From Chubby Child to Finest Physique: The Inspiring Journey of Gene Jantzen
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| Bodybuilder Gene Jantzen with wife Pat and 11-month-old son Kent. 1947 [by Stanley Kubrick] |
A chubby child who was often bullied, Jantzen (born 1916) began bodybuilding when he was 12 years old. In his teens he ran 18 miles a day and added a 14-mile swim to his regime during the summer months. Through high school and college he continued to train, competed in swimming and gymnastics, and won the “Finest Physique in America Contest” in 1947. Jantzen, who worked as a corrective therapist for 50 years, was the father of 10 children, and lived until he was 89 years old.

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