Formation | December 2, 2004 |
---|---|
Founder | John Figarelli |
Purpose | Honor individuals and organizations involved in fitness |
Region | United States |
Official language | English |
President | John Figarelli |
Website | www |
National Fitness Hall of Fame is an American hall of fame for notable fitness professionals. It includes notable figures involved in fitness instruction, training, education, fitness management and product development. The mission is to recognize and support fitness professionals for their dedication to helping others "Get Fit and Stay Healthy" and provide programs and services that helps all individuals achieve a better level of health and fitness.
John Figarelli founded the National Fitness Hall of Fame on December 2, 2004 to honor individuals and organizations who had made a lifetime contribution to health and fitness. Inductees are classed as pioneers, educators, instructors, sports medicine, celebrity spokespeople, and organizations. [1] One of the criteria for membership is at least twenty-five years of service as a full-time Health and Fitness industry professional. [2] Figarelli formed the National Fitness Organization, a corporation, in December 2004, with his wife, mother and father. They rented a small location in Sycamore, Illinois, to hold Figarelli's collection of fitness memorabilia, which would form the nucleus of the museum. [3]
The first class of 2005 had twelve members, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jack LaLanne and Charles Atlas. [1] Other inductees included Joe Weider, Vic Tanny, Arthur Jones, Paul Bragg and Kenneth H. Cooper. [3] The National Fitness Hall of Fame is the only institution in the nation that recognizes those individuals who pioneered the fitness industry, preservers fitness history and promotes the future of fitness in America. [1]
The fourth class of ten members was inducted in 2008 with a dinner, silent auction and ceremony, and was attended by many of the inductees. [1] The ceremony was held at the Oak Meadows Golf Club in Addison, Illinois, and was hosted by Gilad Janklowicz of the television show Bodies in Motion. There were about 250 attendees. Inductees included Cory Everson, Tamilee Webb, Charles Kuntzleman, Michael Thurmond and others. [1]
In November 2014 Bill Crawford (2012 NFHOF Inductee) a fitness trainer and owner of a gym in Scottsdale, Arizona, was appointed Chairman of the National Fitness Hall of Fame and served a 3-year term ending in 2017. [4]
Inclusive among the National Fitness Hall of Fame inductees are four elected Fellows in the National Academy of Kinesiology: Steven N. Blair, P.E.D., Fellow #302, who also served as Academy President during 1994-1995; Janice S. Todd, Ph.D., Fellow #511; Thomas K. Cureton, Ph.D., Fellow #119, who received the Academy's Highest Honor, the Hetherington Award, in 1976; and Dudley Allen Sargent, M.D., Honorary Fellow in Memoriam. [5]
(Complete list of NFHOF Inductees can be found at the website: www.NationalFitnessHallofFame.com)
Francesco Maria Columbu was an Italian bodybuilder, powerlifter, actor, author, producer, and a licensed chiropractor.
Mr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest at Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend—an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually by the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness (IFBB). Joe Weider created the contest to enable the Mr. Universe winners to continue competing and to earn money. The first Mr. Olympia was held on September 18, 1965, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York City, with Larry Scott winning his first of two straight titles.
Francois Henri LaLanne was an American fitness and nutrition guru and motivational speaker. He described himself as being a "sugarholic" and a "junk food junkie" until he was aged 15. He also had behavioral problems, but "turned his life around" after listening to a public lecture about the benefits of good nutrition by health food pioneer Paul Bragg. During his career, he came to believe that the country's overall health depended on the health of its population, and referred to physical culture and nutrition as "the salvation of America."
Benjamin Weider, was a Canadian soldier, author, historian, fitness proponent, benefactor of the arts, and entrepreneur. He co-founded the International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) alongside his brother Joe Weider. The Weiders also founded many successful businesses including gyms, nutritional supplements and magazines such as Muscle & Fitness.
The IFBB Arnold Sports Festival, also known as the Arnold Schwarzenegger Sports Festival, is an annual multi-sport event consisting of professional bodybuilding, strongman, fitness, figure and bikini weekend expo. It was established in 1989 and is named after Arnold Schwarzenegger. The main event is held annually around late February or early March in Columbus, Ohio, by the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness (IFBB). It is considered the second-most-prestigious event in professional men's bodybuilding, physique, figure and bikini after Joe Weider's Olympia; and until 2014, when the Ms. International competition was dropped, it the second-most-prestigious event in professional female bodybuilding.
