Month: May 2023

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A photo of (L-R) Charles A. Smith, Joe Weider, Reg Park’s mother, British bodybuilder Reg Park, Reg’s father, and an unidentified man taken outside of the Weider offices in Jersey City.

Celebrating Jewish-American Heritage Month with Joe Weider

In celebration of Jewish-American Heritage Month, The Stark Center would like to recognize Joe Weider, the man who made bodybuilding part of global culture. Born in Montreal, Canada, Weider began his athletic career as a competitive weightlifter and, during his lifetime, he led weight training from the closets and primitive gyms of the first half of the 20th century...

May 23, 2023May 23, 2023
Walter Imahara raises his arm during the introductions of athletes before competition.

Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month with Walter Imahara

In celebration of Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, The Stark Center would like to recognize the career of weightlifter Walter Imahara. Like so many other families of Japanese heritage, the Imahara family was relocated to an internment camp during WWII while Walter was only six years old. In 1955, Imahara began classes at Southwestern...

May 15, 2023October 30, 2023