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IronLife
Bodybuilding Tribute - Reg Park & Kay Baxter
by
Ed Ouble, Admin at www.IronLife.com
Reg
Park
Born:
June 7, 1928 in Yorkshire, England
Height: 6'2"
Weight:
225 lbs.
Combine
John Grimek’s ruggedness with Steve Reeves’ proportions
and you would produce a physique like Reg Park’s. Park won the
1949 Mr. Britain, and then subsequently spent six months in the
United States.
There,
he met up with Joe Weider who began to feature the Englishman
prominently in his magazines. Park’s major wins included the
1951 NABBA Amateur Mr. Universe and the 1958 and 1965 NABBA Pro Mr.
Universe titles. Between the latter two wins, Reg (like Steve Reeves)
made appearances as Hercules in movies filmed in Italy.
Aside
from his mighty physique, Park was renowned for his strength –
which he often demonstrated in public performances. Reg Park was
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s bodybuilding inspiration; the two met in
competition at the 1970 NABBA Pro Mr. Universe, where 23-year-old
Arnold managed to best 42-year-old Park.
Reg
has lived in South Africa since the ‘60s, but is still often
seen in attendance at major contests and, in his 70's, still looks
great – a testament to the benefits of living a healthy, fit lifestyle.
Titles
1949
Mr. Britain, Winner
1950
IFBB Best Developed Athlete in America
1950
Mr. Europe, Overall Winner
1951
NABBA Mr. Universe
1958
NABBA Pro Universe
1965
NABBA Pro Universe
Magazine
Covers
1950
July Your Physique (cover)
1950
August IronMan
1950
September Muscle Power
1951
January Your Physique
1951
July Muscle Power
1951
October Your Physique
1952
March Mr Universe
1952
June Muscle Power
1952
July Your Physique
1953
Mr. Universe
1953
May Muscle Power
1953
September Muscle Builder
1954
January Muscle Builder
1954
January Reg Park Journal
1954
June Reg Park Journal
1954
August Muscle Power
1954
September Reg Park Journal
1955
November Reg Park Journal
1956
October Muscle Power
1957
February Reg Park Journal
1958
March IronMan
1958
May Reg Park Journal
1958
June Reg Park Journal
1958
December Reg Park Journal
1965
November Muscle Training Illustrated
1965
December Muscle Builder
1972
August Muscular Development
1973
January Muscle Training Illustrated
1973
May Muscular Development
1992
July Hardgainer
1996
September Hardgainer
(courtesy
of ifbb.com & musclememory.com)
*****************************
Kay
Baxter
Born:
October 3, 1945
Died:
May 16, 1988 in an auto accident
 If
bodybuilding contest winners were selected by a popularity vote of
audiences and fans, Kay Baxter would have been a multi-Ms. Olympia.
In a competitive career that began in 1979 and had run its course by
1986, Kay Baxter became a standard-bearer for women who aspired to an
ultimate level of muscularity.
For
the most part, Baxter was handled harshly by judges who felt she was
too extreme for general acceptance by the public. Unwittingly, it was
this stance that brought Baxter enormous popularity within the sport.
Fans loved her. Even those who competed against her held her in the
highest regard. Baxter competed in four IFBB Ms. Olympia contests
from 1982-85.
Placing
eighth in her first IFBB Ms. Olympia and finishing as low as 16th in
1984, Baxter never wavered in her love of building maximum muscle.
“Someone had to stick her neck out for the cause of muscular
women &ldots; and I’ve got no regrets about that &ldots; not
one”, she said.
Long
considered the earth mother of women’s bodybuilding,
Baxter’s battle cry was “Get built without guilt.” She
did just that. Perhaps the best example of Baxter’s impact on
the bodybuilding world was reflected in the annual poll that
Women’s Physique Publication conducted to select “The Best
Woman Bodybuilder in the World”.
Baxter
won in landslide fashion each year from 1979 to 1982. Tragically,
Kay was killed in an automobile accident in 1988 at a time when her
career had begun to move toward acting and the movie industry.
Because of her physical and spiritual contributions to women’s
bodybuilding, Kay Baxter was one of a kind. .
 Titles
1981
NPC Gold's Classic 1983 IFBB World Pro Championships
Magazine
Covers
1985
August Women's Physique World
(courtesy
of femalemuscle.com, ifbb.com & musclememory.com)
*
Article by Ed Ouble, Admin at www.IronLife.com .
*
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