Death and Legacy
With his wife Mareon of 55 years at home and Jon Jon by his side, Park died on 22 November 2007 in his home in South Africa, after an eight month battle with metastatic melanoma (a form of skin cancer). Park's legacy is continued by his son Jon Jon Park, a personal trainer and former Olympic swimmer. Reg Park raised and trained Jon Jon in South Africa. Today Jon Jon Park is the owner of the Legacy Gym, a popular gymnasium in West Los Angeles, CA. Reg's daughter, Jeunesse, runs the Reg Park Legacy Foundation which helps disadvantaged people access sport and fitness.
Famous for his mass and strength, Reg Park was an early influence and lifelong mentor to champion bodybuilder and former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger said that he was inspired to become a bodybuilder after seeing Reg Park. Bonus footage from the DVD release of the classic documentary film Pumping Iron (1977) features Park mentoring Schwarzenegger. Park can also be heard performing the Master of Ceremonies duties in the Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia Contests featured in the film proper.
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Famous quotes containing the words death and/or legacy:
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