On Sunday, Jan. 23, 2011, my hero, distant mentor and the man who brought fitness into the living rooms of women and men everywhere transitioned this life.
Jack LaLanne.
I’m sure he’s in heaven and has already started a fitness program for angels.
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If you want to read about a truly wonderful human being and avid fitness fanatic, you can Google his name.
A self-professed teenage sugar-holic, he became passionate about eating well after attending a seminar by Paul Bragg that focused on eating the right kinds of foods based on a vegetarian diet. That meeting caused this incredible guy to re-invent himself and bring the world a new trend in fitness and health.
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Jack was known for doing the extraordinary. It was his way of spreading the word about the benefits of being healthy, eating right and exercising.
One article I read said: “How many 60-year-olds do you know that can swim from Alcatraz Island with their hands and legs shackled? Jack completed the 2-mile distance in an hour and 26 minutes, while towing a 1,000 pound boat.” He was simply amazing.
Jack was the first man to have an exercise show on television.
And he was the first to open fitness centers.
Jack’s passion for fitness and general business abilities happened during a time when athletes and women were advised not to engage in strength training. In fact, some articles written about his facility will tell you many athletes chose to sneak in their gym time. Can you imagine any of your current favorite athletes excelling without the use of a gym or the use of a regimented exercise program?
I can’t think of many motivational people in the fitness industry who were able to create the kind of momentum that he did in his time.
His legacy will live forever.