JON JON PARK - By Pete Samra
Jon Jon Park;
I first met Jon Jon Park was when I came to the USA. I arrived in California in 1975 to train at world famous Gold’s gym in Venice California. I was working the Saturday afternoon shift when Jon Jon Park walked in. He was attending high school in Southern California on a swimming scholarship. Of cause we would meet a few more times in 1975 because of his famous uncle John Isaacs who lived in Santa Monica and would invite a few of us South Africans over.
Born into Bodybuilding nobility .Jon Jon’s father Reg Park was one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. Wining 3 Mr. Universe titles. Reg is well known as the man who inspired Arnold Schwarzenegger to become Bodybuilder. His uncle John Isaacs ( his mother’s brother) was also a top Bodybuilder Reg and John Isaacs both won their respective Height classes at the 1958 Mr. Universe competition, in London. Reg winning the overall at that competition…
So who is Jon Jon Park ? Well Jon Jon (born 21 February 1957 ) in Johannesburg South Africa. Because his father Reg Park was born in England . Jon Jon was a former swimmer who competed for Britain in the 1976 Olympics.. He competed in the men’s 100 metre butterfly at the 1976 Summer Olympics.In addition to his swimming success He followed in his father’s footsteps as a bodybuilder . Winning several bodybuilding titles, including Mr. South Africa Maccabiah and Mr. Golden City.
Jon Jon moved to the united States following his fathers influence and became a successful trainer.[Jon Jon Park is the CEO and founder of Legacy Gym, a state-of-the-art personal training center in Los Angeles.
Jon Jon has channeled his 30 years in health and fitness to develop an impressive collection of exercise and nutritional programs for his clients. From competitive athletes and actors to individuals aggressively pursuing weight loss and strength building to clients that use his on-site physical therapy as they recover from serious injuries, he is well-equipped to handle it all. Jon Jon’s work with world-class athletes includes core strength, balance, flexibility and cardio-vascular conditioning.Jon Jon has devoted time to designing successful remedial and rehabilitation courses for the aging, physically impaired and those inflicted with sports-related injuries. He provides high risk pregnancy clients with pre/post-natal exercises and correct and ergonomic breathing techniques. Clients who prefer to train in the comfort of their own homes rely on Jon Jon to design their home gyms selecting appropriate equipment for their customized workout.
Prior to launching Legacy Gym, Park founded World Private Exercise in 1992, an exclusive personal training facility catering to a celebrity clientele. Fifteen years of hard work and dedication produced relationships with an array of renowned sports superstars including Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Vlade Divac of the NBA Sacramento Kings and WBC Welterweight Champion Michael Cotto.
The apple does not fall far from the tree.
I could’nt help but ask Jon Jon what it was like having such a famous father .” It was quite a thrill as a kid going places and people recognizing him. I would say Steve Reeves and Reg were the first bodybuilders through their movie careers, to transcend bodybuilding and later of course Arnold and Lou Ferrigno, that’s it. To illustrate this, two of my most thrilling experiences ever, was as a young boy of twelve. In the summer of 1969 we went to Europe on a vacation and Reg was doing posing exhibitions in the UK. During our stay in England, Reg had just done an exhibition in Manchester and we went for dinner with some of Reg’s friends one being a guy by the name of Derek Clemence who was a former training partner of Reg’s, knowing that Reg and I were huge football (soccer) fans, he asked if we would be interested in going to watch Manchester United train, they had just won their first European cup and were preparing for the upcoming season. I was a soccer fanatic and that was one of the teams I supported. Derek worked for a car dealership who were one of the sponsors of Manchester United and annually supplied cars to the whole team and he would personally deliver the manager the late Sir Matt Busby his car. He arranged for us to go and watch them train and we were met in by Sir Matt who was expecting us. We watched the whole session and afterwards Sir Matt gave us a tour of the stadium, we walked into the dressing room and their was one of my hero’s Denis Law a Scotsman one of the best players in the world at that time who had been nominated the European footballer of the year during that era. He said that as a young boy growing up in Aberdeen, he remembers Reg doing an exhibition there and his PE teacher at school was a huge fan of Reg and made all the young boys go and watch him pose, he went on to say that years later he and Reg were guests on a YV show together. I was completely gob smacked, blown away and afterwards I said to him “Denis Law knows who you are” and he just gave a deep humble laugh, l had no idea. We were then taken into the canteen where the whole team was having lunch and I met every player and got all their autographs.
The following week we were in Leeds where Reg my Dad was from, we were ,staying with my grandparents.We went to watch Leeds United the other team I supported, train they had just won the league. Reg had played for Leeds United reserves as a sixteen year old school boy and captained his provincial (State) team. Arguably Manchester and Leeds were the two best teams in the league at that time. When they were finished training, they were running laps and one of their top players Jackie Charlton, looked at my dad and said “Hello Reg” again I was completely gobsmacked and said “Jackie Charlton knows you” and once again gave his deep humble laugh. We had met Jack’s brother Bobby the week before as he played for Manchester and was a football legend and England’s greatest footballing ambassador to this day. Both had played in the 1966 England World Cup winning team their only one in 1966. After Jack had finished running his laps my dad said, “Jackie can you do me a favor and get the teams autographs for my son”, to which he responded, “I’ll do better than that and in his deep voice said “Come on son” and took me into the dressing room, introduced me to every player and, , got their autographs. I still have that autograph book which is one of my greatest treasures. Years later after both brothers had retired they visited South Africa to do some appearances and they came over to our house for dinner, I had to pick them up from their hotel and drop them off afterwards. They walked in to my bedroom which was like a soccer museum with Manchester United paraphernalia on one wall and Leeds on another and they signed all my memrobellia. Having Reg as a father, I was able to experience what most young boys only dream about.”
Jon Jon Park possesses an extensive history of fitness that he shared with his father Reg Park, the legendary bodybuilder, three-time Mr. Universe winner and mentor and inspiration to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
As a former member of the British National Swim Team,. He has spoken on a number of issues including: pathological body image in the athletic arena, eating disorders and steroid abuse. He has been a guest lecture for the UCLA psychology department on exercise and nutrition and has been a panel member representing the American Psychiatric Association addressing the International Society for Sport. In 1995, Vogue magazine included him on their list of the top 55 trainers in the U.S.
Jon Jon’s fitness and health expertise will turn anyone into pinnacle shape.
Jon Jon Park currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife Michelle and three children, Trent, Travis and Savanah.
By PETE SAMRA