Frank Zane is a retired American professional bodybuilder and author. He is a three-time Mr. Olympia, and his physique is considered one of the greatest in the history of bodybuilding due to his meticulous focus on symmetry and proportion. He was inducted in the IFBB Hall of Fame in 1999.
Larry Dee Scott, nicknamed "The Legend" and "The Golden Boy," was an American IFBB professional bodybuilder. He won the inaugural 1965 Mr. Olympia competition and defended the crown at the 1966 Mr. Olympia contest before retiring.
William Arnold Pearl was an American professional bodybuilder and athlete. During the 1950s and 60s, he won many titles and awards, including winning the Mr. Universe contest five times, and was named "World's Best-Built Man of the Century". He later became an expert trainer and author on bodybuilding.
Roy "Reg" Park was an English bodybuilder, businessman, and actor. His first title was Mr Britain in 1949. He then won the Mr Universe in 1951, 1958 and 1965. He also starred in five films, four featured as Hercules, and in one, Hercules in the Haunted World (1961), he co-starred with Christopher Lee. Besides his own career and titles, he is probably best known as an idol and mentor to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness (IFBB), headquartered in Las Rozas (Madrid), is an international professional sports governing body for bodybuilding and fitness that oversees many of the sport's major international events, notably the World and Continental Championships.
Joseph Weider was a Canadian bodybuilder and entrepreneur who co-founded the International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) alongside his brother Ben Weider. He was also the creator of Mr. Olympia, Ms. Olympia, and the Masters Olympia bodybuilding contests. He was the publisher of various bodybuilding and fitness-related magazines, most notably Muscle & Fitness, Flex, Men's Fitness, and Shape, and the manufacturer of a line of fitness equipment and fitness supplements.
World Gym International LLC is an American fitness center founded in 1976 by Joe Gold during the glory days of "Muscle Beach" in Venice Beach, California. Joe Gold is also the founder of Gold's Gym, another gym chain, which he sold in 1973. The gym was often frequented by celebrities and famous bodybuilders such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, Dave Draper and Franco Columbu.
Muscle & Fitness is an American fitness and bodybuilding magazine founded in 1935 by Canadian entrepreneur Joe Weider. It was originally published under the title Your Physique, before being renamed to Muscle Builder in 1954, and acquiring its current name in 1980. There is also a companion magazine called Muscle and Fitness Hers, oriented toward women.
The IFBB Hall of Fame was established in 1999 to honor outstanding athletes and officials in the sport of bodybuilding. There have been no inductees since 2011.
John Carroll Grimek was an American bodybuilder and weightlifter active in the 1930s and 1940s. He was Mr. America in 1940 and 1941, and Mr. Universe in 1948. Throughout his career he carried the nicknames "The Monarch of Muscledom" and "The Glow."
Betty Chloe Brosmer, later known by her married name Betty Weider, is an American former bodybuilder and physical fitness expert. During the 1950s, she was a popular commercial model and pin-up girl.
Dennis Tinerino was an American bodybuilder, most prominent in the late 1960s and 1970s. He won the Mr. Universe title four times in 1968, 1975, 1980 and 1981 and Mr. World in 1971 in the tall man's category, and Mr. America in 1978. After becoming involved in a life of crime, running one of the biggest escort services in California, he became an international evangelist. The 1983 edition of The Gold's Gym book of bodybuilding cited him as "one of the most successful bodybuilders of the past decade or two". He is an inductee of the National Fitness Hall of Fame, IFBB Hall of Fame and National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
WWE Hall of Fame (2015) was the event which featured the introduction of the 16th class to the WWE Hall of Fame. The event was produced by WWE on March 28, 2015, from the SAP Center in San Jose, California. The event took place the same weekend as WrestleMania 31. The event aired live on the WWE Network, and was hosted by Jerry Lawler. A condensed one-hour version of the ceremony aired the following Monday after Raw, on the USA Network.
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The International Sports Hall of Fame (ISHOF) is a section 501(c)(3) Nonprofit organization established in 2012 by Dr. Robert M. Goldman to honor the world's greatest athlete legends in all categories of sports.