to his fear. He wasn’t too proud to ask a random gymnast he was supposed to be “better than” for advice. He offered to help us without let or lien, far beyond what's needed for his contractual duties.

It’s worth keeping in mind that these encounters all occurred when the cameras weren’t rolling. In short, Georges had no incentive to pretend to be nice.

He simply was.

And that’s just the person he is, ladies and gentlemen. Georges St-Pierre, a true champion in the ring, and a genuinely nice person out of it.

What a lad.