During his formative years, Israeli native Dani Kaganovich, of Be’er Sheva, had claimed several titles in bodybuilding, including winning the Mr. Universe youth competition three years in a row.

This year, however, marks the 23-year-old’s biggest accomplishment to date: being crowned Mr. Universe himself.

As first reported by Ynet, Kaganovich recently won the Mr. Universe bodybuilding competition, one of the most prestigious titles in bodybuilding, after competing at NAC International’s 2015 competition in Hamburg, Germany. In doing so, he became the first Israeli to ever win the title since the tournament’s inception in 2006.

A bodybuilder for over seven years, Kaganovich first became interested in the sport because he wanted to improve his “looks” and confidence.

“I started training at age 16 at home, watching YouTube videos and reading on the internet, because I wanted to get strong and to improve my looks and confidence,” he said. “I was very thin: I weighed 60 kilograms, which is half of what I weigh today. I saw that my muscles were responding well, so I signed up at a gym.”

The young bodybuilder aspires to compete in more tournaments, particularly the United States, and is always “looking forward” to the future.

“Bodybuilding put me in a structured environment. You need order and discipline in this sport. I became a different person – not just physically, but in my character – and I’m happy with the change.”

For more on Kaganovich, check out his YouTube page here, or follow him on Facebook here.