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| My Mom and Dad, still laughing after 50 years of marriage! |
My family together at my Parent's 50th Wedding Anniversary |
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With my good friends Dennis, Amet and Nick |
With my nephews, Zane, Joe and Sam |
My Parents 50th Wedding Anniversary
I was so proud to attend the 50th Wedding Anniversary for my parents, Don and Jeri Hansen, on Friday, January 29th, 2010. I am very lucky to have really great parents who are loving, caring, considerate and thoughtful and they always put their family first in their lives. My parents are also full of life and they love to travel, spend time with friends and family and always have a great time. Best of all, after 50 years of marriage, they are still truly in love!
Almost 200 of their closest friends and family joined them for a celebration of their marriage. My Mom asked me to make the speech at the dinner banquet. Why she asked a lifelong bachelor like myself to make a speech at a wedding anniversary is beyond me but I was very happy to do it.
A few weeks after the 50th Wedding Anniversary party, my parents took off to their favorite vacation spot in Maui, Hawaii for two weeks. Congratulations again to my Mom and Dad on this very important date in their lives, I’m so happy for them!
The 2010 Arnold Classic Expo
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With Misty Hendricks at the
Optimum/ABB booth |
Jaquelyn Kay and I at the
Optimum booth |
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Mercedes Perez flashes her guns! |
At the night club on Saturday
with Jen and Jessica. |
On March 5th-7th, 2010, I was happy to join the Optimum Nutrition/American Bodybuilding booth at the largest fitness expo in the world. The 22nd Annual Arnold Classic Fitness Expo was busier than ever this year with over 700 booths at the Expo and an estimated 180,000 people attending.
Optimum Nutrition had the BEST booth at the Arnold Classic Expo this year. I have worked the booth for Optimum for the past three years and this year’s booth was, by far, the best ever. There was rockin’ music, giveaways, free samples and lots of gorgeous girls at the Optimum booth in 2010. Check out my pictures from the Expo right here.
The Arnold Classic is such a HUGE event now, you really must go and check it out if you haven’t been there yet. More than just a bodybuilding show, the Arnold Classic is now called the Arnold Sports Festival because there are 44 different sports involved with 18,000 athletes competing. Believe it or not, the Arnold Sports Festival had three times the number of athletes competing than in the 2010 Winter Olympics.
The Arnold Classic Bodybuilding contest was a great event. This year, the top four professional bodybuilders in the world (places 2nd-5th at the 2009 Mr. Olympia) were all vying for the title. In the end, Kai Greene won his second consecutive Arnold Classic title over a much improved Phil Heath. To read my full report on the Arnold Classic, click here.
Fitness Hall of Fame
The National Fitness Hall of Fame took place on Sunday, March 14th, 2010 in Addison, Illinois. I was inducted into the Fitness Hall of Fame last year but I was looking forward to attending this year because Bill Pearl was being awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in bodybuilding and fitness.
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Bill Pearl won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Fitness Hall of Fame! |
Hanging out with Bill Seno, Ernie Franz, Bill Pearl, Fred Schutz and Dr. Bob Goldman |
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The "Old-Time" Chicago Bodybuilders - Al Jakich, Terry Strand and Bob Gajda |
With the legend, 4 Time Mr. Universe Bill Pearl |
Bill Pearl is a four-time Mr. Universe winner and a true legend in the sport of bodybuilding. Even more impressive than his titles and his physique is what a gentleman he is. I don’t know if I’ve ever met a more gracious and respectful person than Bill is. He is always nice and complimentary to everyone and he is a true Class Act!
For example, I asked him if I could take a picture with him and his award after the ceremony was over and he insisted that I hold the award. He said, “You should take this home John, you are the future of fitness in this sport.” Wow, to have someone like Bill Pearl say that was amazing. But that is the kind of genuine and unselfish person that Bill Pearl is.
Bill will be 80 years old this year and he looks like the epitome of health. He is still a very big man and he doesn’t remotely look near 80 years of age. He still gets up at 3:30 every morning and works out for an hour and a half, four days a week at his home in Oregon.
In addition to Bill Pearl, it was great to hang out with other legends in the bodybuilding world including 1966 AAU Mr. America Bob Gajda, 1964 Most Muscular Man winner at the Mr. America, Bill Seno, world class powerlifting legend Ernie Franz and weightlifter and bodybuilder Fred Schutz (who was also inducted). Unfortunately, Dennis Tinerino, who was supposed to be there, could not make due to a serious illness. (Unfortunately, Dennis Tinerino passed away on Saturday, May 8th, 2010)
The 2010 Natural Illinois Championships
For the third year in a row, I promoted the ABA Natural Illinois Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Championships in Bolingbrook, Illinois. This year’s event took place on Saturday, April 10th, 2010 at Brooks Middle School in Bolingbrook. This was our biggest event yet with 54 total competitors and Standing Room Only evening show. The competitors all looked great and the audience was very loud and supportive all night long.
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All the Winners from the 2010 ABA Natural Illinois |
The women’s categories were much bigger this year than last year. The Figure Open, Masters Figure, Bikini Diva, Sports Model and Fitness competitions were really competitive. In addition, we had some great bodybuilders competing in the Novice and Open divisions. The talent of the outstanding Natural physiques on some of these competitors continues to amaze me.
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Posedown in the Men's Open Short Class! |
Pierce Walker from Rockford, Michigan came back this year to win the Men’s Open division along with many of the Bodypart Awards. Pierce won his class last year but lost the overall title to Brent Swansen. Laurie Ellis proved that persistence pays off when she won the Women’s Open and Masters titles.
Caleb Brandholt looked outstanding in only his first contest when he won the Novice Overall title. Standing 6’1” and 205 pounds, Caleb was thick and ripped to the bone to beat a tough line-up in the Novice Men’s division.
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Lewis Calloway Jr. brought the crowd to
their feet with his routine. |
Guest Poser, Brent Swansen, was massive! |
The beautiful Shannon Goering won
the Fitness Division |
To read my full Photo Report from the 2010 ABA Natural Illinois Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Championships, click HERE.
Thanks to our sponsors, Optimum Nutrition, American Bodybuilding, Capitol Nutrition, Nutrition Discounters, Pride Nutrition, Chiro One, Govan Fitness and Sultry Salsa. I’m looking forward to another great event on August 7th, 2010 at Bolingbrook High School when we hold the 2010 ABA Natural North America Championships. See you there!
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